This document provides an overview of key concepts in drama and tragedy. It discusses how drama focuses on major characters facing challenges and interacting with other characters. It defines different types of characters such as protagonists and antagonists. While drama does not show characters' full life stories, it brings out intense conflicts. Tragedy is a type of drama where the main character suffers a loss but gains insight. Tragedies often involve a character flaw called hubris that leads to destructive actions, and feature catharsis, or a purging of emotions. They depict a reversal of fortune, a moment of recognition, and suffering through events like peripeteia, anagnorisis and pathos.

1. Drama
Focuses on one or a few major
characters who enjoy success or endure
failure as they face challenges and deal
with other characters.

2. Focuses on its characters. They are
persons the playwright creates to
embody the play’s actions, ideas,
and attitudes.

3. Characters
• Protagonist
• Antagonist
• Round
• Dynamic
• Flat
• Static
• Realistic
• Nonrealistic
– Undeveloped and symbolic
• Stock or Stereo-typed
• Ancillary
– Foil
– raisonneur

4. Is not designed to present the full
life stories of its characters. The
plots of drama bring out intense and
highly focused oppositions or
conflicts

5. Tragedy is drama in which a major
character undergoes a loss but also
achieves illumination

6. Hubris is the character’s flaw which
is manifested in destructive actions
such as deceit, insolence,
violence .. .
Hamartia-is the tragic flaw of the
character, makes the character
human

7. In tragedy, you will have a
catharis-purging of emotions

8. The tragic plot or muthos is not an
exact replica of life, it is a
representation or mimesis of life

9. Tragedy focuses on a reversal,
recognition, and suffering
peripeteia(reversal)-from good to
bad
anagnorisis(recognition) ignorance
to knowledge
pathos (suffering)a destructive or
painful action, such as a death on
the stage

10. Plot-the tragic struggle and failure of
Willy Loman
Structure-24 hours (Monday
evening to Tuesday evening)
flashbacks over his life