Tragedy In Drama Essay -- essays research papers

Tragedy and DramaIn a range of prominent works from Agamemnon to Hamlet, one sees the range of development of the tragic form, from the earlier Grecian to the later Shakespearean tragedies. There are two basic conceptions of catastrophe the concept introduced by Aristotle in his Poetics, and the concept developed by Frederick Nietzsche in his "The Birth of Tragedy." Many dramas can be reviewed to reveal the contrast surrounded by these two concepts of catastrophe, and demonstrate the development of the tragic form over time.The theme of classic calamity stems from Aristotles definition of a tragic admirer. In Aristotles definition, the tragic hero must be a roundbody of high standing so their fall from glory will be all the more horrible. The heros story must invoke pity for the hero and fear of his fall, so the hero cannot be all in all evil. Also, the hero must have a tragic dishonor, a distinction that, in excess, causes him to bring some disaster upon himse lf, and because of this, he cannot be tout ensemble good either. It is important to note that the root of the term tragic flaw is the Greek word hamartia, which is propelually better translated as an geological fault in judgement. Often this flaw or computer error has to do with component a character tempts fate, thinks he can change fate or doesnt realize what fate has in store for him. In Agamemnon, the classic Greek drama, Aeschylus demonstrates the concept of the tragic flaw in the character of Agamemnon. While on his journey to the battle at Troy, Agamemnon has to make the choice to sacrifice his fille for the sake of his fleet. It is this choice that begins the cycle of tragedy. Agamemnons wife, Clytemnestra, sees her husbands act as unforgivable, and upon his return from battle, she murders him in an act of vengeance. However, this is not the only revenge taking place. Clytemnestras lover, whose father Thyestes was tricked by Agamemnon into devouring his own children, too justifies Agamemnons murder as revenge for the acts committed against his family. So date Agamemnon is heralded as a hero in the battle of Troy, his less(prenominal) admirable side is also revealed. In keeping with the Aristotelian concept of tragedy, Agamemnon is seen as neither exclusively good nor entirely bad, thus invoking pity. scarcely his decision to sacrifice his daughter for the good of his fleet and his acts against Thyestes demonstrates the fatal error in judgem... ... influence over the events of the tragedy. Similarly, in Hamlet, the other characters are often more complex than in Greek tragedies, and the interactions of the characters, which may represent their communities as a whole, greatly impact the eventual outcome. From Agamemnon to Hamlet, we have discovered the emanation of the form of salient tragedy. We can see the evolution from the earlier Greek tragedies, that focus on divine intervention and vindication for acts that displeased the gods, to the in truth humanly emotional Hamlet, whose eventual realization of his own responsibilities introduce an entirely new concept to the tragic form. This dramatic range demonstrates the differences between the concepts of tragedy as defined by Aristotle, who believed all tragedy stemmed from some fatal flaw in the character of the hero and that of Nietzsche, who believed the concept of tragedy focused more on the community than on the character of the hero alone. These dramas also represent the evolution of the art of dramatic writing from the earliest Greek authors through Shakespeare, who virtually reinvented tragedy and elevated the art of dramatic writing to the form we know it as today.