A Tragedy Makes A Hero

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Recommended: Compare and contrast two forms of drama, tragedy and comedy

A Tragedy Makes A Hero

Show me a hero and I will write you a tragedy.

A tragedy can be described and executed in many ways, whether it is through cinema, television or a play for theatre, as long as it has a solemn kind of ending. It is characterized as a very sad event, action, or experience for a certain character in the piece. According to Aristotle’s “Poetics,” a tragedy needs six elements, a plot, character, language, thought, spectacle, and melody, as in many dramas do, but the organization of the plot is how tragedy is brought about. (747) The plot – is the end for which a tragedy exists, and the end or purpose is the most important thing of all. (748)

Tragedy often reveals a very basic message; whether or not actions are thought before hand, actions hold consequences that must be recognized and tolerated. Drama always circulates around a hero or protagonist in a tragic epic, whose sufferings are brought about by his or her actions and creates a standpoint in relation to them.

The story of “Medea” by Euripides is a tragic one indeed. Medea, a sorceress and a princess, used her powers and influence to help Jason, find the Golden Fleece. During the escape she kills her brother as a getaway. After several murders, Medea and Jason move to Corinth, which is where the play takes place. Here, Medea gives birth to two children by Jason establishing a family. Jason later moves out, divorcing Medea and moving in with Glauce, the daughter of Creon. The play looks at Medea’s anger and rage, as a she moves from suicidal to revengeful. Medea eventually kills her own children and Glauce, all to get back at Jason.

The nurse in the play opens the play, expressing her desire to undo the past. “How I wi...

... middle of paper ...

... Once Creon has found out about the family tree, Oedipus and his children are banished from Thebes, later to meet their fate in the following plays.

A tragedy does indeed make a hero in ancient world literature. Every single being has a fate, no matter what level of society that being is on. One cannot change his or her fate; it is left up to the gods. Eventually all roads of life leads to death, it is how that being dies brings about the tragedy. As Aristotle mentioned in “Poetics”, What is more, without action there could not be a tragedy, but there could be without characterization.

Bibliography:

Works Cited

Aristotle. “Poetics.” Lawall and Mack 746-750

Euripides. “Medea.” Lawall and Mack 640-672

Lawall, Sarah and Mack, Maynard, eds. The Norton Anthology World Masterpieces. 7th ed. Vol 1. New York: W·W· Norton & Company, 1999.

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