Drama Terms + Tragedy

Tragedy

A type of drama that presents the downfall of a once prominent and powerful hero rather than the rise of an underdog, ending in suffering and catastrophe

Aristotelian Tragedy

A tragic form defined by Aristotle in Poetics in which a basically good and admirable person falls from prosperity to suffering because of a fatal error or misjudgment, producing insight in the protagonist and arousing pity and fear in the audience

Pity and Fear

The central emotional responses tragedy is meant to arouse in the audience, where pity arises from witnessing undeserved suffering and fear comes from recognizing that such suffering could happen to anyone

Catharsis

The emotional purging or cleansing of pity and fear that occurs in the audience after witnessing tragic suffering

Tragic Hero

A privileged and exalted character of high status who is essentially good and admirable but falls from greatness into suffering because of error and fate

*He must be a person of some stature or high position such as a king, general, or a nobleman.

•He must be basically a good person. He must matter to us and we must see him as a worthwhile person.

•Because of his position, his actions usually have far reaching effects.

•He must possess a character trait or quality which under normal circumstances would be a virtue, but which

under the special circumstances of the play proves to be a fatal flaw (hamartia—the tragic flaw that leads to his

downfall).

•He usually makes further errors in judgment following his misdeed.

•Often he has a distorted perception of, or is blind to, reality.

•He suffers both outwardly (isolation, alienation, attacks) and inwardly (tortured conscience).

•He must elicit both pity and fear from the audience (catharsis). He must suffer reversal of fortune. (peripeteia)

•Usually, he recognizes his mistakes in the end. (anagnorisis)

•He must die.

Hamartia (Tragic Error)

A fatal error, misjudgment, or mistake committed by the protagonist that directly leads to the catastrophe

Hamar- haram = bad

Tragic Flaw

A weakness or limitation of character that contributes to the downfall of the tragic hero

Hubris

The sin of excessive pride or insolent daring in which a tragic hero oversteps moral, cultural, or divine boundaries

Nemesis

The inevitable punishment or cosmic retribution that follows acts of hubris

Peripeteia (Reversal)

A pivotal turning point in which the protagonist’s situation changes suddenly from seemingly secure to vulnerable or ruined


p→eri→p = reversal

Anagnorisis (Recognition)

A moment of critical insight in which the tragic hero comes to understand the true nature of their situation and their own responsibility

anag = anagram = recognize word inside word - use brain

Catastrophe

The final tragic action that brings about suffering and leads into the resolution of the play

Hegelian Tragedy

A theory of tragedy proposed by G. W. F. Hegel in which tragedy arises from a collision between two equally justified moral forces or rights

Conflict of Rights

A situation in which two legitimate moral duties or values oppose each other and one must be sacrificed

Revenge Tragedy

A type of tragedy in which a wronged hero seeks personal vengeance when legal or moral justice fails

Aside

A brief statement spoken by an actor directly to the audience that is not heard by other characters on stage

Soliloquy

A speech in which a character speaks their thoughts aloud to the audience while other characters do not hear

Monologue

A lengthy speech delivered by a single character that may be heard by other characters on stage

Comic Relief

The use of humor to interrupt intense tragic moments and reduce emotional tension

Deus ex Machina

A plot device in which a god or supernatural force resolves the conflict through sudden intervention

Fourth Wall

The imaginary boundary separating the audience from the actors on stage

Gesture

Physical movements or facial expressions used by actors to convey emotion and character

Stage Direction

Descriptive or interpretive instructions written by the playwright that indicate movement, tone, setting, or action

Implied Stage Action

Actions suggested through dialogue rather than explicitly written instructions

Staging

The overall visual and sensory presentation of a play including actor positioning, scenery, props, costumes, lighting, and sound

Subplot

A secondary or parallel plot that exists alongside the main plot

Psychomachia

An internal struggle within a character between good and evil or opposing moral forces

Psycho = two conflicting