"Aristotle's Poetics Tragedy"

Define "Tragedy"

"A tragedy if the imitation of an action (mimesis) that is serious and also, as having a qualitative magnitude, complete in itself; in appropriate and pleasurable language;... in a dramatic rather than narrative form; with incidents arousing pity and fear, wherewith to accomplish a catharsis of these emotions."

Define "Mimesis"

An imitation of an action

Art imitates what?

Life

A good tragedy deals with _____ issue that is very "______."

1, serious

Define "Qualitative Magnitude"

-Of great importance

The issue has to be ________ and very, very ___________.

Serious, important

That's why a lot of tragedies deal with __________ ________.

Someone's death

Ancient Greek tragedy had a _________ whose role was to __________ on the ________ of the play.

chorus, comment

The chorus sometimes ________ their part.

Sang

Aristotle said that:

-The language should be easy to listen to.
-It should have rhythm and also good harmony for the lines that were sung.

A chorus is really a:

character

The chorus is made up of:

10-12 men

The chorus has

a civil duty

If you refuse ur duty

You displease the gods

The chorus has how many purposes?

3

Purpose 1

Advise the characters

Purpose 2

Make predictions or foreshadow

Purpose 3

Tell audience what they should be thinking or feeling

In a play, the story mus be ________ or ________ ____.

Dramatized, acted out

Why is the story dramatized

So the audience can experience the journey along with the hero.

What is the significance of the word "tragic" in the term "tragic hero?"

Hero - everything he does is with good intent
Tragic - His well intended actions don't have a positive result

In a tragedy, the events or episodes in the play should...

Lead the audience to pity the main character (the tragic hero)

Pity defined by Felknor as:

"I never want to be in that tragic hero's position ever. You should pity the mess he's making of his own life."

The audience should also feel ______ for the hero as he moves toward a ________________ ____.

Afraid, destructive end

"We are afraid because...

we know he is going to hit rock bottom with nothing."

Define Catharsis

The purging or cleansing of the emotions; a release of tension

The audience must _________ the events through the _________ _______.

Experience, tragic hero

Aristotle said that tragedy has how many main elements?

6

1.

Plot

2.

Character

3.

Thought

4.

Diction

5.

Melody

6.

Spectacle

The two we will be focusing on are:

Plot and Character

Plot: First there must be what?

Unity of plot (It must be complete in itself)

All event or episodes are ___________ to the ____ ______.

Necessary, main idea

The Main idea must be what ?

Probable or believable

Plot: Second, the plot may be either ________ or _______.

Simple or complex

Which plot is the best?

Complex

A simple plot has only what?

A reversal of fortune (Catastrophe)

Define Catastrophe

-Everything the hero had at the beginning is completely gone.
-The only thing he is left with his new knowledge, but it is too late

A complex plot has what?

Peripeteia or Agnorisis, sometimes both

Define Peripeteia

A reversal of fortune

When does Peripeteia occur?

When the protagonist produces an effect opposite to that which he intended. (NOT INTENTIONAL)

Define Agnorisis

The moment a character goes from ignorance to knowledge.

How does Agnorisis happen?

This happens to a tragic hero who starts out "clueless" and slowly learns how he himself created the mess he ends up in at the end of the play.

According to Felknor, Anagnoris is what moment?

"The Oh Shit Moment"
(When the hero finally gets it)

Peripereia results in:

Agnorisis (understanding of) the catastrophe

The catastrophe leads to:

The final "scene of suffering"

How did Aristotle and the Greeks view suffering?

It was a prerequisite for wisdom; you must suffer to attain wisdom

Character: First, what by itself is not enough?

Change

The character involved in the change must have what?

Specific characteristics

Why must a character have specific characteristics

To arouse the tragic emotions of pity and fear

Character: Second, the protagonist should be what?

He should be renowned, enjoy high status, and be "prosperous" so his reversal of fortune can show a greater effect.

If a hero is prosperous, he is...

admired, and inspiration, he has characteristics/attributes that other people look up to.

The protagonist's hamartia is often his what?

His excessive pride, called hubris

Hubris

He thinks he is better than the gods

When is a protagonist considered a "tragic hero?"

When he doesn't recover from the catastrophe

In true Aristotelian tragedy, there is no what?

Redemption of the character at all.

Why is their no redemption

If the audience if to truly the hero, and never want to be in his place, there can be no redemption or even hope of redemption.

is the imitation of an action

art imitate life (mimesis)

that is serious and also, as having a qualitative magnitude complete

good tragedy deal with1 issue that is serious. deal with death or figurative

in itself in appropriate language

chorus that commented on the role of the play

a dramatic rather than narrative

simple to tell a story thats dramatized acted out

with incidents arousing pity and fear

audience shows pity towards main character audience feels afraid for hero

with to accomplish a bunch of emotions

a release of tension allows the audience to own the actors successes as well

Plot

complete itself unity of plot all events matters must be believable

catastrophe

a simple plot has a reverse of fortune

Peripeteia

reversal of intention produces opposite effect

Anagnorisis

ignorance to knowledge hero starts out clueless and leans what the mess is

Scene of Suffering

disaster happens

Character

high stats, prosperous, tragic emotion

Hamartian

change though great error or frailty

Hubris

excessive pride

Tragic Hero

no redemption audience doesn't want to be In his place

1 order

Peripeteia

2 order

Anagnoris

2.5 order

Hubris

3 order

Catastrophe

4 order

scene of suffering