And it was drama rather than tragedy in the modern sense. Aristotle in Poetics described the best plot for a tragedy as one in which the main character was about to do something that, unbeknownst to him, was particularly dreadful, to learn in time that was particularly dreadful, and so to not do it -- that is, to have a happy ending.
The German Wikipedia article on tragedy explains this well:. The word "tragedy" stems from ancienc Greek theater and denotes the "he-goat's song" or "song for the he-goat's price" gr. In the Dinoysos cult, a "Kosmos" gr.
The theatrical form of tragedy developed from a myth sung in chorus, The choral parts of the theatrical dramas are a rudiment of this ancient form, the dialog parts a later, secondary addition. No source is given on Wikipedia, but all this is in tune with what I remember from studying literature and learning of the origin of ancient Greek theatre. A tragedy, in ancient Greek theatre, is not "sad" in the contemporary non-theatre-related usage of the word e.
The Greek tragedy is defined by a fated conflict of the protagonist: the failure of the protagonist is unavoidable, because of the constellation he or she are placed in. Think of Oedipus: He did nothing wrong, it was his fate to kill his father and marry his mother. In contrast to a modern hero, there was nothing that he could to to avoid that fate.
Modern heros on the other hand either succeed or fail because of their own deeds. The ancient Greek comedy also derived from the Dionysian procession see "komos" in my translation above. The one-act plays in this module provide an opportunity to explore how dramatic works continue to provide a unique space for dealing with the challenges and complexities of human life. Recalling our discussion of metaphors, it can be argued that the theater provides its audience with a metaphorical space for making sense of the darkest and often most difficult aspects of human life.
Privacy Policy. Skip to main content. Module 4: The Art of Tragic Drama. Search for:. And Oedipus learns he has unwittingly killed his father and married his mother - she kills herself, while Oedipus puts his eyes out. In the next century the philosopher Aristotle wrote that tragedy produces "pity and fear" in the audience, causing a purging catharsis of their emotions. The effect of tragedy was enhanced by events that were unexpected but nevertheless caused by each other, wrote Aristotle.
And he believed the best subject for a tragedy was a fortunate person whose misfortune is caused not by wickedness but by a mistake. Yet undoubtedly the spectators had a more general idea of what is tragic. Aristotle criticises playwrights for "writing to serve the wishes of the audience" when they do not conform with his ideals. They probably enjoyed a debate on whether the victim caused their own misfortune, but also sensed the "tragedy" in sheer bad luck or others' villainy, as we often do when deploring tragic events today.
One medieval scholar gave a creative explanation for the goatish dilemma. Like a goat, tragedy looked good from the front, he says, but it was disgusting behind. Writing and attending a tragic play might seem cathartic and noble, but it deals with the most primal of emotions. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data.
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