a literary work that begins in prosperity and happiness and ends in adversity or misery
A play where a main character declines in status to ultimate destruction, due to character flaws.
A drama in which a dignified character, usually the protagonist, develops a conflict with a superior force. It usually ends with a sorrowful or disastrous conclusion.
n. a drama dealing with a serious and dark theme, and ending in a disaster; a dreadful and unfortunate situation, event or affair.
From the Greek for "goat song"; originally meant a serious play. The tragedy was refined by Greek playwrights (Thespis, sixth century B.C., being the first) and subsequently the philosopher Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) into the most celebrated of dramatic genres: a play that treats, at the most uncompromising level, human suffering. The reason for the name is unclear; a goat may have been the prize, and/or the chorus may have worn goatskins.
an event resulting in great loss and misfortune; "the whole city was affected by the irremediable calamity"; "the earthquake was a disaster"
drama in which the protagonist is overcome by some superior force or circumstance; excites terror or pity
a dignified work in which the main character undergoes a struggle and suffers a downfall
a drama in which the principal characters are involved in desperate circumstances or led by overwhelming passions
a genre (distinctive type or form) of drama in which the role of humankind in the universe is questioned in a profoundly serious manner
a play in which a central character, cal
a play or drama written in a way that the reader/audience is made to feel pity or sympathy for the main character or characters and to feel anger or fear a supporting character
a play that recounts the ordeals and death of a person of high rank (a king, a great general, a mythological hero) who confronts a situation from which there is absolutely no escape, often because he or she has made some serious transgression
a serious play whose protagonist dies in the end
a serious play with a theme that is both significant and universal
a story in which the protagonist meets his demise because of a flaw in his character that proves fatal
a tr Great Expectations Great Expectations Great Expectations involves many characters but Joe Gargery is one of the few that has the trait of humbleness he was always giving compliment but never taking them
a well-composed group, a fine contrast, a beautiful effect of imposing symmetry--as in the "Antigone," "on one side civil law in all its blind rigor, on the other moral law in all its splendor
a work of literature, especially a play, that results in a catastrophe for the main character
classic tragedy follows the plight of a noble person who is flawed by a defect and whose actions cause him to break some moral law and suffer downfall and destruction
The downfall of a character as a result of fate or as a result of a fatal character flaw.
One of the three principal genres of Renaissance drama, the other two being Comedy and History. In Shakespearean tragedy, we learn of a problem in the beginning, and this problem intensifies to the middle of the tragedy (about Act 3), when a death occurs. Events unravel from that point on, leading to the eventual death of the protagonist.
A dramatic or literary form originating in Greece that deals with serious human actions and issues. The actions must create feelings of fear and compassion in the spectator that are later released (CATHARSIS). Typically, the main character is of high stature or rank, so his or her fall is substantial. Even though tragedies are sad, they seem both just and believable. The tragedy raises serious moral and philosophical questions about the meanings of life and fate.
A medieval narrative poem or tale typically describing the downfall of a great person; a drama, usually in verse, portraying a conflict between a strong-willed protagonist and a superior force such as destiny, culminating in death or disaster. (See also Lay, Ballad) (Compare Chanson de Geste, Epic, Epopee, Epos, Hamartia, Heroic Quatrain)
A type of play characterized by the depiction and dramatic treatment of misfortunes, disasters, and/or the death of the main protagonists. The opposite of comedy. The main protagonist(s) is often afflicted by a "tragic flaw," a character problem which is related to the tragic outcomes. The genre appears to have originated in Ancient Greek choral songs and rituals in honor of the Dionysus (god of nature, vineyards, wine). See also Some Views on Tragedy.
In general, a literary work in which the central character meets an unhappy or disastrous end. Unlike comedy, which often portrays a central character of weak nature, tragedy often involves the problems of a central character of dignified or heroic stature. Through a related series of events, this main character, the tragic hero or heroine, is brought to a final downfall. The causes of the character’s downfall vary. In traditional dramas, the cause is often an error in judgement or a combination of inexplicable outside forces that overwhelm the character. In modern dramas, the causes range from moral or psychological weaknesses to the evils of society. The tragic hero or heroine, though defeated, usually gains a measure of wisdom and/or self-awareness. There may be more than one central character in a tragedy.
a dramatic or literary work in which serious and important actions bring ruin or profound unhappiness to the main character. Aristotle saw tragedy as the fall of a noble character from a high position because of a flaw in his character.
a type of drama of human conflict which ends in defeat and suffering. Often the main character (dignified, noble) has a tragic flaw (weakness of character, wrong judgment) which leads to his or her destruction. Sometimes the conflict is with forces beyond the control of the character--fate, evil in the world.
a drama in which a character (usually a good and noble person of high rank) is brought to a disastrous end in his or her confrontation with a superior force (fortune, the gods, social forces, universal values), but also comes to understand the meaning of his or her deeds and to accept an appropriate punishment. Often the protagonist's downfall is a direct result of a fatal flaw in his or her character.
drama or film portraying the doomed struggle and eventual downfall of an admirable but flawed hero. Usually about powerful leaders or extraordinary individuals torn between opposing goals or difficult choices. Examples: Sophocles, Oedipus the King; Shakespeare, Hamlet.
In general usage a tragedy is a play, movie or sometimes a real world event with a sad outcome. However, throughout much of Western thought, tragedy has been defined in more precise terms, following the precepts set out by Aristotle and based upon Greek tragedies: it is a form of drama characterized by seriousness and dignity, and involving a great person whose downfall is brought about by either a character flaw or a conflict with some higher power such as the law, the gods, fate, or society. It should be noted, however, that the definition of tragedy that Aristotle puts forward merely requires a reversal of fortune from bad to good (as in the Eumenides) or good to bad (as in Oedipus Rex).
Tragedy is a modern hardcore punk band, originally from Memphis, Tennessee, but currently residing in Portland, Oregon. The band formed in 2000 and emerged from the ashes of the influential modern hardcore bands His Hero is Gone and Deathreat.
