GREEK TRAGEDY

T

he Greek theatre or Greek drama is a theatrical tradition that

flourished in ancient Greece between c. 550 and c. 220 BC.

A

thens, the political and military power in Greece during this period,

was the center of ancient Greek theatre.

G

reek theater and plays have had a lasting impact on Western drama

and culture.

DEFINITION

A

drama in which a character (usually a good and

noble person of high rank) is brought to a disastrous

end in his or her confrontation with a superior force

(fortune, the gods, social forces, universal values),

but also comes to understand the meaning of his or

her deeds and to accept an appropriate punishment.

SOPHOCLES

SOPHOCLES

(

495 BC - 406 BC) was the second of three great ancient

Greek tragedians. He wrote 123 or more plays during the

course of his life.

O

edipus

A

ntigone

TRAGIC HERO

T

he tragic hero is a man of noble stature. He is not an

ordinary man, but a man with outstanding quality and

greatness about him. His own destruction is for a greater

cause or principle.

“

noble stature/high rank” usually means a king, duke,

prince, company owner, etc.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A TRAGIC HERO

According to Aristotle:1. Usually of noble birth

2. Hamartia – a.k.a. the tragic flaw that eventually leads to his downfall.

3. Peripeteia – a reversal of fortune brought about by the hero’s tragic flaw

4. His actions result in an increase of self- awareness and self-knowledge

5. The audience must feel pity and fear for this character.

THE “TRAGIC FLAW”

T

he “flaw” in the character is a defect which keeps

him/her from being aware of the situation around

him/her. The character does not understand (for much

of the story) his/her part of creating the situation.

T

he tragic flaw leads to the downfall of the tragic hero

THE HERO’S UNDERSTANDING

The tragic hero has a “moment of

enlightenment” near the end of the story.• He/she finally understands what he/she

has done wrong—how he/she contributed to the tragic situation.

• The story often ends with the death of the tragic hero.

TERMS TO KNOW

H

amartia- the hero’s flaw, error, or frailty

H

ubris- a characters exaggerated pride or self-confidence

C

atharsis- the spiritual plunge that is obtained when the

audience feels pity and terror/fear from what they see

happening on stage ( inspires viewer to lead a better life)

VIDEO CLIPS

G

reek Tragedy

T

ragedy