Unveiling Shakespearean Tragedies: The Path of the Tragic Hero
The Many Tragedies of Our Old Buddy Bill:
Characteristics of Shakespearean Tragedies
“He was not of an age, but for all time!”
- Ben Jonson
ON A LINED PIECE OF PAPER
Record the questions below (answer these questions as
Record the questions below (answer these questions as
you click through this presentation- bring your
you click through this presentation- bring your
completed Questions/Answers to class on
completed Questions/Answers to class on
Wednesday
Wednesday
2/8
2/8
)
)
1
1
.
.
What is 1 example of a tragic hero?
What is 1 example of a tragic hero?
2.
2.
What type of men are commonly tragic heroes?
What type of men are commonly tragic heroes?
3.
What is catharsis?
What is catharsis?
4.
What is Hamartia
What is Hamartia
5.
What is External Conflict?
What is External Conflict?
6.
What is 1 difference between a soliloquy and
What is 1 difference between a soliloquy and
an aside?
an aside?
7.
What is a foil?
What is a foil?
The Tragic Hero
Usually there is only one tragic
hero.
Examples:
Hamlet
Macbeth
Othello
King Lear
Exceptions- The Love Tragedies
(i.e. Romeo and Juliet)
The tragic heroes in Shakespeare
are commonly men in power
Tragic heroes are never
just peasants. You and I
are peasants. We are
normal everyday people.
We do not inspire pity
and fear like great
heroes/heroines do. Plus
their failure must be
much greater, we have
no where to fall while
their fall is much greater.
Example: People in
power, like princes,
might feel the pains of
“despised loved” just
like you and I. The
difference would be that
when we feel that pain
it cant affect a nation or
a kingdom. The tragic
heroes pain and failure
is felt by everyone.
It wouldn’t be tragedy if there wasn’t a
death or two or three or…..
Plot
1.
The tragic story
leads up to, and
includes, the death
of the hero.
2.
The suffering and
calamities that
befalls the hero are
unusual and
exceptionally
disastrous.
The calamity of the hero and
catharsis.
The hero undergoes a sudden
The hero undergoes a sudden
reversal of fortune.
reversal of fortune.
This reversal arouses the
This reversal arouses the
emotions of pity and fear in
emotions of pity and fear in
the audience, which is called
the audience, which is called
catharsis
catharsis
. The reversal may
frighten and awe, making the
audience or readers feel that
he/she is the “plaything” of a
higher power that may smile
on the hero one moment, and
the strike the prideful hero
down in the next.
Hamartia: The Tragic Flaw
Hamartia (Greek)- In
tragedy, the quality
within the tragic
hero/heroine which leads
to his/her downfall. The
fall often takes the form
of an obsession.
Examples:
Macbeth’s obsession with
power.
Othello’s jealousy.
King Lear gullibility and lack
of judgment.
It wouldn’t be a Shakespearean Tragedy
with out someone going insane.
Shakespeare often
introduces abnormal
conditions of mind such
as: madness,
hallucinations or manic
depression.
Shakespearean Tragedies always
have some supernatural element
Shakespeare introduces the
supernatural: ghosts and
witches who have
supernatural knowledge.
The supernatural elements
cannot be explained away
as an illusion in the mind of
one of the characters. It
does contribute to the
action, but it is always
placed in the closest relation
with the character.
Conflicts
External Conflict
The struggle between
the main character and
an outside force in a
literary work such as
nature or other
characters.
Internal Conflict
The struggle between
the main character and
his/herself throughout a
literary work. It is
usually a torment within
the soul of the tragic
hero.
The ultimate power in
Shakespearean Tragedies
The ultimate power in
the tragic world is a
moral order – the
conflict between good
and evil. The entire
world order is
disrupted as a result
of the tragedy.
The Cycle of Tragedy
A cycle of tragedy must be completed:
Good
Evil
Chaos
Final Conflict
Hero’s Realization
Death
Re-assertion of good and restoration of order
Other specific elements in a
Shakespearean Tragedy
Dramatic Irony
When the reader (or
audience) knows
something about
current or future
circumstances that the
character or characters
do not know.
Soliloquy
A monologue spoken by an actor at a
point in the play when the character
believes himself to be alone. The
technique frequently reveals a
character's innermost thoughts,
including his feelings, state of mind,
motives or intentions. The soliloquy
often provides necessary but
otherwise inaccessible information to
the audience. The dramatic
convention is that whatever a
character says in a soliloquy to the
audience must be true, or at least
true in the eyes of the character
speaking (i.e., the character may tell
lies to mislead other characters in the
play, but whatever he states in a
soliloquy is a true reflection of what
the speaker believes or feels).
Aside
In drama, a few words or a short
passage spoken by one character
to the audience while the other
actors on stage pretend their
characters cannot hear the
speaker's words. It is a theatrical
convention that the aside is not
audible to other characters on
stage. Contrast with soliloquy.
The aside is usually indicated by
stage directions.
Foils
A character that serves
by contrast to highlight
or emphasize opposing
traits in another
character. For instance,
in the film
Clerks
, the
character Silent Bob is a
foil for his partner, Jay,
who is loquacious and
foul-mouthed.
Comic Relief
A humorous scene, incident,
character, or bit of dialogue
occurring after some serious or
tragic moment. Comic relief is
deliberately designed to relieve
emotional intensity and
simultaneously heighten and
highlight the seriousness or
tragedy of the action. Macbeth
contains Shakespeare's most
famous example of comic relief in
the form of a drunken porter.
Delve into the world of Shakespearean tragedies and explore the characteristics of the tragic hero, from Hamartia to catharsis. Discover how the downfall of these powerful figures leads to cathartic experiences for audiences, invoking emotions of pity and fear. Uncover the defining elements that make these timeless tales captivating and deeply impactful.
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Presentation Transcript
The Many Tragedies of Our Old Buddy Bill: Characteristics of Shakespearean Tragedies He was not of an age, but for all time! - Ben Jonson
ON A LINED PIECE OF PAPER Record the questions below (answer these questions as you click through this presentation- bring your completed Questions/Answers to class on Wednesday 2/8) 1. What is 1 example of a tragic hero? 2. What type of men are commonly tragic heroes? 3. What is catharsis? 4. What is Hamartia 5. What is External Conflict? 6. What is 1 difference between a soliloquy and an aside? 7. What is a foil?
The Tragic Hero Usually there is only one tragic hero. Examples: Hamlet Macbeth Othello King Lear Exceptions- The Love Tragedies (i.e. Romeo and Juliet)
The tragic heroes in Shakespeare are commonly men in power Example: People in power, like princes, might feel the pains of despised loved just like you and I. The difference would be that when we feel that pain it cant affect a nation or a kingdom. The tragic heroes pain and failure is felt by everyone. Tragic heroes are never just peasants. You and I are peasants. We are normal everyday people. We do not inspire pity and fear like great heroes/heroines do. Plus their failure must be much greater, we have no where to fall while their fall is much greater.
It wouldnt be tragedy if there wasnt a death or two or three or .. Plot 1. The tragic story leads up to, and includes, the death of the hero. 2. The suffering and calamities that befalls the hero are unusual and exceptionally disastrous.
The calamity of the hero and catharsis. The hero undergoes a sudden reversal of fortune. This reversal arouses the emotions of pity and fear in the audience, which is called catharsis. The reversal may frighten and awe, making the audience or readers feel that he/she is the plaything of a higher power that may smile on the hero one moment, and the strike the prideful hero down in the next.
Hamartia: The Tragic Flaw Hamartia (Greek)- In tragedy, the quality within the tragic hero/heroine which leads to his/her downfall. The fall often takes the form of an obsession. Examples: Macbeth s obsession with power. Othello s jealousy. King Lear gullibility and lack of judgment.
It wouldnt be a Shakespearean Tragedy with out someone going insane. Shakespeare often introduces abnormal conditions of mind such as: madness, hallucinations or manic depression.
Shakespearean Tragedies always have some supernatural element Shakespeare introduces the supernatural: ghosts and witches who have supernatural knowledge. The supernatural elements cannot be explained away as an illusion in the mind of one of the characters. It does contribute to the action, but it is always placed in the closest relation with the character.
Conflicts External Conflict Internal Conflict The struggle between the main character and an outside force in a literary work such as nature or other characters. The struggle between the main character and his/herself throughout a literary work. It is usually a torment within the soul of the tragic hero.
The ultimate power in Shakespearean Tragedies The ultimate power in the tragic world is a moral order the conflict between good and evil. The entire world order is disrupted as a result of the tragedy.
The Cycle of Tragedy A cycle of tragedy must be completed: Good Evil Chaos Final Conflict Hero s Realization Death Re-assertion of good and restoration of order
Other specific elements in a Shakespearean Tragedy
Dramatic Irony When the reader (or audience) knows something about current or future circumstances that the character or characters do not know.
Soliloquy A monologue spoken by an actor at a point in the play when the character believes himself to be alone. The technique frequently reveals a character's innermost thoughts, including his feelings, state of mind, motives or intentions. The soliloquy often provides necessary but otherwise inaccessible information to the audience. The dramatic convention is that whatever a character says in a soliloquy to the audience must be true, or at least true in the eyes of the character speaking (i.e., the character may tell lies to mislead other characters in the play, but whatever he states in a soliloquy is a true reflection of what the speaker believes or feels).
Aside In drama, a few words or a short passage spoken by one character to the audience while the other actors on stage pretend their characters cannot hear the speaker's words. It is a theatrical convention that the aside is not audible to other characters on stage. Contrast with soliloquy. The aside is usually indicated by stage directions.
Foils A character that serves by contrast to highlight or emphasize opposing traits in another character. For instance, in the film Clerks, the character Silent Bob is a foil for his partner, Jay, who is loquacious and foul-mouthed.
Comic Relief A humorous scene, incident, character, or bit of dialogue occurring after some serious or tragic moment. Comic relief is deliberately designed to relieve emotional intensity and simultaneously heighten and highlight the seriousness or tragedy of the action. Macbeth contains Shakespeare's most famous example of comic relief in the form of a drunken porter.
