10/24/2017 1 Comment What is Tragedy?Tragedy, as I have come to understand it, is something incredibly sad. A tragedy may be something akin to a terrible accident, or an unexpected loss in the family. It is something that will have your peers patting you on the back in a comforting way, apologising for something they had no part in. When confronted with the word tragedy, too, one may also have thoughts of old plays and pieces of literature called to mind. Romeo and Juliet is a good example. The popular play is probably the piece most associated with tragedy; it is well-known, and undeniably, well, tragic. According to Wikipedia, Tragedy is a form of drama based on human suffering that invokes an accompanying catharsis or pleasure in audiences. The response of the audience is quite paradoxical; one would think that the dour topic would make audiences sad, as opposed to happy, which adds to the uniqueness to the genre that we have come to know as tragedy. Tragedy has very old roots- dating back to Greek theater, 2500 years ago. Many, many philosophers have studied, analyzed, and criticized the genre, including Plato, Aristotle, and Saint Augustine. The revenge tragedy is really what you are thinking of when you call Romeo and Juliet a tragedy. A revenge tragedy is a form of tragedy involving the protagonist seeking revenge for a real or imagined injury. While this sub-genre is not as old as tragedy itself, it has a long history, beginning with Thomas Kyd's The Spanish Tragedy in 1587. Overall, my initial definition of tragedy was more-or-less correct. Tragedy is a form of art that uses the dark, sad, and depressing to entertain an audience. In contrast to the dark themes and motifs of tragedies, however, the audience has an excited or happy reaction. This juxtaposition is an integral part to the interesting, and complex art form that is tragedy. Revenge tragedy is what is commonly thought of today when tragedy is discussed, and while the two are very similar, there are differences between the two. Tragedy is a very interesting genre, that can have many applications. Despite it's origins, thousands of years ago, it is still very much relevant in today's modern society.
1 Comment
Ben
10/25/2017 07:20:48 am
Very insightful discussion! I, too, think that the way in which the audience often reacts to these tragedies is paradoxical.
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
|