Aristotles Theory of Tragedy (The Outdated Parts of the Theory)

A tragic hero is a literary character who makes an error in judgment that inevitably leads to his/her own destruction.

Comment [h1]: Revised by the REMNS (Robert, Emily, Montana and Nick) Comment [h2]: Maximus going through it Comment [h3]: own tragic flaw

"the plots of the best tragedies must be complex, not simplethe plot of a tragedy must be an imitation of pitiable and fearful incidentsunqualifiedly good human beings must not appear to fall from good fortune to bad; for that is neither pitiable nor fearful; it is rather repellent. Nor must an extremely evil man appear to move from bad fortune to good fortune for that is the most untragic situation of all because it has none of the necessary requirements of tragedy; it both violates our human sympathy and contains nothing of the pitiable or fearful in it. Furthermore, a villainous man should not appear to fall from good fortune to bad. For, although such a plot would be in accordance with our human sympathy, it would not contain the necessary elements of pity and fear; for pity is aroused by someone who undeservedly falls into misfortune, and fear is evoked by our recognizing that it is someone like ourselves who encounters this misfortune. Therefore the emotional effect of the situation just mentioned will be neither pitiable nor fearful. What is left, after our considerations, is someone between these extremes. This would be a person who is neither perfect in virtue and justice, nor one who falls into misfortune through vice and depravity; but rather, one who succumbs through some miscalculation." ~ Aristotle, Poetics, Chapter 13 As outlined in Poetics, Aristotle believed that a hero is someone who is not all good or all bad. Instead, a hero is human, which is to say flawed. The audience identifies with the essential humanity of the hero -- he is "someone like ourselves." For this reason, we are able to feel sympathy or pity for the hero. Within the story of a tragedy, the hero falls because he makes a mistake or error in judgment, not because he commits an evil deed or has malice. When this happens, the audience experiences fear -- because we identify and sympathize with the hero, we fear that we could make the same mistake or incorrect judgment and arrive at the same fate. We realize that a person may be destroyed even while attempting to be good We realize that there is a conflict between human goodness and reality We see that even in the name of goodness a human can cause his/her own downfall (IRONY)

Comment [h4]: falls because of unknowingly surmounted to his trait flaw-Max is to stubborn in his mind to let a corrupt leader scare the people in which he loves, so he must fight to kill the corrupt leader. Comment [h5]: Could be trapped by our own tragic flaws and end up with his same fate. For example Max does not want to die fighting the Ceaser but because he is stubborn in his job for keeping his people safe, he will sacrifice his own life.

Aristotle once said that A man doesnt become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall. Aristotle believed that Sophocles' play Oedipus Rex was a perfect example of a tragedy. Aristotle developed a theory about what a tragedy is and does.

He identified 5 essential criteria: 1. A tragedy is an imitation of action (mimesis) that is complete -- it has a definite beginning, middle, and end (Freytag's pyramid is seen: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution). 2. A tragedy has a unified, complex plot in which all actions are connected -- every cause has an effect, there aren't any random events or loose ends. 3. A tragedy possesses a certain magnitude (universal relevance or significance). 4. A tragedy arouses pity and fear in the audience. 5. A tragedy causes catharsis (purging of emotions) at the end.

Comment [h6]: And inspiration for the audience

Eventually the Aristotelian tragic hero dies a tragic death, having fallen from great heights and having made an irreversible mistake. The hero must courageously accept his/her death with honor. Other Common Traits: Hero must suffer more than he deserves. Hero must be doomed from the start, but bears no responsibility for possessing his flaw. Hero must be noble in nature, but imperfect so that the audience can see themselves in him/her. Hero must have discovered his/her fate by his/her own actions, not by things happening to him/her. Hero must see and understand his/her doom, as well the fact that his fate was discovered by his/her own actions. Heros story should arouse fear and empathy. Hero must be physically or spiritually wounded by his experiences, often resulting in his/her death. Ideally, the hero should be a king or leader of men, so that his/her people experience his/her fall with him/her. Hero must be intelligent so he/she may learn from his/her mistakes. Hero must have a weakness; usually it is pride. Hero has to be faced with a very serious decision. Hero must have something gone wrong in his/her current life. The suffering of the hero must have meaning. ADDITIONS Hero must be humble Heros death must include suffering Important Terms: tragic flaw (hamartia) : an unwitting error or mistake in judgment that leads to the downfall of the hero peripeteia: a reversal of intention, a character produces the opposite effect of what was intended anagnorisis: a revelation, the movement from ignorance to knowledge hubris: overbearing arrogance or pride catastrophe: a change in fortune

Comment [h7]: Or fallen into escapable fate/having a tragic flaw lead to his death

Comment [h8]: Have an understanding for his or her fate

Comment [h9]: Fear, pity and empathy Comment [h10]: Exploiting their tragic flaw Comment [h11]: Who has worked hard to get that position or title

Comment [h12]: Max is sold into slavery Comment [h13]: The burning of his family gave him the vengeance he needed in order to carry out killing the Ceasar Comment [h14]: Max knows he would win any battle he was in because of his great strength and skills but refuses to put up a fight when first brought to slavery because he did not want to kill his own innocent people Comment [h15]: A negative trait that the character feels they cannot control

Comment [h16]: No longer current

contract of order: according to the ancient Greeks, this is the hierarchy of power that governs the universe. All entities are expected to observe their proper place (Gods, kings, priests, man, nature) ADDITIONS: Sacrafice of life: the tragic hero must be willing to give his life for the ultimate goal

act of aggression: the event that disrupts order, the precipitating event that sets the wheels of the tragedy in motion