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ARISTOTELIAN TRAGEDY: THE TRAGIC HERO
An Aristotelian tragedy has three basic elements:
1. A “tragic hero” that has a high role in society and embodies highly
   desired characteristics (i.e. strength, leadership, handsomeness),
2. A series of events brought on by the misjudgment of the protagonist
   that ultimately concludes in his “death” or fall from society,
3. And a feeling of pity and despair on behalf of the audience that
   eventually gives way to catharsis.
In addition to these ideas, Aristotelian tragedies embody certain themes of
plot, thought, and spectacle.
PLOT
Aristotle believed that tragedies should have a certain plot to appeal to
    audiences and reel them in to the overall theme of the work. Let’s start
    at the beginning, with the beginning. Aristotle thought that the
    beginning of the perfect tragedy should depict a chain of “cause-and-
    effect” chains that ultimately lead us subtly towards the climax. The
    middle, or climax, takes the strands from the beginning and weaves
    them together as the reader approaches the end, or resolution.
    Plot, according to Aristotle, should also be well sequenced, without the
    adding of a deus ex machina, or some form of divine intervention.
    Aristotle also believed that everything should happen for a reason, not
    just randomly. Finally, Aristotle said that a plot should be of a certain
    caliber or magnitude, chock full of both quantity in the form of length
    and quality in the form of ideas.
THOUGHT IN ARISTOTELIAN TRAGEDY
While Mr. Aristotle never went in depth into ideas on thought, what he did
  say as significant to the understanding of Aristotelian tragedies.
  Aristotle believed that most dialogue should include hints at character.
  This idea also states that the overall theme should be expressed
  through dialogue.
SPECTACLE THROUGH DIFFERENT SPECTACLES.
Aristotle believed that spectacle was a waste of the tragic writers time.
    While Aristotle thought that spectacle was useful for holding down the
    audiences attention, he championed the idea that the overall story
    would suffice for this purpose. This is directly contradicting of William
    Shakespeare’s ideas about the subject, who thought that spectacle was
    absolutely necessary for the work to appeal to the lower classes, while
    still using the story to achieve approval from the higher-ups.
WHY THINGS FALL APART KINDA SUCKS (AS AN
ARISTOTELIAN TRAGEDY)
While ”Things Fall Apart” embodies the basic elements of sequence and
  plot that make an Aristotelian Tragedy an Aristotelian Tragedy, it lacks
  the “tragic hero” and other key points that Aristotle defines. While the
  book follows the sequence outline that Aristotle championed through
  insignificant details lead up to the climax and the feeling of catharsis for
  the audience, Okonkwo is not in the least bit a likeable man who makes
  bad choices, in fact, he’s an extremely unlikeable character. The
  audience is supposed to feel sympathy and pity for the downfall of the
  tragic hero, but instead, this audience couldn’t wait for dear old
  Okonkwo to get what was coming to him. The climax is also supposed
  to lead to catharsis for the reader, but “Things Fall Apart” is anti-
  climactic, considering Okonkwo’s demise means nothing. For these
  reasons, “Things Fall Apart” should not be classified as an Aristotelian
  Tragedy.

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Aristotelian Tragedy

  • 1.
  • 2. ARISTOTELIAN TRAGEDY: THE TRAGIC HERO An Aristotelian tragedy has three basic elements: 1. A “tragic hero” that has a high role in society and embodies highly desired characteristics (i.e. strength, leadership, handsomeness), 2. A series of events brought on by the misjudgment of the protagonist that ultimately concludes in his “death” or fall from society, 3. And a feeling of pity and despair on behalf of the audience that eventually gives way to catharsis. In addition to these ideas, Aristotelian tragedies embody certain themes of plot, thought, and spectacle.
  • 3. PLOT Aristotle believed that tragedies should have a certain plot to appeal to audiences and reel them in to the overall theme of the work. Let’s start at the beginning, with the beginning. Aristotle thought that the beginning of the perfect tragedy should depict a chain of “cause-and- effect” chains that ultimately lead us subtly towards the climax. The middle, or climax, takes the strands from the beginning and weaves them together as the reader approaches the end, or resolution. Plot, according to Aristotle, should also be well sequenced, without the adding of a deus ex machina, or some form of divine intervention. Aristotle also believed that everything should happen for a reason, not just randomly. Finally, Aristotle said that a plot should be of a certain caliber or magnitude, chock full of both quantity in the form of length and quality in the form of ideas.
  • 4. THOUGHT IN ARISTOTELIAN TRAGEDY While Mr. Aristotle never went in depth into ideas on thought, what he did say as significant to the understanding of Aristotelian tragedies. Aristotle believed that most dialogue should include hints at character. This idea also states that the overall theme should be expressed through dialogue.
  • 5. SPECTACLE THROUGH DIFFERENT SPECTACLES. Aristotle believed that spectacle was a waste of the tragic writers time. While Aristotle thought that spectacle was useful for holding down the audiences attention, he championed the idea that the overall story would suffice for this purpose. This is directly contradicting of William Shakespeare’s ideas about the subject, who thought that spectacle was absolutely necessary for the work to appeal to the lower classes, while still using the story to achieve approval from the higher-ups.
  • 6. WHY THINGS FALL APART KINDA SUCKS (AS AN ARISTOTELIAN TRAGEDY) While ”Things Fall Apart” embodies the basic elements of sequence and plot that make an Aristotelian Tragedy an Aristotelian Tragedy, it lacks the “tragic hero” and other key points that Aristotle defines. While the book follows the sequence outline that Aristotle championed through insignificant details lead up to the climax and the feeling of catharsis for the audience, Okonkwo is not in the least bit a likeable man who makes bad choices, in fact, he’s an extremely unlikeable character. The audience is supposed to feel sympathy and pity for the downfall of the tragic hero, but instead, this audience couldn’t wait for dear old Okonkwo to get what was coming to him. The climax is also supposed to lead to catharsis for the reader, but “Things Fall Apart” is anti- climactic, considering Okonkwo’s demise means nothing. For these reasons, “Things Fall Apart” should not be classified as an Aristotelian Tragedy.