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III Sem, English Literature

Tragedy:

It is a form of drama based on human suffering that invokes an accompanying Catharsis or pleasure in audience

Catharsis is a Greek word.  It means purification or purgation or cleansing of emotions particularly pity and fear through art.

Catharsis is a Metaphor originally used by Aristotle in the poetics in 335 BC (in Latin it is called De Poetica)

Types of Tragedies

-Greek Tragedy

-Roman Tragedy

-Elizabethan & Jacobean Tragedy

-Revenge Tragedy

-Tragic Comedy

-Domestic Tragedy

 

-Greek Tragedy:

It is a form of theatre from Ancient Greece. It became more significant in form in Athens in 5th century BC. 

It was performed in the honour of ‘Dionysus’. Greek tragedians named Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides established the basic rules of tragic drama.

Aeschylus invented triology kind of drama in which a series of three tragedies tell one story and end with a Satyr play. Ancient Greek Tragedies in the form of triology to end with a Satyr play used to be performed on the stage from sunrise to sunset.

Greek Tragedies typically consists of a protagonist of high rank. He makes an error of judgement (flaw) and accepts his fall with Grace.

Within the Greek tragedies elements like gods, Mythology, Conflict, Suffering & catharsis are found.

Sophocles’ play ‘Oedipus Rex’ is considered the perfect example of Greek Tragedy.


-Roman tragedy

During the roman times, many Greek tragedies were performed. Later on, A Roman philosopher by the Name Seneca brought some changes into the Greek Tragedy. Most of the tragedy related works of Seneca did not survive. However, one can find 9 plays of Seneca to be available in the World. They reveal the factor that most of the roman tragedies were the adaptations of Greek tragedies only.

At the same time, They reveal that they had an element of revenge also in them. Due to that factor, one can say that they were also called Revenge tragedies. This revenge element was adopted by Elizabethan and Jacobean Playwrights in the late 16th and 17 centuries.


-Elizabethan & Jacobean Tragedies

Elizabethan tragedies were written by William Shakespeare and other play Wrights who were present during the Elizabethan time.

They include Protagonist of High Status (I.e. a person of Noble Birth, military rank, etc.). He is flawed and comes across a reversal of fortune and dies at the end of the play.

Jacobean tragedies were mostly categorized as revenge tragedies.


-Revenge Tragedies

They are Dramatic works in which one character seeks revenge upon another character for an evil doing. These kinds of dramas were associated with the Jacobean era mostly.

These revenge tragedies were actually a revival form of Roman times.

Excellent examples of Revenge tragedies are Hamlet by William Shakespeare and The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster.


-Tragic Comedy

Tragic Comedy is the mixture of tragedy and comedy. Within the tragic comedy, comic elements are not necessarily noticeable at the first glance.

Example:

Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett


-Domestic Tragedy

Domestic tragedy kind of Dramas originated in Elizabethan period. They broke from previously established conventions.

They portrayed the common man in a Domestic setting as a tragic hero (As opposed to a character of nobility in the palatial settings) 

Examples:

-A Doll’s House by Henrick Ibsen

-The Iceman Cometh by Eugene O’Neill

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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