Greek Tragedy

                Aristotle's The Poetics (4^th century B.C.) carefully analyzed what makes tragedy such a powerful event.  For Aristotle, the most important element of tragic drama was the unique experience of CATHARSIS, the arousing of the specific emotions of pity and fear so as to dispel or purge them in the audience. Modern movie-goers who cry when the Titanic sinks for the umpteenth time also experiences a catharsis. Tragedy is defined by its emotional effect on the audience.

I.  The ideal plot of a tragedy should contain the following characteristics:

     A.   Unity of time, place and action:  action extends over no more than a day or two and occurs in no more than one city and its surrounding countryside.    The concentration of an action within a relatively small location and time period produced a stronger emotional response.

     B. A plot structured on principles which strengthen the emotions of "pity" and "fear:

                1.  Reversal (there must be a change of fortune in the main character)

                     a.  Simple:  character experiences a turn of fortune from happiness to

                          misery or vice versa

                     b.  Complex:  the hero, seeking happiness, brings about his own destruction (ironic reversal)

                 2.  Discovery (or recognition)

                     a.  of someone's identity or true nature 

                     b.  of one's own identity or true character 

                     c.  of the nature of the gods and the universe 

                3.  The ideal climax, turning point, combines ironic reversal and discovery in a

                     single action.

II.  The Tragic Hero's Characteristics

     A.  He or she must be of noble blood and admirable. He is not only noble by birth, but noble in terms of his actions. This provides the story with dignity.   (The tragedy of commoners/peasants did not interest Aristotle).  It also generates the feeling in the audience that if tragedy can happen to the advantaged, it can  happen to anyone, thus producing "fear".

     B.  Initially, the hero must be neither better or worse morally than most people.

          This produces "fear" because the hero is imperfect like us, and we can identify

          with him.  It also produces "pity" because if the hero were perfect or totally good,

          we would be outraged by his fate.  If he were completely evil, we would feel like

          he had gotten what he deserved.

     C.  The tragic hero meets his fate because of a "tragic flaw".  The tragic flaw is not

          a defect in character, but an error in judgment of the kind we all make.  Since we

          all make mistakes, this generates "fear" in that we recognize our own potential for

          tragedy by committing the same errors.  It also generates "pity" because we do not

          blame the hero for his tragic fate.

 III.  Catharsis, or purgation

       A.  "Pity" is aroused for the hero as he meets his fate.

       B.  "Fear" is aroused since we may meet a similar fate as the hero.

       C.  These two emotions are dispelled eventually.  We sympathize with the hero

             and his tragic circumstances, but we are not overcome with pity or fear for him.

                 We learn a lesson from the story, our pity and fear disappear, and that is

                 a cathartic experience.