Salient features of Greek Tragedy

 

Salient features of Greek Tragedy

September 28, 2021

 Tragedy, then is an imitation of an action, that is serious, complete and of a certain magnitude, embellished with each kind of artistic ornaments, several kind being found in separate parts of the play, in the form of action, not narration, through pity and fear affecting purgation (katharsis) of these/such emotions. " - Aristotle

Introduction of Greek tragedy:

Greek drama arose from religious ritual. The English word 'Tragedy' is derived from the Greek and it originally meant a goat-song.
There is a one mythological history behind this goat song, actually related to mountain of Arcadia, named goat. These mountains, where the air is pure, the God of vegetation and the wine Dionysus Bacchus is. (If you want to read more about this then refer to the book 'English literature' - by William J. Long)
SO the ritual is, every year, during the festival of Dionysus, in front of God 's altar or image, singers dressed like satyrs, the attendants of the God performed some act gradually we call it tragedy. With time it has reformed it's form, from the chorus to the tragic hero.

Salient features of Greek Tragedy:

Very few characters - 

In beginning there was only one character (7th century B. C.), after time by time some innovation got placed, like in 6th - 5th century B. C., there came an innovation in characters. Now Greek tragedy was having two or sometimes more characters, but not more then four.

Main theme : religious - 

In Greek drama main theme was always related to God. In the beginning, drama was only performed on the festival of Dionysus, long narrative poems exploits of Gods were recited by a choral group.

Chorus - 

Throughout a tragedy chorus, a mass group of singers, observe and comment on action through song.

Tragic hero-

At the center of a tragedy is its hero, the main character, the protagonist. The tragic hero is a person of high rank who accepts his downfall with dignity.

Tragic flow - 

An error in judgment or a weakness in character such as pride or arrogance. ( helps bring about the hero' downfall)

Catastrophe ( suffering / pathos) - 

A tragedy ends with a catastrophe, a disastrous conclusion that actually / usually involves multiple deaths. If the tragic hero does not die, then he suffer complete ruin.

Hamartia ( fault in character ) - 

The ancient Greeks believed in the idea of fate or destiny preordained by the God' no matter what action a person takes in the present. The fate or Moirai, were three Goddess who determined the length of person's life and how much suffering it would contain. Hamartia means the fault in the hero's character which is leading to the downfall of tragic hero.

Peripeteia (reversal) - 

Aristotle, in his poetics, define Peripeteia as " a change by which the action veers round to its opposite, subject always to our rule of probability or necessity" Peripeteia is the most powerful part of a plot in a tragedy along with discovery.

Anagnorisis ( recognition) - 

Anagnorisis is a moment in a play when character makes a critical discovery. ( Hero's sudden awareness of a real situation, the realization of things as they stood, and finally, the hero's insight into a relationship with an often antagonist character)

Aristotle' arrangement of the elements of tragedy

1) plot
2) character
3) thought
4) diction
5) songs
6) spectacle

Conclusion :

Greek tragedies were of great influence for all the playwrights of the world.

Shakespearean tragedy was unique, born out of the pen of William Shakespeare, who never followed Aristotelian unities of time, place and action.