Tragedy: key terms

Classical

Literature written in ancient Greece or Rome

Epic

Refers to a literature which has a grand or ambitious theme

Domestic

Refers to drama set in a household. It does not have a grand or ambitious theme

Peripeteia

Reversal of fortune for the protagonist from which there is no return to their previous state

Redemption

making up for ones faults or being saved from the consequences of one’s earlier actions

Noble

Describes someone who posses excellent qualities of mind and character and who is not mean or petty

Tragic Villain

Someone who acts as the antagonist to provoke the hamartia of the hero which leads to a tragic event of conclusion, causing catastrophe and disorder for their own ends

Tragic Victim

Character who falls victim to the hamartia of the tragic hero and the duplicity of the tragic villain

Tragic Hero

Great character in a dramatic tragedy who is destined for downfall. Noble birth with heroic or potentially heroic qualities. Fated by the gods or some supernatural force to doom

Hubris

Excessive pride or self confidence which leads a tragic character to commit an error which ultimately leads to their downfall

Hamartia

Error committed by a tragic hero or heroine which leads to their downfall

Anagnorisis

The protagonist recognises the truth of their situation

Duplicity

deceitful behaviour

Catharsis

Purification of mind and body brought about by the release of emotions

Chaos

Inversion of the normal body of society, usually leads to death.

Anti-hero

Character who does not fit the normal model of heroism