Definition of Tragedy and Its Characteristics - Essay Example

Definition of Tragedy Defining tragedy is a job comparatively more difficult than any other writing exercise in literature. Tragedy is considered as a dramatic poem which has an elevated style, representing an action, performed by a person and based on a fatal issue. Dramatists like, Sophocles, Seneca, William Shakespeare, Marlow, Bernard Shaw and Miller have attributed various forms and meanings to tragedy through their works. Tragedy provides the sadness or fearful phases of characters. Whenever one attempts a discussion on tragedy, one can never ignore the words of the great Greek philosopher and thinker, Aristotle, who framed a clear structure of tragedy and concerned elements. Aristotle’s concept of tragedy had had wider implications on the literary field. According to Aristotle, "Tragedy is a form of drama exciting the emotions of pity and fear. Its action should be single and complete, presenting a reversal of fortune, involving persons renowned and of superior attainments, and it should be written in poetry embellished with every kind of artistic expression." (Greek theory of tragedy 2009). He has also viewed tragedy as a tale of suffering and calamity that leads to the death of its hero. A tragic hero is a person of high rank, and whose fall evokes pity and fear in the mind of the audience. It is his ‘tragic flaw’ or weakness in his character that leads him to his tragedy. Aristotle introduced the term ‘Hamartia’ in his work “Poetics” which means tragic flaw. Sophocles’ play “Oedipus Rex” begins with the mention of affliction, which is an occurrence at the city of Thebes in ancient Greece. The tragedy of Oedipus was his ignorance about the truth and in his ignorance he kills his father and receives his mother as a sexual partner. When comparing with the elements of a tragedy; proposed by Aristotle, one can see that “Oedipus Rex” contains the features of tragedy. Oedipus’ tragedy is not the result of a terrible vice but by an accident. His pride and blindness finally contribute much in his fall. Both Shakespeare and Sophocles would agree that forces of destiny and man will promote sufferings. In “Oedipus Rex” the protagonist absolutely surrenders after a strong recognition, resistance and setback to his tragedies. The blindness in Tiresias is physical but Oedipus’ is blind to the truth of his life. When Oedipus realizes the real story of his life-the murder of his own father with his own hand and his married life with his mother- he blinds himself with pins that had held up Jocastas robes. When Oedipus recognizes his fault, then he becomes insane. Here the tragedy reaches its zenith and as an outcome of that dreadful realization, the protagonist decides to go into exile after blinding his eyes. As he does not like to view the outer world and its sins, he pierces pins into his eyes and embraces blindness. Aristotle argues that suffering is an essential factor in tragedy. Death of the hero or a hero in a tragedy enhances the process of purgation or an emotional outburst. If one analyzes the trials and tribulations of Oedipus’s life, it is clear that real pity and fear appears as the direct outcome of these sufferings. Based on this, one can assert that the play, “Oedipus Rex” fulfills most of the propositions of a tragedy propounded by Aristotle. In case of Shakespeare’s Richard II, one cannot find Aristotle’s tragic flaw or ‘hamartia’ in a convincing manner. When analyzing the play, one can see that King Richard’s mistakes are not accidental, but absolutely the result of a conscious effort. The reactions against King Richard’s mis-governance and his dictatorship have been portrayed through the comments of other characters. In the opening scene of second act Lancaster remembers the glorious days of his father’s reign. He says “This Royal Throne of Kings, this sceptred isle….” (Shakespeare n.d.). These words are not just casual remarks or a lamentation but an exploration of resistance against the misrule of King Richard II. Historically, Shakespeare’s hero was crowned in his own young age and traveled the mischievous world of political conspiracy but the character ends in pathetic situation. However, endless suffering of central characters is a significant feature of both tragedies. Aristotle argues the significance of plot or storyline in tragedies and it should have several acts or episodes which help the audience to develop the story. Each single epidotic presents the meaning of the play. Sophocles wrote the play with a structured plot with five acts. In Act- I dramatist introduces the story and reveals the great realization of the hero Oedipus. Through the words of Tiresias, Oedipus realizes that he will be discovered as a brother and at the same time as father of his children. Act II portrays the conflict between Oedipus and Creon, and then it leads to complex misfortunes in the life of the protagonist Oedipus. Oedipus’s realization becomes more severe and he welcomes tragedies. Fourth and fifth acts provide the elements of ‘anagnorisis’ (Aristotle). In case of Shakespeare’s Richard II, It is a more difficult task to find a structured plot which follows the classical rule. In classical concept, the plot of a tragedy contains various divisions such as ‘hamartia, ’peripetia, which means reversal of fortune, anagnorisis, hubris,which reveals pride before the fall and pathos, which creates pity and fear in the minds of the audience. Here Shakespeare violates the classical concepts about the construction of the plot. Conflict is an essential feature of a tragedy and it provides plenty of emotional situations. Two kinds of conflicts are common in tragedies such as internal and external conflicts. In both plays, Oedipus Rex and Richard II conflicts have been portrayed in different ways and the heroes suffer with their own whims and fancies. In case of Oedipus conflict promotes emotional clash between the hero and his inner self and also he is subjected to the conflict with others. Even though each has its own supporting themes, there are some common themes like fate, insanity, isolation and tragedy. The conflicts between King Richard and Bolingbroke are considered as the central theme of the play Richard II. The play is generally studied in terms of the conflicts between these two persons, values and attitudes each represents. The entire play reveals the fall of traditional conception of mischievous royalty and the emergence of a new political and social force designed by the young generation. English tragedy had acquired a new form with the Elizabethans. William Shakespeare wrote a number of tragic plays such as Richard II, Macbeth, Hamlet and King Lear under the title of romantic tragedies. His blindness forces Oedipus to stop probing the world around him. The presence of a tragic hero is essential for the successful realization of a tragedy. According to Aristotle the tragedy involves disappointment or suffering of the protagonist and it requires reversal or fall of the hero, high to low. After a deep analysis one can see that the hero of Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex justified the requirements as a tragic hero. In his book entitled Hero Myth Robert Alan Segal gives a clear cut idea. He says “Tragedy also requires that the hero be the cause, not merely the victim of the down fall. Even though Oedipus has been fated to kill his father and to have sex with his mother, his fall comes not within the commission of the deeds but, much later, with his discovery of the fact.” (Segal 2000, 131). After the realization of the truth, Oedipus fights with the hardships of his life. Mentally and physically the protagonist burns the fire, and he suffers with two distinct causes. Firstly the fearful memories of his evil deed towards his father and mother, secondly the realization of the truth about his fall and the cursed state of his present life. In English literature especially in Renaissance age the classical definition of tragic hero became slightly changed. Shakespeare has presented his heroes accompanied with a slight difference. Like other Shakespearean tragic heroes such as Macbeth, King Lear, and Hamlet, King Richard also is regarded as the most problematic hero. The worst in King Richard’s case is that he is a man who intends to do very well in all the things but unfortunately his actions are at once foolish and malevolent. He himself proves that he is unfit for rule. Unlike Oedipus King Richard invites tragedies into his life with a conscious effort. Death of John of Gaunt, the return of Bolingbroke to England and the usurpation of the King etc. are the consequences of his actions. The man proves that he is incompetent, insecure, wavering and so sentimental. Robert Franklin Coleman and Patricia Truxler Coleman points “Sentimental, inept, vacillating, insecure, and incompetent, Shakespeare’s Richard II is easily one of the playwright’s most problematic tragic heroes.” (Coleman & Coleman 1993). It is clear that when analyzing two tragedies Richard II and Oedipus Rex and Aristotle’s instructions about a tragic hero one can see that both Oedipus and King Richard are famous figures, enjoy high status in society, and fall from grace. Another important feature of both the tragedies is their unique characterization. Even when there are some variations in classical concepts Shakespeare portrays his hero in all its power. All other supporting characters have their own soul and their presence will lead the main plot and then help the reader or audience to acquire the real purification of mind. In case of Oedipus Rex the tragedy of Jocasta and Laius is also sufficient for creating the feelings of pity and fear. After the evaluation and comparison of the tragedies “Oedipus Rex” and “Richard II” with Aristotle’s concept of tragedy, it can be concluded that “Oedipus Rex” is more justifiable to Aristotle’s concept. The protagonist of the play Oedipus is capable of producing pity and fear in the audience and thus evokes catharsis. He has the tragic flaw, pride, which plays a dominant role in his tragedy and his tragedy is not the outcome of his action. An overview reveals that Richard II is not as successful as Oedipus in evoking catharsis and one feels his tragedy, to an extent is the direct outcome of his actions. He was a failure in his attempts to live in accordance with the age in which he lived, especially with the younger generation. To conclude, one can infer that “Oedipus Rex” stands a little bit higher than “Richard II” in justifying the concepts of tragedy. References Coleman, R F, & Coleman, P T 1993, Richard II: insecure, incompetent—and fascinating, Insights Greek theory of tragedy: Aristotle’s poetics 2009, viewed 13 May 2009, http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/cs6/tragedy.html Segal, R A 2000, Hero myths: a reader: chapter 13: Oedipus(ancient Greek): tragic hero: introduction, Wiley-Blackwell, viewed 13 May 2009, http://books.google.co.in/books?id=JbE5UxcCr10C&pg=PA131&dq=oedipus+as+a+tragic+hero#PPA131,M1 Shakespeare n.d., Richard II: Act- II: scene-I Read More