Characteristics and structures of Shakespearean tragedy

Key elements

• Tragic hero embodies noble or royal protagonist initially admired and respected possesses best qualities

• Fatal flaw represents character defeat leading to downfall related to excessive pride & ambition

• Role of fate manifests through inevitable circumstance beyond hero’s control. Includes prophecies, supernatural events.

• Tragic waste occurs when hero’s demise affects entire kingdom/society, ripples through community

• Catharsis allows audience to experience emotional purging through witnessing hero’s journey

Structure of Shakespearean tragedy

• Exposition introduces characters and setting, established initial conflict

• Rising action builds tension through a series of events, hero’s choices lead to complications

• Climax marks the turning point of the play, seals the hero’s fate

• Falling action unfolds consequences of climax, hero spiral downwards

• Catastrophe culminates in final tragic event, often results in death of hero and others

• 5 act structure, follows traditional format used by Shakespeare organizes play’s progression

Supernatural in shakespearean tragedy

• Ghosts appear as manifestations of guilt/unresolved issues, act as catalysts for action

• Witches and prophecies influence character’s decisions, present ambiguous nature of predictions

• Omens and portents foreshadow tragic events

• Magic and curses represent supernatural forces affecting characters fates

• Dreams and visions provide insight into characters psyches, symbolically represent themes

• Disruptions of natural order reflects chaos in human realm

Themes & Supernatural Elements

• Ambition explores destructive nature of unchecked aspiration, highlights conflict between personal desires and social expectations

• Power examines corruption and its consequences, depicts struggle for political control

• Love portrays romantic relations as catalysts for tragedy, shows conflict between love and duty

• Human conditions develops into moral dilemmas, ethical choices explores human weaknesses and strengths

• Justice and revenge investigate consequences of seeking retribution

• Order and chaos depict disruption of natural/social order

Whats an example in Key elements of a “Tragic hero embodies noble or royal protagonist initially admired and respected possesses best qualities"?

Hamlet, King Lear

Whats an example in Key elements of “Fatal flaw represents character defeat leading to downfall related to excessive pride & ambition”

Fatal flaw = Hamartia, & Macbeth’s ambition

Whats an example in Key elements of the “Role of fate manifests through inevitable circumstance beyond hero’s control. Includes prophecies, supernatural events”

Witches prophecy in Macbeth

Whats an example in Key elements of a “Tragic waste occurs when hero’s demise affects entire kingdom/society, ripples through community”

Othello’s actions impact venice

Whats an example in Structure of shakespearean tragedy of the “Exposition introduces characters and setting, established initial conflict”

Act 1 of Romeo and Juliet

Whats an example in Structure of shakespearean tragedy of the ”Rising action builds tension through a series of events, hero’s choices lead to complications”

Macbeth’s actions after killing Duncan

Whats an example in Structure of shakespearean tragedy of the “Climax marks the turning point of the play, seals the hero’s fate”

Hamlet confronts Claudius

Whats an example in Structure of shakespearean tragedy of the “Falling action unfolds consequences of climax, hero spiral downwards”

Lear wandering the heath

Whats an example in Structure of shakespearean tragedy of “Catastrophe culminates in final tragic event, often results in death of hero and others”

Multiple deaths in the final scene of Hamlet

Whats an example in Themes and supernatural elements of “Ambition explores destructive nature of unchecked aspiration, highlights conflict between personal desires and social expectations”

Macbeth’s rise and fall

Whats an example in Themes and supernatural elements of “power examines corruption and its consequences, depicts struggle for political control”

Richard III’s Machinations

Whats an example in Themes and supernatural elements of “Love portrays romantic relations as catalysts for tragedy, shows conflict between love and duty”

Romeo and Juliet

Whats an example in Themes and supernatural elements of “Human conditions develops into moral dilemmas, ethical choices explores human weaknesses and strengths”

Hamlet’s internal struggle

Whats an example in Themes and supernatural elements of “Justice and revenge investigate consequences of seeking retribution”

Hamlet’s quest to avenge his father

Whats an example in Themes and supernatural elements of “Order and chaos depict disruption of natural/social order”

Disorder in King Lear’s kingdom

Whats an example in Supernatural in Shakespearean tragedy of “Ghosts appear as manifestations of guilt/unresolved issues, act as catalysts for action”

Ghosts of Hamlet’s father

Whats an example in Supernatural in Shakespearean tragedy of “Witches and prophecies influence character’s decisions, present ambiguous nature of predictions”

The 3 witches in Macbeth

Whats an example in Supernatural in Shakespearean tragedy of “Omens and portents foreshadow tragic events”

Strange occurrences before caesar’s assassination in Julius caesar

Whats an example in Supernatural in Shakespearean tragedy of “Magic and curses represent supernatural forces affecting characters fates”

Prospero’s magic in The Tempest

Whats an example in Supernatural in Shakespearean tragedy of “Dreams and visions provide insight into characters psyches, symbolically represent themes”

Brutus’s vision in Julius Caesar

Whats an example in Supernatural in Shakespearean tragedy of “Disruptions of natural order reflects chaos in human realm”

Storms in King Lear