IB English HL Year II
Part III: Genre Studies (Drama)
V. Quinn and A. Heusterberg-Richards
DIRECTIONS: Track the Aristotelian elements of tragedy as they appear (or do not) in our dramas. Be specific to moments/lines in the dramas.
Hamlet
(Shakespeare)
The tragic hero Hamlet
How defined a tragic -He is at a noble position.
hero -He fights for the good//
* "must be good" unlike the king.
* "[must] aim at -He was a likeable
proprietary" character.
* "[must be] true to life" -He wants to take control of
the throne, however his
uncle is in current position.
The hamartia of said Afraid of death and
tragic hero (flaw) damnation
Or that the Everlasting had
not fixed / His canon gainst
self-slaughter! (I.ii.135).
The peripeteia (ironic Father asks him to kill his
situation) uncle so he can go to
heaven- would result in
Hamlets damnation
Cut off, even in the blossoms
of my sin / Unhouseled,
disappointed, unaneled, / No
reckning made, but sent to my
Aristotelian elements of drama
Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern Are Dead
(Stoppard)
Guildenstern
-He is at a noble position.
-He fights for the good (in
which case they believe to be
Hamlet).
-He was a more likable
character because he had
more substance.
-He tends to take control of
situations between himself,
Ros, and the Player.
Guil knows that they are
trapped, and tries to take
control of his life.
Theyve got us placed now-
(I, 41).
On a boat- his destination is
predetermined
Guil: Where we went wrong
was getting on a boat. We
can move, of course, change
direction, rattle about, but
our movement is contained
within a larger one that
The Birthday Party
(Pinter)
Petey
- Only sane character
- Nobleman of the house
because he is not insane.
- True to life bc he is a
normal daddy.
He doesnt stand up for
himself or anyone else. Not
very outspoken.
Oh, Meg, two men came up He serves/helps Faustus
to me on the beach last
night. Yes. They wanted to
know if we could put them
up a couple of nights
What did you say?
Well, I said I didnt know.
Doctor Faustus
(Marlowe)
Lucifer
- At the top as an angel
(before falling)
- True to life in 7 deadly
sins
- Punishes those who
punish those on Earth
Pride (in having to serve
humans)
for 24 years through
Mephistopheles.
 account / With all my
imperfections on my head.
(I.v.83).
The catastrophe When Hamlet accidentally
(fall/reversal of fortune) stabs and kills Polonius,
thinking it was Claudius.
He weeps for what is done
(IV.i.28).
The anagnorisis Comes face-to-face with a
(recognition/acceptance) skull (death)
Why may not that be the skull
of a lawyer? / Where be his
quiddits now, his quillets, his
cases, his tenures, / and his
tricks? (V.i.216).
When Hamlet prevents
Horatio from dying, so Hamlet
dies alone, also calls death
felicity.
If thou didst ever hold me in
thy heart, / Absent thee from
felicity awhile (V.ii.380-82).
The audiences catharsis When Hamlet dies.
(purge of fear/pity)
Now cracks a noble heart.
Good night, sweet prince, /
And flights of angels sing
thee to thy rest
(V.ii.397-98).
carries us along as
inexorably as the wind and
current (III, 122).
When Ros and Guil find that
Hamlet has changed the
letter to kill them
That on the knowing of this
contents, without delay of
any kind, should those
bearers, Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern, put to sudden
death- (III.122).
The idea that he has a
pre-planned destiny.
If we have a destiny, then so
had he-and if this is ours,
then that was his-and if there
are no explanations for us,
then let there be none for
him- (III, 123).
When the Player gets
stabbed.
Dying is not romantic, and
death is not a game which
will soon be over...Death is
not anything...death is not...
(III.124).
So they said theyd come
round to find out (I, 12).
When Goldberg insists that When Faustus attempts to
Stanley needs help from his repent.
own doctor- Petey gets
upset
Well find someone. (III,
85).
Leave him alone! (III, 85).
When Stanley is being taken We will highly gratify
away and he tries to stand thee for it (II, iii, 98).
up for him. This is ironic
because Stan lets Petey tell
him what to do.
Stan dont let them tell you
what to do (III, 86).
When Petey doesnt tell Meg Bringing with us lasting
that Stanley is gone damnation (V, ii, 5)
Wheres Stan?
Let him . . . sleep