Match Point Aristotle

Match Point Aristotle
Recipe for Tragedy Aristotle, who was one of the greatest philosophers of Ancient Greece, analysed
the different elements of tragedies and the ideal form for tragic plays. He also came up with the
definition, which stated that a tragic play would need to have six elements to be successful. Aristotle
felt that the plot and characters are the most important elements in a tragic play. However, thought,
diction, spectacle and melody must also be done well to make a successful play. Match Point is an
example of a modern tragic film that follows Aristotle's elements. The plot had peripety, which is the
change from one state to another at the beginning to the exact opposite at the end, and unity of plot.
The characters were believable and consistent and the melody blended in with the film. These
elements will be ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Before important events the music would play to signal that something important was going to
happen. Before Chris murders Nola, the opera music started playing so we know that something
significant was going to happen. It was also blended in very well with the scene to make it more
dramatic and suspenseful. Also, when Chris threw the old ladies' ring, the music started to play. This
also made it more suspenseful and dramatic because the music was blended into the scene and
signifies the importance of the scenes it is played in. Match Point is a perfect example of a modern
tragedy. The film fits all of the criteria and elements that Aristotle thought had to be in a tragic play.
The plot was unified and all of the scenes was based on one main issue and Chris' state changed
from happiness to a state of misery. Chris' character was very believable and was never out of
character. The music blended in with the scenes to make the film even more suspenseful and
dramatic. Aristotle's elements truly are the criteria for a well made and successful
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The Tragedy Of The Greek Tragedy
Great Tragedy Results in Deeper thinking Throughout the history of ancient literature, tragedy was
one of the most famous and significant literary forms. Especially, Greek tragedy literature was a
popular and influential form of drama performed in theatres across ancient Greece from the late 6th
century BCE, and formed the foundation upon which all modern theatre is based (Cartwright). I will
look for not only the reasons why Greek writers composed such tragedy, but also focus on what
made the audience enjoy the tragedy. Because, essentially the readers and the audience were the
people make literatures famous and the way how audience interpreted them is also important.
Indeed, tragedy not only influenced the ancient audience, but also have a great effect upon many
current readers.
Before we begin discuss about the ancient tragedy, let me first illustrate the meaning of tragedy.
Tragedy is a form of drama based on human suffering that invokes an accompanying catharsis or
pleasure in audiences (Banham). Moreover, some scholars suggest tragedy is the mirror image or
negative of comedy. For instead of depicting the rise in circumstances of a dejected or outcast
underdog, tragedy shows us the downfall of a once prominent and powerful hero. Like comedy,
tragedy also supposedly originated as part of a religious ritual (Simpson). And in ancient Greek,
both comedy and tragedy were performed widely in the theatre. Essentially, both comedy and
tragedy were created and performed

Sophocles' Oedipus Rex as Modern Tragedy Essay examples
Oedipus Rex and Tragedy
Sophocles' Oedipus Rex is, in short, the story of a man who unknowingly kills his father and marries
his mother. It certainly sounds like a tragedy, doesn't it? But the classification and definition of
'tragedy' are one of the many things widely disputed in the realm of literary studies. So, for the
purposes here we'll use Aristotle's five criteria of a tragedy: a tragic hero of noble birth, a tragic flaw
or mistake, a fall from grace, a moment of remorse, and catharsis. By any standard, Oedipus Rex
clearly meets these five criteria. In The Poetics, Aristotle uses Oedipus to illustrate the ideal tragedy.
Aristotle writes Oedipus is a model tragic hero because he is a man of high standing, but not ...
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'Hamartia' is a tragic flaw, or literally in Greek a 'mistake', which accompanies the tragic hero but
does not lead to the hero's death. Oedipus' tragic flaw was his pride, self–righteousness, and perhaps
even his temper. He displays his temper when he kills Laios and all the travelers with him;
"Swinging my club with this right hand I knocked him out of his car, and he rolled on the ground. I
killed him. I killed them all." His temper is also displayed when Teiresias reveals his fate and the
answer to the question that he has posed to all of Thebes. "...Damnation Take you! Out of this place!
Out of my sight!" Both of these examples can no doubt be classified under his pride as well, and
perhaps even more pointedly because it is his pride that causes his temper; and, it is specifically his
pride that ironically leads to his fulfilling the prophecy. His self righteousness is displayed most
clearly by his desire to be a hero by vowing to find Lauis' murderer, as mentioned above. In another
stroke of irony, it is this self–righteous desire that leads to the awful realization of the prophecy's
fulfillment. The third criteria Aristotle uses is 'Peripateia.' Peripateia is the complete reversal of plot
in relation to the tragic hero; or, in other words, a fall from grace. Oedipus starts out as the king of
Thebes. In relation to peripateia, the only way that Oedipus can have a complete reversal is for him
to go down hill in a

Similarities Between Antigone And Trifles
The word tragedy is defined as a play which deals with tragic events that ends in an unpredictable
way. The ending is horrific because it displays the destruction of the protagonist, this leaves the
audience with such a bad feeling. In the early 6th century, ancient Greek's created the concept of
theatre that still highly influences modern day one–act plays. Tragedy and other forms of plays are
still very commonly used today and might not be of existence if it wasn't for the ancient Greek's.
When looking at the Ancient Greek play, "Antigone" by Sophocles' compared to the modern day
one–act play "Trifles" by Susan Glaspell, the audience begins to understand the influence that
ancient Greek tragedy has on one–act plays today. Some comparisons ... Show more content on
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While the main character in "Antigone" is doing what she feels is right by burying her brother and
giving him a proper funeral, the main character in "Trifles" is simply helping cover up a murder that
her neighbor committed because she can relate to the physical and emotional abuse that she had
experienced. While in both instances the characters are breaking the law, but in their eyes they are
doing it for good reason. Spectators may argue the similarities in structure when it comes to crisis
and resolution in comparing both plays. In both cases the main character has to come to an
understanding that there is a crisis and make a personal decision on how they should resolve that
situation. "There they lie, the dead upon the dead. So he has won the pitiful fulfillment of his
marriage within death's house" (Antigone 1244). Both story's end in a catastrophic manner, while
"Antigone" was a much more dramatic ending, "Trifles" is similar to a Greek tragedy play in the
manner that both end unpredictably. "Appreciation of Greek tragedy lay in its acceptance as an
exciting and viable art form for the contemporary stage, and thus Sophocles' Oedipus gained
acceptance as a powerful and dramatic script in the 1920's ... among the genres of theatre, Greek
tragedy dominated the stage" (Hartigan 25). This proves that in modern day, ancient Greek tragedy
still plays an effect on how we format and construct the plot of our modernized one–act

The Fault In Our Stars: A Modern Day Tragedy
Lauren Solouki
Mr. McAdamis
C Block
11 November 2014
The Fault in Our Stars: A True Modern–Day Tragedy
Humanity's constant desire to avoid suffering is ultimately useless for pain is inevitable. The Fault in
Our Stars, a novel by John Green, focuses on this idea through the use of Aristotelian concepts. This
novel follows the life of Hazel, a 16–year–old girl with terminal cancer who falls in love with 17–
year–old cancer survivor, Augustus Waters. According to Aristotle's Poetics, successful tragedies
draw the reader in through the downfall of admirable characters, playing on the pity and fear of the
audience. John Green's The Fault in Our Stars can be described as a modern–day tragedy because of
its use of reversal, suffering, and astonishment. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Aristotle describes astonishment as "things [that] come about contrary to expectation...but appear to
have happened as if for a purpose" (17). Throughout the story, the reader is led to think that Hazel
will ultimately be the one to die as a result of the constant reminders of her incurable condition as
well as vivid descriptions of her symptoms. She compares herself to a "grenade", explaining how
when she explodes, or dies, everyone around her will feel grief and sadness, the pain from the
grenade. By hiding herself away and holding herself back from forming close relationships, she
believes that she can minimize the amount of people she hurts. Surprisingly, Augustus is the one to
die on Hazel when she thought all along that she would be the one to die on him. After learning
about Augustus's cancer, Hazel says, "only now that I loved a grenade did I understand the
foolishness of trying to save others from my own impending fragmentation: I couldn't unlove
Augustus Waters. And I didn't want to" (214). This astonishment does not only keep the reader
interested, but it also logically comes out of the plot to teach an important lesson. The novel
suggests that the most necessary and significant suffering is that caused by the demise of a loved
one. Hazel constantly worries about the pain she will inflict on those surrounding her when she dies.
It turns

Death of a Salesman as a Modern Tragedy
Death of a Salesman as a modern tragedy
Death of a Salesman as a modern tragedy
Death of a Salesman is typically classified as a modern tragedy. This implies that it follows the
example of the classic Greek tragedies, Roman tragedies and Shakespearian and Jacobean tragedy.
There are, however, subtle but vital differences between these forms. Aristotle's classic view of
tragedy saw the form as one which only properly deals with the fate of gods, kings and heroes. In
the twentieth century, such a restricted definition would consign tragedy to the waste bin of literary
history. Consequently, in Death of a Salesman, Miller challenges this view and presents us with an
entirely new one.
Our increasingly secular world no longer believes ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Miller's narrative form
The fact that the story is told through both present events and Willy's versions of the past means that
it is entirely self–contained. All the essential details of his childhood, his life away from Linda and
his sons and the mainsprings of his character are revealed so gradually that they are easily absorbed
and understood. We are left in no doubt as to what is fact and what is fantasy in the frequent re–
enactments. The audience sees Willy's own accounts being neatly balanced by those of other
characters.
Miller's almost kaleidoscopic approach allows us to believe in, and be engaged by, the tragedy that
unfolds in a way that would be difficult in a more traditional dramatic presentation. A
straightforwardly chronological account would be both less interesting and less revealing than the
juxtaposition of scenes Miller gives us. It is often the sidelights thrown on events by seeing them re–
enacted and hearing Willy draw conclusions from them that enables us to gain a clear picture of
what happens. In this way, we are able to appreciate the scale of Willy's decline and his own part in
it.
Unlike the kings and heroes of classical tragedies, Willy is so fully–fleshed, so human, that it is
difficult not be fooled into believing he is a real person and not simply a character in a play.
The path to tragedy: a wheel of fortune...
If Death of a Salesman is to qualify as a tragedy, it needs to show how

Examples Of Tragedy In Death Of A Salesman
American Tragedy Aristotle defines what a tragedy is in his famed piece Poetics. In it, he sets
guidelines that all tragedies should meet in order to become the fantastic displays of misery that they
are meant to be. Six main elements are present in every tragedy: plot, character, thought, diction,
melody, and spectacle. The two most important, of course, were plot and character. Both had to be
complex but believable, consistent, and possess the ability to arouse pity and fear in the audience.
Although both are the top elements that are the focus of tragedy, the other four are imperative to
achieve the tone and overall character of one. In Death of A Salesman by Arthur Miller, the
character Willy Loman is an average modern American man ... Show more content on
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More than that, he wanted to become that man that he admired who died "the death of a salesman"
in his "green velvet slippers" whose funeral garnered many loving friends and family (Miller 81).
Audiences can relate as they too have had an idol in their head that they have aspired to become.
Seeing the aspirations of Willy warrants pity in the audience when they see what a failure Willy
Loman becomes. Failure is what consumes Willy. He understands that that is his life. But in his deep
deluded mind twisted with broken memories and false hopes he can never truly accept it. He never
has that point of discovery that a tragic hero does. Willy Loman never realizes the doom waiting for
him at the end of his downward spiral. Even his attempts at suicide, and finally his one successful
one, were misguided and were attempts to become something greater. No one shows up at the
funeral besides his family. He is not great like a tragic hero. Willy Loman is a nobody, he is only a
tragic hero to himself, just like everyone in the audience. Everyone sings the song of their own
tragedy . That is the American tragedy. Everyone is the American tragic hero with their own tragedy.
Arthur Miller captures the Average man with the average family and average dreams, living an
average life with no gain in the end.
Many people argue that Death of a Salesman should fall under the genre of tragedy. They argue that
the

Summary Of A Good Book Of Mice And Men
In "A Teachable Good Book: Of Mice and Men", Thomas Scarseth, presents examples to argue why
John Steinbeck's book, Of Mice and Men, is a good book to learn from. Even though people enjoy a
light, carefree story with a happy ending, Scarseth explains why the vulgar content of OMAM, that
would turn some readers away, is needed for the story to have meaning.
Referring to what great literature looks like, Thomas Scarseth has a decent idea. In his assessment,
Scarseth claims great writers and readers know that "sour" endings in literature works are sometimes
crucial. His opinions on what makes a great writer and reader makes sense because he is an English
professor at University of Wisconsin–La Crosse. Because this is an essay and likely to be read by
scholars and students, it is reasonable that the author would say, "But the greatest writers and the
best readers know that literature is not always only mere sugar candy; it can sometimes be a strong
medicine...", as he is either praising or insulting the readers' intelligence based on their point of view
on happy endings in literature. Realistic tragedy in literature is unpleasant to the people who believe
in idealistic happy endings. Unfortunately, tragic endings are necessary for prosperous knowledge,
which is what great readers and writers gain from these literature types called Tragedy. From here, it
can be argued that Scarseth is correct about the needed bitter endings. When reading, "He pulled the
trigger" (Steinbeck 106),

Analysis Of Antigone In Ferguson: A Modern Tragedy
Ferguson is No Thebes In the 2017 Daily Beast article "Antigone in Ferguson: A Modern Tragedy is
now a Greek Tragedy," David Freedlander claims the plot in Antigone is the same as the shooting of
Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri on 9 August 2014. He contends that the body of Michael
Brown lying unburied in the street is punishment for someone who was a "threat to the community"
(Freedlander). The article centers around a company, Theater of War led by Bryan Doerries, coming
to Ferguson and performing portions of Antigone. He asserts that Theater of War is endeavoring to
move the "black box" of theater into "places where people... have undergone trauma" (Freedlander).
Freedlander uses selected comments from Doerries to support his misconceptions ... Show more
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Doerries diminishes the theater and its patrons by stating "people attend the theater...to feel more
intelligent than they actually are" (Freedlander). Doerries appears to be drawing on the audience's
lack of knowledge as a basis to form and direct a conversation using an abstract to accomplish his
goal. This is demeaning to a culture that has an understanding of the issues. This article is
inflammatory and insults the intellect of the

Greek Tragedies in a Modern World Essay
Greek Tragedies in a Modern World
*Works Cited Not Included
From the times of Aristotle to modern day Boal people have tried to come up with a definition of
tragedy that encompasses all of the works they feel to be tragedies. However, there are always a few
exceptions to their rules that make their thesis insubstantial. Those who define tragedies all have
different elements that they say are necessary in classifying something as a tragedy. Unfortunately
for us, no one definition has ever been settled upon that everyone agrees with. The one factor that
does seem to be present in every interpretation of what is necessary in a tragedy is the catharsis that
is brought up in the viewer. Without that emotional reaction, whether of pity, ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
By doing this, Racine made Phedre a more pitiable character with whom the audience is more
capable of sympathizing. She is seen more as a incapacitated bystander rather than a ruthless,
malicious offender. By reducing her offence to that of allowing Oenone to act, Racine gave the
opportunity to pity Phedre because she was not directly guilty for Hippolytus' death. Doing this
enables the audience to look at her internal agony rather than pass over it because they are repulsed
by her actions. He changed Hippolytus' character so that he was actually in love for the first time
with Aricia, rather than feeling nothing for any woman, so the whole element of female jealousy was
introduced. By changing the story in these ways Racine shifts the characters that the audience feels
pity for and makes the play easier to relate to. At the end of the play, the audience feels sympathy for
Hippolytus because he is the innocent victim of both a mother's improper lust and a father's quick–
tempered stubbornness. For Phedre the audience feels sympathy for her dilemma; the fact that this
all started because of Aphrodite's curse that was not her fault, and the fact that she was tormented by
a love that could never be. They do not, however, pardon her actions, or lack thereof, that are a
result of those feelings. For Aricia the audience feels happy that she got her kingdom back, but they
feel bad that she got pulled into all of this. She is very much the innocent

Tragedy And The Modern Man By Arthur Miller Essay
In the reading "Tragedy and the Modern Man" written by author Arthur Miller, it states, "I believe
that the common man is as apt a subject for tragedy in its highest sense as kings were." Arthur
Miller describes what the true meaning of a tragic hero is throughout his reading. This quote that
Miller includes shows us that any human being can suffer a tragedy as because we are a human
being. To suffer through a tragedy, no matter how big or small, is what makes you truly a hero and
successful. No matter what your social class may be, whether you are a common man or a king,
when exposed to any circumstances, one can suffer a tragedy. Miller believes that facing a tragedy is
pro rather than a con. Although, to suffer through the pain may be difficult for some, the experience
and knowledge of how to overcome the situation in the future is more powerful than avoiding the
pain.
"...the tale always reveals what has been called his tragic flaw, a failing that is not peculiar to grand
or elevated characters. Nor is it necessarily a weakness." Miller mentions this in his reading as he
explains that to have a flaw is not always something bad, but something good and something you
should accept, rather than believing you are someone you truly are not. A great example of this
comes from the novel "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe. Throughout this novel, the main
character, Okonkwo, is known to be the complete opposite of his father just because he was not
successful like the rest of the

A Survey of Tragedy
A Survey of Tragedy A modern tragedy of today and a tragedy of ancient Greece are two very
different concepts, but ironically, both are linked by many similarities. In "Poetics", Aristotle defines
and outlines tragedy for theatre in a way that displays his genius, but raises questions and creates
controversy. Aristotle's famous definition of tragedy states:
"A tragedy is the imitation of an action that is serious, and also as having magnitude, complete in
itself in language with pleasurable accessories, each kind brought in separately in the parts of the
work; in a dramatic, not in a narrative form: with incidents arousing pity and fear; wherewith to
accomplish its catharsis of such emotions." I believe Aristotle's meaning of "Imitate" ... Show more
In "Oedipus the King", Sophocles' characterization of the protagonist is in near perfect compliance
with the traits Aristotle outlined in "Poetics". In the first scene, the foundation is laid showing King
Oedipus as a good and kind King. He speaks with the city elder, showing his compassion and
promising to relieve the city of Thebes of a plague. As the story line plays out, Oedipus's character
flaws of anger and compulsiveness begin to appear. These defects force the king into situations he
would have been better to avoid, including his own fate death or banishment. When an Oracle
reveals the prophecy that Oedipus will kill his father and marry his mother, Oedipus leaves his
comfortable life with King Polybus of Corinth and his wife Merope, who he believes are his
biological parents. On his way to the city of Thebes, Oedipus kills a stranger on the road who turns
out to be Laius, King of Thebes and unbeknownst to him, his biological father. When Oedipus
arrives in Thebes he saves the city from the curse of the Sphinx, as a result is made King and
marries the dead King's Queen, Jocasta, his mother, thus fulfilling the prophecy. Oedipus is a victim
of his own destiny and despite doing everything right; there's nothing he could have done that would
have changed his life. Studying "Oedipus the King" and "Death of a Salesman", plays

Compare And Contrast Breaking Bad And In Cold Blood
A Comparative Analysis "In Cold Blood" versus "Breaking Bad" Truman Capotes "In Cold Blood"
is a novel based on a non–fictional crime story of murder; the actual murder of a family in rural
Kansas during the middle part of the 20th century. Vince Gilligan is the creator of the television
series "Breaking Bad", a 21st century production; which brought to the viewer, a fictional crime
story which is loosely based on various true to life characters: living, dead or just completely
fabricated. The protagonists were the fictional character Walter White of "Breaking Bad", and non–
fictional Richard Hickock of "In Cold Blood". Each man led tragic lives in the literary sense, in that
they faced tremendous obstacles at some period in their lives, and they expressed a degree of
catharsis before death, despite the fact their motives to overcome adversity were completely
opposite; one man's good, and the other evil.
Tragedy is an element of literature. It is rooted in Greek mythology and ancient Greek society. Its
definition is "A literary piece that consists of a courageous noble character who must confront
powerful obstacles, either external or from within", and "the protagonist usually has a tragic ... Show
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Modern tragedy is buried in modern culture, and now consists of literary works which reflect the
21st century. There are stories within the lives of the present day common man which are absolutely
homogeneous to the literary definition of tragedy. Their characteristics are retained in all senses of
the genre: isolationism, and a character flaw in the protagonist. "The modern tragedy is thus
redefined: in modern tragedies, smaller men with smaller dreams act through impulse, rather than
hubris" (Stratford). Many of the obstacles of modern tragedy men face are poverty, ignorance,
substance abuse, abandonment, illness and betrayal– essentially the stories of Hickock and

Our Town Is Emily A Tragic Hero
Emily as a Modern Tragic Hero
Our Town by Thornton Wilder is a play that a first glance appears to be dull and quite ordinary play
but if analyzed is a complex tragedy with a deep meaning. It is set in a small town in New
Hampshire called Grover's Corners, in the early 1900s, with a population of about 2,000 people. It is
enforced throughout the play that the town is not extraordinary and very routine. This foundation is
what highlights the overall message that the play conveys; death is inevitable, life is short and
always taken for granted. The play also includes many plain characters, one of which is a woman
named Emily Webb. She is not a extravagant character, rather undeveloped, but has a significant
role in being the tragic hero. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The thought of life being finished and all living actions being taken away frightened Emily. This
emotion moves her to change and alter her fate. This drive to reverse her downfall is a characteristic
of a modern tragic hero. "But Mother Gibbs, one can go back there again... into the living. I can feel
it. I know it" (Thornton 57). Emily has this urge to change her situation; to overcome her permanent
flaw. She is willing to go to extreme lengths to alter her position. Emily is a modern tragic hero
because she possesses this desire. Additionally, her efforts to change coincides with the idea that
Miller states regarding modern tragic heros. " His unwillingness to remain passive in the face of
what he conceives to be a challenge to his dignity" (Miller 1). Arthur Miller is describing how the
attitude of a modern tragic hero is the characteristic to diminish an undesirable outcome. Emily has
the same characteristics that Miller describes when confronted with her fate. This quality is what
makes her a modern tragic hero. Emily has both feelings of disfavor an objection towards her
changeless destiny. These feelings characterize her as a modern tragic

Tragedy Will Never Be The Same
Cory A. Urlacher Dr. Fruhauff English 224 11 May 2015 Tragedy Will Never Be the Same
"Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change
anything" (Shaw). Change is inevitable. Times change and ideas progress. One thing we think to be
unacceptable now may very well be acceptable in the future. Look at the use of marijuana and even
the homosexual agenda. Society is slowly progressing with its postmodern thinking and statistically
speaking, those people are thinking it is more and more acceptable. We might not think that what I
just said has anything to do with Theatre, but we need to put in perspective why we now have the
theatre we do now. Ancient Greek theatre was not as open to civil human rights ... Show more
First, structure and stage have grown more advanced for understandable reasons. During the Ancient
Greek era, plays were usually only performed once a year at the festival of Dionysus. This festival
was treated as a competition in which a few different Playwrights faced off for the honor of being
the best. At this festival three tribes would compete in many events, one including acting. The plays
were held in an open structure that was shaped as a half–moon of sorts. These ancient plays only
hosted three actors and the only resources available were masks and different costumes. They would
change in something called a "skene" which was really just a tent that hosted their costumes. As you
can tell this made it impossible to host any special visual effects, especially with the lack of
characters allowed in the play. The one special quality ancient plays did utilize was the chorus. This
chorus would sing melodies throughout the play to set the mood and would act as a supporting cast
to those acting. Men played all of the parts in the play. Many would think that this means that
female parts did not play a large roles in these plays. Although the women didn't actually perform,
the men would play women. A lot of times this meant dressing up like a woman and at times meant
speaking like a woman. What is so interesting about this is that the men would actually get tips from
the women and were told, "When you talk, see to it that you speak preciously and persuasively, like
a

Greek Tragedy and Modern Drama
Greek Tragedy & Modern Drama
Tragedy as a form works differently than modern drama when compared to the ancient Greeks.
When it comes to modern drama, the main character is usually an ordinary person, someone who is
middle class. Where as with Greek tragedy, the main character is someone important and noble,
such as a king or queen. Modern drama revolves around everyday problems such as social,
economical, or personal conflicts. Greek Tragedies seem to be very linear. It's mostly about the hero
making a bad decision from the beginning of the play, which leads to his or her downfall in the end.
Although, they were of higher ranking, ancient Greek's beliefs made the main character powerless to
avoid their fate, which was controlled by the gods. As far as conventions go, Greek Tragedies are
very unified. The tragedy of the royal protagonist will go through only one time span, a day or less,
one setting, and one story. In a modern tragedy, however, the ordinary protagonist's story goes
through multiple realistic settings and a realistic time line. Also, the story would contain multiple
plots, which may contain flashbacks.
Taking a look at the elements of a Greek tragedy, a play called Oedipus the King is a good example.
The story starts off with the city of Thebes being under a plague due to the murder of its former
king, Laius. Creon was sent by Oedipus to find a solution from the oracle, which was to find the
murderer who is within the city to get rid of the

Arthur Miller's Essay 'Tragedy And The Common Man'
In Arthur Miller's essay, Tragedy and the Common Man, Miller in fact is right about his thesis. He
believes that the common man can experience tragedy. The character who experiences the tragedy,
challenges authority; regardless if they are the common man, or a person with power. Secondly,
tragedy can be found anywhere. Even though men believe that in modern age heroes and tragedies
do not occur, there is always a possibility that the common man is able to face the worst of
tragedies. One of main events that occur in a tragic play is an event in which a tragic hero risks their
life by challenging a person in authority. It is unfair to assume that an unfortunate event in the life of
a person is insignificant due to the fact that they do not

The Impact Of Ancient Greek Theater And Tragedy
Michimasa Kamata
HUM 101–007
3/17/16
The Impact of Ancient Greek Theater and Tragedy Ancient Greek culture has influenced our modern
culture in many ways from philosophy to medicine to government. We still use many of their
concepts, technology, and even alphabet system. Without ancient Greece, our modern world would
not have advanced as far. A significant contribution of the ancient Greek culture to the world today
is the Greek theater, more specifically the structure of tragedy. Some contributions are the structure
of tragedy in modern literature, rise of opera, and the creation of the theater. Greek drama originally
started out as a ritual to honor the god of wine, Dionysus, by the cult of Dionysus. In the ritual,
drunk men dressed up in goat–skin would sing and have dialogue in chorus to welcome the leader,
the person acting as Dionysus (Sayre 151). In these revel–filled festivals, men dressed as satyrs,
companions of Dionysus who are half–man and half–goat, while the women dressed up as maenads,
the immortal followers of Dionysus. As the participants become drunk and filled with ecstasy, they
"transform" into a different identity from before. Later on this behavior became the satyr play, a
form of Greek drama. Tragedy is said to be originated from the Dionysian rites, where the name
comes from tragoidos, which means the "goat song" from the satyrs – companions of Dionysus who
are half–man and half–goat. This could be in reference to the fact that Dionysus was also the

Death of a Hero in Modern Tragedy Essay
Death of a Hero in Modern Tragedy
*No Works Cited
Is there anything that can evoke more emotion from an audience than a hero's downfall? The most
effective plays in history, from " Oedipus ", the most famous of all tragedies, to plays like " Romeo
and Juliet ", tragedies are always the plays with the greatest emotional impact on an audience. There
are many critics who believe that tragedies can no longer be effectively written in today's world.
These critics believe that " the tragic mode is archaic, fit only for the very highly placed, the kings
or the kingly "and therefore cannot realistically exist in the modern world (Tragedy 1). Tragedy is
possible in the modern world. In fact, modern tragedy has the potential to affect an ... Show more
In the light of modern psychiatry, which bases its analysis upon classic formulations... which apply
to everyone in similar emotional situations"( Tragedy 1). According to Miller, an Oedipus complex,
although originally portrayed by a King, could as easily be transferred to any character to be a tragic
hero in today's world. Willy, in the play, as well as any character, is described by his virtues. The
following quote is almost like a description of Willys virtues; I think tragic feeling is evoked in us
when we are in the presence of a character who is ready to lay down his life, if need be, to secure
one thing–his sense of personal dignity... to gain his 'rightful' place in society( Tragedy 1).
The entire play is the story of Willys quest to gain his niche in society. Willy believes he deserves to
be wealthy, well liked, and respected. Willy decides the only way he can 'preserve his dignity' and
gain his 'societal niche' is by committing suicide; " It's twenty thousand dollars... guaranteed... Ben,
the funeral will be massive!"( Death 126). A powerful feeling is felt in the audience when they see
Willys only option is suicide. The society which he worked so hard to be a part of let him down, and
this is why modern tragedy is so good at stirring an audiences feelings, because the downfall of the
hero is so real a possibility. It is not some king with a fatal flaw,

Theme Of Tragedy In A Streetcar Named Desire
Tennessee Williams play, A Streetcar Named Desire, written in 1947 evoked a montage of critical
commentaries and reviews about where it stands in terms of its genre. This was due to its intense
concentration on realism and the exclusion of any definite protagonists and antagonists. Many
assume the play is a tragedy. There is a copious amount of evidence to support this assumption.
However, the ambiguity embodied by the play and the melodramatic devices used by Williams,
contradicts the classification of the play as a tragedy entirely. Others have defined it as a melodrama
with conventions of tragedy included. This is a contentious topic. The answer lies in the
interpretation of the characters and the context. In order to explain these interpretations, one must
define the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In Scene 10, Blanche is at her lowest point in the play when she is raped by Stanley. He shatters her
built up illusions and pretensions, uncovering her multitude of lies. She is forced to face the true
threat that Stanley poses to her, as he says "Not once did you pull any wool over this boy's eyes"
(p.158) acknowledging her many delusions and how he has broken them. One of Aristotle's
characteristics of tragedy is the idea of Anagnorisis; the reversal of fate brought by the hero's own
actions, their hamartia, leading to a fate greater than that deserved. In most cases, the tragic hero's
fate is death, this is not the case in Streetcar. In modern tragedies, there is an accusation made
against a mundane world of ordinary people in which the only escape is through self delusion,
alcohol, sex and madness. This play, becomes an ultimate example of this as Blanche's entire
existence is shattered, and the other characters merely resume their lives. The play is built around
this tragic indifference, emphasised by the detached ending; "This game is seven–card stud" (p.179),
and they return to their poker

Romeo And Juliet Tragedy Analysis
Romeo and Juliet, a classic play by William Shakespeare, is known to many as a tragedy. But what
makes this play tragic? Audiences favor this story because of the emotions evoked from a tale of
love that sees two young souls torn apart. However, Romeo and Juliet when under my own
definition of tragedy, does not resemble a tragic play. While the death of Mercutio and the deaths of
Romeo and Juliet seem tragic, the story does not show one failing when trying to reach their full
potential, instead the audience sees a forbidden love and death as a result, which does not
demonstrate tragedy. Instead, Romeo and Juliet face flaws from within their families and society,
forcing them to stay apart due to conflict. While both Romeo and Juliet try to reach the goal of being
together and fail, the flaws of others cause the conflict, not the flaws of themselves. My definition
surrounds the idea that the flaws of oneself leads to his or her demise, meaning that the play misses
a key characteristic of the definition of tragedy. Both characters seem to die a "tragic death,"
however, their death can only be considered sad or upsetting, especially to the audience. This play
instead consists of somber scenes that show aspects of a tragedy, but not enough to place this play in
a tragic category in the classic definition or in my own definition because the flaws of the main
characters do not cause the fall of the characters as they try to reach their full potential. If a character
who fell as a

An Analysis and Comparison of Modern Tragedy in Drama
Aristotle thoroughly describes his understanding of the tragedy in the Poetics and bases this
conception on certain requirements. According to Aristotle the three most important variables that
define a tragedy are plot, characters, and theme. Using Oedipus Rex as a sort of ideal, this
philosopher demonstrates how a tragedy functions in order to evoke catharsis while exploring
themes and human flaws, or mistakes. In Oedipus Rex, the main figure, Oedipus the King is a
subject of fate, unable to escape himself and his desire to uncover the truth. In essence, this drama
demonstrates the fall of a prominent figure brought down by his inescapable fortune and self–
destruction. I definitely believe it is difficult to find a modern day tragedy that ... Show more content
case rests in the fact that Teddy murdered his wife, who suffered from mania, after she drowned his
two children. Once Teddy becomes aware of these truths his character, his status as a U.S. Martial,
evaporates as he contemplates his history and loss. Likewise, Oedipus' search for the true murder of
Laius eventually reveals that he in fact murdered the former King. Once Oedipus becomes aware of
this fact his whole persona and world unravel as further truths become inherently evident. He must
face the reality that destiny drove the outcome of his life; and his inability to heed the advice of
Jocasta, his wife and mother, who pleads "In God's name I beg you–no.3" results in his fall from
greatness and virtue. These two stories therefore illustrate the climax in manners described by
Aristotle who argues, "The middle, or climax, must be caused by earlier incidents and itself cause
the incidents that follow.4" Granted, this element seems characteristic of drama in general, the onset
of conflict eventually elicits the apex of action. However, the events that follow the climax allow
tragedy to separate from other sects of fiction. The dénouement of Shutter Island demonstrates the
aspect of unraveling, or even entropy, which Aristotle discusses. In this story, Teddy comes to his
realization of the truth, and as a result, decides to feign lunacy in order to receive a lobotomy. We
initially view Teddy Daniels as an imposing figure, a U.S.

Reflective essays
The classic tragedy, as defined by Aristotle, has six major parts. These parts include a plot,
characters, theme, melody, spectacle, and language. All stories, according to Aristotle must have a
beginning, middle, and end, and must follow a logical sequence according to these six elements.
The plot is the series of events, or sequence in which the action of the play occurs. Plot must follow
a cause and effect relationship, which follows a logical pattern. Characters are the people in the play,
who have certain qualities that can be determined by what they say, do and what others say about
them. The theme of the play is the general feeling or statement made by the author that presents an
observation or ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
An enlightenment for the hero must follow at the end of the story to give us an idea that some
greater good was accomplished or that some important lesson was learned.
Oedipus demonstrates these four attributes of a tragic hero very clearly. He was a great person in
that he was a prince in both Corinth and Thebes, as well as the king of Thebes. He demonstrated
high moral standards through his selfless love of Thebes, and his relentless search for the truth, as
well as his sense of responsibility for his actions. Oedipus' character flaw was said to be his hubris
or excessive pride, his not knowing when to quit and his thinking he could circumvent his fate. We
also discussed in class, that perhaps he should have been more careful about who he murdered,
having a fate as he did. His downfall was obviously having to live with the knowledge of what he
did, being banished and blinded by his own hand. In his own words, "I am misery!" Oedipus realizes
at the end that he is not as great as he once thought he was and that he cannot circumvent the will of
the gods. The theme of darkness and light is used throughout the play as a symbol or knowledge or
enlightenment. When Oedipus is blinded at the end he is then able to "see" the truth.
6. The theory of incongruity is a comical theory that is based on the idea that a happening does not
"size–up" or "fit" the

Willy Loman As A Modern Tragedy Analysis
The definition of a modern tragedy is ordinary people in tragic situations. Death of a Salesman the
play by Arthur Miller demonstrates this theme. The main character, Willy Loman, is a salesman who
created his own tragedy. He had a poor moral compass which lead him to make the wrong decisions.
Also, he was unable to recognize his flaws in his personality. Finally, Willy had not in any way
developed the proper coping abilities to help him handle his problems properly. Willy was living a
modern tragedy due to nothing other than his moral weaknesses, tragic flaws and his inability to
cope with unfavourable circumstances.
Willy had a poor moral compass. He knew right from wrong yet he always acted on the wrong
decision. For 32 years Linda and Willy were married and Willy still cheated on her. When in a
marriage cheating is one of the worst deeds a person could do. Considering that a marriage binds the
bond of love between 2 people until the death. Cheating in a relationship can happen in many types
of forms. Willy cheated in a physical way. "She's nothing to me, Biff I was lonely, I was terribly
lonely" (Miller 95) When Willy used to go on business trips in Boston he acquired a mistress. He
thought that no one would find out. When Biff knew that he wasn't going to graduate high school
because he failed a math test he wanted to tell Willy in person. Biff surprised Willy at the hotel he
was staying in. Unfortunately, Willy was with the mistress at the time and Biff saw

Similarities Between Willy Loman And Oedipus
Professor Mary Lounsbury
Composition II
30 April 2017
Drama Essay Plays can be compared despite being composed in different historical times, tragedy
plays started progressing from traditional to modern by focusing on self–discovery and less on tragic
mystery and destiny. Today, we will be comparing two tragic plays: Oedipus The King was a Greek
tragedy by Sophocles was written in 429 BC, whereas The Death of a Salesman was written in 1949
by Arthur Miller. The two plays compare and differ in ways even though they were written at
different times. Ancient Greek Drama honored the history of Athens, and–as Athens was in a
protected war with Sparta–also honored the power of the gods and goddesses who might be
prevailed upon for protection. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Oedipus is a significant and noble human being, that is a King of Thebes. Due to Oedipus royal
status, that tragic events that have taken place involving the welfare of his country and of the people.
Unannounced to Oedipus his fate has been decided by the Gods, even before he Was born. Willy
Loman is an older gentleman having trouble admitting that he is growing old. Loman is very
disappointed with life after losing his job. His tragic event, unlike Oedipus does not move a nation,
it only touches on his immediate household. Both plays intertwine scenes from the past and the
present depicts events in a sequent that are unmatched with their chronological progression. In such
a case the crisis scene, getting along later in the report is one able to redirect the play by playing out
a decisive causal event for which anyone is liable. Traditional and modern characters differ in the
style of words. Traditional language is primarily spoken in Latin, a language that we ordinarily do
not speak. As far as Modern characters use language that is spoken in daily life. Modern drama uses
symbolism to showing meaning beyond the everyday literal interpretation and expressionist as
symbols for characters' subjective emotions. Traditional plays have a five–part structure of most
Greek tragedies: Prologue is the introduction of the play. Parados: is the chorus first song, offering
an interpretation of the conflict learned in the Prologue. Episodia: is a series of scenes usually
debates between characters, in which the action and events of the play are presented. Stasimon: is
the Chorus's interpretation and response to the proceeding act. Exodos is the conclusion scene,
including the final lines of the chorus. The social background of Traditional plays was more spiritual
and believing in higher Gods(deus), attending a play was more of worship for the traditional
interview, then what we call

Death of a Salesman
Death of a Salesman – A Modern Day Tragedy
The question which arises within Death of a Salesman is, 'Is this a modern Tragedy?' A tragic play
can be commonly observed when a protagonist falls from a great height. His decline is not about
immediate death, although in most cases death becomes apparent at the end of the play, e.g.
Macbeth. A tragedy shows the suffering of a character and utter compulsion of him if he does not
succeed to reach his dream. These plays show the blissful release from intolerable suffering this
character feels. In most tragedies the immediate audience is unable to relate directly to this torture
the character is going through. They will still have emotions towards the play but usually, e.g. ...
Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
To add to the effect of the past and show how important and prominent it is, the past is staged
downstage. Willy exaggerates his commission to Linda to pretend that his dream is coming true. The
Loman's cannot except that they 'aren't well–liked.' And that they need to work to make a future.
Bernard reminds Biff that if the dream is to be fulfilled it needs a foundation in hard work. Willy
ridicules this
Tragic heroes have a fatal flaw. Willy's is betrayal. He has an affair with a woman and buys her
stockings, while Linda has to sew her old ones. But his main flaw is the inability to accept his
failure and expectancy to live up his American Dream. Charley offers him a job but
Willy is a man of principal and declines this offer. Not only does he do this but also looks insulted
by people wanting to help him when surely he is more than capable himself? Willy's biggest mistake
was not taking the opportunity to go to Alaska with Ben. Ben is the only person he will admit his
defeat to. 'If I'd gone to Alaska that time everything would be different.'
At the time of this play America was a free Enterprise Economy, conceived as a land of opportunity.
The play shows the consequences of the common man, Willy. He was a victim of the capitalist
system. The play says to be successful you have to do your own thing, and it takes a sympathetic

The Modern Greek Tragedy Antigone
Outspoken people are significant in bringing forth changes and ideas contributing to making a more
fair and just society. The word outspoken as defined by the dictionary is: "to be frank in stating one's
opinions, especially if they are critical or controversial" (Google Search). Observing history, it can
be noted that a large portion of the most influential people were the most outspoken; it can be noted
that these figures were courageous and bold. Historical figures from all different fields held a sense
of outspokenness in presenting themselves because their ideas defied prevalent ideas and societal
norms of their time. People who took a stand in their time became some of the most influential and
most prominent historical figures that craft our world today. Socrates demonstrates the significance
of outspokenness through the characters in his classical Greek tragedy Antigone. Parallel to
Antigone, historical figures in our own world exhibit courage through outspokenness. Characters
from Socrates' Antigone supports the claim that bold people can bring forth change in a society.
Three characters fit the description well: Antigone, Haemon, and Tiresias. She proved courage
through her refusal to abide by Creon's cruel law against burying her own brother Polyneices. Even
if Polyneices could be viewed as a traitor, the gods' laws state that burial should be one of man's
most sacred duties ("Death and Burial"). Though Haemon revealed the disbelief in Creon's law,
nobody spoke

Chronicle of a Death Foretold is a novella written by...
Chronicle of a Death Foretold is a novella written by Gabriel Garcia Marquez taking place in
twentieth century Colombia. Marquez recalls the events of a murder twenty years in the past. The
victim, who is named Santiago Nasar in the novella, faces prosecution from his twin friends because
the twins' sister states Santiago took her virginity. As honor was greatly valued in the Colombian
society at the time, their worldview led to the requirement for their family's honor to be restored by
killing Santiago. The result is an impending murder that almost everyone, except for a small group
including Santiago himself, knew about. The result is Santiago's death as he never knew what was
coming.
Aristotle's concept of a tragedy consists of plot, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The audience is introduced with Santiago's background. Following the beginning of the tragedy,
Angela Vicario, the bride of a rich and honorable man, had a conflict with her new husband
regarding her virginity. To resolve her issue, she places the blame for her lost virginity on for this
issue on Santiago Nasar. "[Clotilde] was certain that the Vicario brothers were not as eager to carry
out the sentence as to find someone who would do them the favor of stopping them" (Marquez 57).
This leads to the start of Santiago's downfall as the twins now are determined to restore their
family's honor by murdering Santiago Nasar, which also brings more issues as the twins and
Santiago are friends since their childhood. The ending of the tragedy would be the actual murder of
Santiago as it brings an end to his life and leaves a tragic finish to the plot. All together, these three
sections would fulfill the role of a tragic plot and allows Chronicle of a Death Foretold to be
considered a tragedy itself as defined by Aristotle. Next, a Greek tragedy must contain characters
that provide moral lessons to the audience and must be true to life, or be realistic where they can be
related to people. In Chronicle of a Death Foretold, there is a multitude of characters that give moral
lessons in one way or another. For example, Angela Vicario teaches a basic lesson regarding truth
and the power of words. It is most likely that

Forth: The Definition Of A Tragic Hero
Back in the days of ancient Greece, the Greeks were the first to make plays and wide spread
philosophies, but we'll focus on the plays. However the type of play that was the most popular was a
tragedy. A tragedy is where the main protagonist has fatal flaw that will lead to his/her demise. This
was very popular in Greek culture in stories such as Achilles, Hercules, and others. A deciding factor
of whether or not the play is a tragedy depends on the protagonist. Before, the definition of a tragic
hero is a mighty warrior, born of noble descent, embarking in an epic journey. Now, the definition
changed into one who shows admirably qualities. However a tragic hero is one who has a fatal flaw
that would lead to his/her demise or downfall. According to Aristotle the philosopher, tragedy is the
greatest form of drama, so he improve upon it and added guidelines and 5 requirements for a good
tragedy. First is noble birth or wisdom. Second is a fatal flaw of some kind like hubris. Third is a
peripatetic or a reversal of fate where everything goes wrong, because of their flaw. Forth is an
anagnorisis where the protagonist realizes that his/her downfall was all his/her fault. Fifth is a fate
greater than what the protagonist deserves. Recently I have watched a movies called "Gladiator"
(1999), where we meet a protagonist ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Since a tragic hero is a type of anti–hero, there should be some kind of unadmirable trait to
Maximus somewhere, however the man didn't really have one. Another is that he never really died
in misery, if anything he was happier. Maximus wasn't shown to be mentally or physically wounded
by his experience, even after his family dead, he recovered extremely quickly somehow. He
honestly, wasn't actually relatable to the audience, since his flaws were very subtle and was more of
a perfect avenger. So I can't consider Maximus as a tragic hero in modern terms

Titus Andronicus
Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus is a confusing play, however, one principle it seems to teach it that
idealistic values such as nobility and allegiance to state do not exist when put under extreme
conditions. The play goes over the top in order to get this point across. Titus Andronicus, the
protagonist, returns from war exhausted, yet with dignity. However, by the end of the play, extreme
acts of violence are committed towards members of Titus' family and in the end, Titus commits
atrocities as well. The play Titus Andronicus makes us ask ourselves "at what point has revenge
become too much, and at what point do we turn the other cheek?". As the play progresses, there is
an increasing amount of violence and by the end of the play the audience ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
I am not certain if in that moment I felt a catharsis of emotions, maybe I would have if I didn't leave
in the middle of Act 2 when the mutilated Lavina appeared on stage covered in blood and with her
hands cut off. I was in shock by how brutal the stage production of Titus Andronicus was. I do not
consider myself a squeamish person, nor overly sensitive to violence, but this production did bother
me. It was as if the play was so over the top that it made me overly sensitive to acts of violence and
aggression. However, the most disturbing part of my experience at the Clarence Brown Theatre was
not the violence on stage, but the cold, blank, faces of the crowd watching the violence unfold. How
could someone sit quietly and not be slightly disturbed when Lavinia is "enforced, stained, and
deflowered" (Titus Andronicus 5.3.39), when Titus justifies killing Lavinia, and then when Titus
feeds Tamora's sons (Lavinia's rapists) to Tamora and Saturninus? I was not the only audience
member who left that night. Maybe it was the production I saw, or maybe I did not feel a connection
to the characters in the stage production, and when I witnessed the violence it came across as
unnecessarily vulgar. Maybe I was not seeing characters in a story and instead was seeing actors on
a stage at the Clarence Brown Theatre and this is why I didn't feel a connection to the plot.
However, this is not to say that I do not believe in Aristotle's Catharsis theory or in the value of Titus
Andronicus. A modern day reading of Titus Andronicus helps us understand the equivalent of what a
violent Hollywood film would be like in 1593. In our modern culture, we are surrounded by
violence. In our country, it has become usual to hear of a shooting on the news and school children
regularly practice active shooter drills. We have become desensitized to violence. Some have argued

Oedipus Rex As Tragedy : The Philosopher Must Be Crazy
Oedipus Rex as Tragedy: The Philosopher Must Be Crazy
Throughout the ages many scholars have agreed with Aristotle 's assessment of Oedipus Rex (the
Athenian tragedy written by Sophocles) as the truest form of tragedy; however, modern viewers
might remark that it is unworthy of such praise and instead should be exemplified as the proof that
an addition to Aristotle 's ideal of tragedy itself is required: the element of timelessness. Throughout
history, many have believed that man 's ability to produce a poetic reflection of the world around
him is what sets him apart from lesser lifeforms. Italian Jurist Giambattista Vico famously wrote in
his book The New Science that, "This poetic wisdom, the knowledge of the theological poets, was
unquestionably the first wisdom of the world..." This belief spurred philosophers to extensive study
on the nature of the poetic. Aristotle is one such scholar. The result of this study is the tenet of
katharsis (catharsis), which he introduces through his interpretation of the form and function of the
tragic poem. Tragedy as a work of art, Aristotle claimed, can be defined as the, "imitation of an
action," specifically of the joys and sorrows of mankind. While seemingly simplistic, this principal
concept of tragedy as mimicry is pivotal to the development of axiomatic catharsis, or the reaction
to the mimicked pity and fear presented by the performed tragedy which culminates in the purging
of the same emotions from within the viewer,

The Characteristics Of King Oedipus The King As A Tragedy
Oedipus the King by Sophocles is more than just a basic tragedy. It contains a complete combination
of all the features of a tragedy. I find Sophocles' King Oedipus interesting. Not because of the whole
incest thing, the killing of the father, and the sleeping with the mother. I am still too naive to
appreciate the significance of that. I find Sophocles' King Oedipus fascinating because as I read it
with attention, I realized how amazingly hard it was to write. Even though it's a Greek tragedy and
the reading is a little hard to understand. But, once someone gets inside the story line, its captivates
one's attention. I admit I enjoy less the content of the play than Sophocles' writing skill. When to
retell a well–known story, one has to make the story enough convincing without relying on the end
of the story. one must dislocate the point of the story from its end to rest. By doing that the story will
not lose its appeal. One has to be a creator. So, you have to twist the whole story in such an
irresistible way that it is compelling despite the fact that the outcome of the story is known. How do
Sophocles solve this problem? By making King Oedipus the central character and unintentionally
the architect of his own downfall. The strengths that once lead him to solve the riddle later served as
his own destruction. To make a story more appropriate to the stage, which is dealing with
flashbacks, forward–moving energy of the story must accommodate with the backward references
that

Greek Theatre And Modern Theatre
Without a doubt, the Greek theatre remains one of the most recognized and distinctive works in the
world. While we associate many features of modern theatre with their Greek counterparts, ancient
theatre was a very different animal. You will be surprised at how much Ancient Greece has
influenced us today. Without such topics such as drama, democracy and the Olympics coming from
Ancient Greece, sport would not be important. Drama was a huge part of ancient Greece. Theatre
then became extremely popular performed everywhere including festivals. Greek Tragedy and
Comedy was significantly important as not only did it provide entertainment for the ancient Greeks,
but has continued to influence society today, inspiring us to create similar styles of theatre into
contemporary plays today. Within this essay I hope to show how these ancient plays have
transitioned into our modern theatre, and how directors today have morphed them into relevant and
relatable productions. M Cartwright wrote sources which provides us with information on both
Greek Comedy and Tragedy. In the 6th century BCE, Greek tragedy played an important and
influential role in theatre. The popular form of drama was performed all over Greece. The most
well–known playwrights have come from Greek tragedy such as Sophocles, and Euripides whose
plays remained recognised, and continued to be performed for years after their original premiere.
Comedy was also a popular type of theatre in the late 6th century. "The most famous playwrights of
the genre were Aristophanes and Menander and their works, and those of their contemporaries,
poked fun at politicians, philosophers, and fellow artists." (Cartwright 2017). The source informed
me the first appearance of Comedy, pottery in the 6th century, used for decoration, often portrayed
"actors dressed as horses, satyrs, and dancers in exaggerated costumes." (Cartwright 2017). Poetry
was also another early source of comedy. Archilochus and Hipponax were Greek poets whose satyr
works used crude and sexual humour. Cartwright explained in his source that these plays were
performed at the City of Dionysia and the Lenaea which were major religious festivals. Over the
course of the festivals, comedies were

Titus Andronicus Analysis
Titus Andronicus is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. Titus Andronicus is Shakespeare's
first tragedy. The play is considered by critics and fans alike to be Shakespeare's most distasteful
work that features excessive violence and spectacle. Julie Taymor's film adaption explores the
corruption of violence as she creates many visual parallels to our modern culture of entertaining
violence, paying close attention to the plays relish of spectacle. Both Shakespeare and Taymor treat
the spectacle and excess of the play in their own way which highlights small differences between the
two texts.
A spectacle can be defined as "a visually striking performance or display". As Taymor's version is an
adaption, she was able to experiment with the excessive nature of the play and its spectacle. She
opened the film with a cold open showing a young boy playing with toy soldiers, violently smashing
them together and spraying ketchup all over them to create blood. His own fantasy game becomes a
reality when an explosion outside the kitchen window frightens him under a table from which he is
rescued just before it explodes. He is then transported to an area and the audience cheers, but it feels
artificial just like the opening scene of Shakespeare's play. This layering of spectacle occurs
throughout the film, because it has a combination of modern pop culture and ancient Roman designs
to give the impression that the Roman Empire survived into the modern era as Roger Ebert writes in

Essay on Can Willy Loman Be Considered A Tragic Hero?
Can Willy Loman Be Considered A Tragic Hero?
Whether Willy Loman can be considered a tragic hero has long been debated between critics. Ever
since Miller produced the play, people have discussed whether Willy's status was high enough for
his fall to be considered tragic, or whether Willy can be seen as an altogether modern tragic hero, I
will be looking at both these views taking into consideration critics views and also adding my own
thoughts.
Tragedy has its origin in ancient Greece. In his Poetics Aristotle defined a tragedy as portraying a
serious, complete and important action involving pain or destruction and shows the fall of an
important person from happiness and prosperity into misery and catastrophe. The problem ... Show
more content on Helpwriting.net ...
If Willy's shallowness/ false aspirations are tragic flaws then he needs to be a tragic hero.
In the text his false aspirations are shown, "He had the wrong dreams. All, all wrong". The fact that
Willy is shown throughout the text to value popularity and personal attractiveness over morality
shows his shallowness. Many critics argue that Willy isn't of high enough status to have that great a
fall. As shown, "He never grows to heroic stature". Even the characters name itself, Willy Loman
(Low–Man) implies that he has a low status. However in the text, Biffs speech suggests that Willy
doesn't need to be of huge stature to be tragic, "You've just seen a prince walk by. A fine troubled
prince. A hardworking, unappreciated prince". Linda also says with a lot of emphasis, "He's not the
finest character that ever lived. But he's a human being and a terrible thing is happening to him.
Attention, attention must be paid to such a person". I believe that in Linda's eyes, Willy is of high
status, he is all that Linda has and is very important in her life and so his falls seems greater to her as
is affects her personally.
Bierman, Hart and Johnson1 have commented that "we still feel

Captain America, Civil War
There have been many philosophers in our world's history, perhaps the most famous of them would
be Aristotle. Aristotle was a Greek philosopher who contributed to many different sciences
including, logic, metaphysics, mathematics, biology, and countless others. Although Aristotle is
famous now, he wasn't very famous in his own time. Aristotle's beliefs contradicted many of the
modern beliefs in his time. Ben Waggoner, a professor at the University of California Museum of
Paleontology, states, "Where Aristotle differed most sharply from medieval and modern thinkers
was in his belief that the universe had never had a beginning and would never end; it was eternal."
Aristotle received much criticism for his divergent beliefs but is well–known ... Show more content
In this text, Captain America can clearly be identified as the tragic hero, or protagonist. Aristotle
points out that a protagonist must have a tragic downfall in order to evoke a sense of pity from the
audience. Aristotle states, "The change of fortune presented must not be the spectacle of a virtuous
man brought from prosperity to adversity....The change of fortune should be not from bad to good,
but, reversely, from good to bad." Herald Woods points out, "Aristotle establishes the concept that
the emotion of pity stems not from a person becoming better but when a person receives undeserved
misfortune – and fear comes when the misfortune befalls the audience." In Captain America, Civil
War, a tragedy occurs when the general public decides that the Avengers should no longer provide
assistance in disastrous affairs. This greatly affected Captain America whose main goal was to help
the people. This creates a sense of pity in the audience. Captain America then engages in a civil war
with Iron Man in an attempt to regain his ability to help people. Undoubtedly, Captain America is a
tragic hero according to Aristotelian thought in Captain America, Civil

The Orgins of Greek Theatre
There is no denying the fact that theatre is truly a link between all civilizations it comes in many
forms spiritual rituals, storytelling, hymns, odes, and performances. It has been utilized during the
many downfalls of civilizations as a means of communication and was truly shaped by the Greeks.
The origins of theatre can be traced back to the Greeks as a religious ritual to their gods, to their
implementations of the technical aspects of theatre, through their plays and also through the actual
stages that they constructed. These aspects have proven to have a lasting effect even into todays
society and without the Greeks influence on theatre, theatre as we know it, would cease to exist
(Schanker and Ommanney 298). The origins of Greek ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Satyrs were intended to cheer up the audience through its crude and funny subject matter and by
ridiculeing human lewdness, societal views and had the goal of changing something through
mockery. The term satyr actually derived from the mythical creatures Satyrs who were half beast
half human and were known for displaying vulgar characteristics driven by drinking, food, erotic
tendencies and money (Crawford, Hurst and Lugering). Comedy was not actually supported by the
state until 486 B.C.E. and was most profoundly known by the playwright Aristophanes that
produced the only comedy play that has survived through this genre. Comedies typically involved
singing and dancing, the same lewd subject matter displayed in satyres and the characters within
comedies were typically from a lower class than the characters within tragedies. Aristophanes was
known for giving the characters within his plays characteristics that focused on "a single obsessive
dimension of human character and turned it into stereotype or caricature" (Crawford, Hurst and
Lugering 114). *two more sentences The Greeks also made monumental advancements in regards to
the technical aspects of theatre; they utilized costumes, masks, lighting, movements and voices of
the actors to enhance their performances. . Although much of the information on costumes worn in
Greek tragedies has been lost or destroyed pottery from the Greeks has offered the

Modern Tragedy Analysis
Is Modern Tragedy Truly Tragedy?
(A critique of Stephen King's inspired movie The Green Mile as it relates to Aristotle's Poetics)
"Tragedy is an imitation, not of men, but of an action and of life, and life consists in action, and its
end is a mode of action, not a quality" (Butcher). Aristotle says that tragedy has more to do with the
action of the plot than the characters themselves. Tragedy is best defined as a drama that includes a
clear plot line and a protagonist who has a character flaw that leads to his or her downfall. Character
flaws occur in many ways, for some it is excessive pride, for others it is just the need to be kind to
others and disregarding a person's own health. The major difference between a tragedy and a
comedy is ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
"The tragic hero, consequently, should be a man better than ourselves, but not perfect; and he should
suffer from a flaw which shows itself in some mistaken judgement or act resulting in his downfall"
(Poetics Packet). While it may not seem like a flaw, Coffey's character "flaw" is that he has some
sort of supernatural healing power which, in a way, got him into the death row area of prison to
begin with. Coffey performs an act where he touches ill people and for whatever reason, the person
is cured, and Coffey coughs up insects that represent the negative things leaving a person's body as
the individual heals. As the movie wraps up, Paul and various other guards are aware of John's
innocence, yet there is no evidence so he will have to be put to death regardless. Throughout the
movie, men are put to death and the audience can see just how gruesome that is, yet people often
feel little remorse or pity for the first several executions in the movie. The thing that is so emotional
about John Coffey's execution is that the viewers are aware he is being put to death even though he
is innocent. "Virtually no one feels the urge to execute an innocent man, but many feel the urge to
execute someone who is guilty" (Dow). That is a highly accurate statement, the majority of people
have no issue killing a guilty person, but the real tearjerker is being

Willy Loman as a Tragic Hero in Arthur Miller's Death of a...
Willy Loman as a Tragic Hero in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman
Should 'Willy Loman' of Arthur Millers classic, Death of a Salesman be regarded as a tragic hero, or
merely a working–class, socially inadequate failure? Described by Miller as a "self–destructive,
insecure anti–hero", it seems almost impossible for Loman to be what is known as a tragic hero in
the 'classical' sense, but with the inclusion of other factors he maybe a tragic hero, at least in the
modern context, or partially suit one nonetheless.
To make the decision as to Whether Loman is a tragic hero or not, one must define the term 'tragic
hero' and reveal its development in theatre over the course of time. The tragic hero ... Show more
Although Shakespeare tends to follow this pattern; his education may have led him to lesser liberal
thinking. Miller believes it may also include the modern common man. To relate Loman to the likes
of Lear, Hamlet, Oedipus, directly would be ludicrous but some comparisons can be made. As Biff
states Loman does follow "the wrong dreams" but he does work and he is just able to provide for his
family and pay off the mortgage. However it is clear that even Loman's best is not enough, this is
shown by the result of the borrowing of money from Charley. As salesmen are paid on commission
Loman cannot be faulted on this, as his age, work conditions and his mental state are all core
contributors to the fact he cannot make ends meet. The other tragic heroes have faults of which are
the trigger of their demise i.e. Othello's jealousy. Likewise Loman has his own faults, his main one
being, and his belief in the American dream. The American dream is a concept that, any one who
works hard, can succeed in "the land of opportunity." This offers riches to those who start with
nothing. Ben is a true representation of this as Willy states, "â€¦a man started with the clothes on his
back and ended up with diamond minesâ€¦" Loman has yet to achieve such a goal yet still holds on
to the dreams at

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