Aristotelian Tragedy

The
Poetics
from

Aristotles Definition of
Tragedy
Tragedy depicts the downfall of a
basically good person through some
fatal error or misjudgment, producing
suffering and insight on the part of
the protagonist and arousing pity and
fear on the part of the audience.

Aristotles Definition of
Tragedy
A true tragedy should evoke pity and fear
on the part of the audience.
Pity and fear are the natural human
responses to spectacles of pain and
suffering especially to the sort of pain and
suffering that can strike anyone at any time.
The effect is that we feel relief in the end
through catharsis, and are purged of these
feelings.

Aristotles Definition of
Tragedy
The tragic hero must be essentially
admirable and good.
The fall of a scoundrel or villain evokes
applause rather than pity. Audiences cheer
when the bad guy goes down. We feel
compassion for someone we admire when
that character is in a difficult situation. The
nobler and more admirable the person is,
the greater our anxiety or grief at his or her
downfall.

Aristotles Definition of
Tragedy
In a true tragedy, the heros demise must
come as a result of some personal error
or decision.
There is no such thing as an innocent
victim in tragedy, nor can a genuinely tragic
downfall every be purely a matter of blind
accident or bad luck. The tragic hero must
always bear at least some responsibility for
his own doom.

Aristotles Definition of
Tragedy

ANAGORISIS
Tragic recognition or insight.
A moment of clairvoyant insight or
understanding in the mind of the
tragic hero as he suddenly
comprehends the web of fate in which
he is entangled.

Aristotles Definition of
Tragedy

HAMARTIA
Tragic error.
A fatal error or simple mistake on the
part of the protagonist that eventually
leads to the final catastrophe. A
metaphor from archery, hamartia
literally refers to a shot that misses the
bullseye.

Aristotles Definition of
Tragedy

HUBRIS
Violent transgression.
Hubris is the sort of insolent daring that
gets a person in deep trouble.
Sometimes translated as false pride,
hubris is a daring overstepping of
cultural codes or ethical boundaries.

Aristotles Definition of
Tragedy

NEMESIS
Retribution.
The inevitable payback or cosmic
punishment for acts of hubris.

Aristotles Definition of
Tragedy

PERIPATEIA
Plot reversal.
A pivotal or crucial action on the part of
the protagonist that changes the
situation from seemingly secure to
vulnerable.

Aristotles Definition of
Tragedy

CATHARSIS
Transformation through
transaction.
A feeling of emotional purging on the
part of the audience during a tragedy.
The audience feels pity and fear at
first, only to feel relief and exhilaration
at the end through catharsis.

Works Cited
www.depaul.edu/~dsimpson/tlove/comictragic.html