A&C: Tragedy definitions (Greek)

Hamartia

translates directly as 'error', though often 'tragic flaw'. Tragedy, according to Aristotle, involves the downfall of a hero, this downfall effected by some error on the part of the hero.

Anagnorisis

'recognition' or 'discovery', in tragedy it describes the moment where the hero (or some other character) passes from ignorance to knowledge (it could be the recognition of a long lost friend or a sudden recognition of some fact about oneself). Anagnorisis often occurs at the climax of a tragedy in tandem with peripeteia.

Mythos

'plot', deals with how the elements of a tragedy come together to form a coherent and unified whole. The overall message or impression that we come away with is what is conveyed to us by the mythos of a piece.

Katharsis

normally used in ancient Greece by doctors to mean 'purgation' or by priests to mean 'purification'. Aristotle uses it to talk about a purgation/purification of emotions, a release of built up emotional energy. After katharsis, we reach a more stable and neutral emotional state.

Peripeteia

a reversal (either good to bad or bad to good). Often occurs at the climax of a story, prompted by anagnorisis. The peripeteias can be the climax of a story; the turning point in action where things begin to move toward a conclusion.

Lusis

'untying' - all the action in a tragedy from the climax onward. All the plot threads that have been woven together in the desis are slowly unravelled until we reach the conclusion of the play.

Desis

 'tying' - all the action in a tragedy leading up to the climax. Plot threads are craftily woven together to form a more and more complex mess. At the peripeteia/turning point these plot threads begin to unravel in lusis, or denouement.