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Comparison and contrast of tragedy and comedy
Aristotle's tragedy macbeth
Aristotle's ideas about tragedy
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Recommended: Comparison and contrast of tragedy and comedy
Macbeth: Aristotelian Tragedy
The definition of tragedy in an excerpt from Aristotle's "Poetics" is
the re-creation, complete within itself, of an important moral action. The
relevance of Aristotle's Poetics to Shakespeare's play Macbeth defines the
making of a dramatic tragedy and presents the general principles of the
construction of this genre.
Aristotle's attention throughout most of his Poetics is directed towards
the requirements and expectations of the plot. Plot, 'the soul of tragedy',
Aristotle says, must, be an imitation of a noble and complete action. In
Macbeth, Shakespear provides a complete action, that is it has what Aristotle
identifies as a beginning, a middle, and an end. These divisible sections must,
and do in the case of Macbeth, meet the criterion of their respective placement.
In an excerpt from Aristotle's "Poetics" it states:
"The separate parts into which tragedy is divided are: Prologue,
Episode, Exodus, Choric songs, this last being divided into Parodos and Stasimon.
The prologos is that entire part of a tragedy which precedes the Parodos of the
Chorus. The Episode is that entire part of a tragedy which is between complete
choric songs. The Exodos is that entire part of a tragedy which has no choric
song after it. Of the Choric part the Parodos is the first undivided utterance
of the Chorus." Shakespeare follows this precise arrangement of parts to tell
his story of Macbeth. Macbeth is divided into five acts. It contains a
Prologue, Episode, Exodus, Parodos and Stasimon, but is the only one of
Shakespeares plays that does not include Choric songs. This does not dismiss
Macbeth as a tragedy in the Aristotelian sense, because it still follows
Aristotle's fundamental component of a plot. That the arrangement of actions
and episodes arrange themselves into a 'causally connected', seamless whole.
The ideal arrangement of action into a plot is: Exposition, Inciting Action,
Rising Action, Turning Point(Climax), Falling Action, and Denouement. Macbeth
follows each of these steps while introducing a new question every moment that
keeps our interest. That is called dramatic tension, a very important part of a
tragedy: to keep the audiences attention at all times.
To make Macbeth's plot a complete action, according to Aristotle, the
story must contain an activating circumstance, a disclosure, and a reversal of
action. The activating circumstance in Macbeth is the three witches. Macbeth
and Banqou meet three witches that posses supernatural powers and predict the
two men's futures. It is part of the wicked sisters' role in the play to act as
the forces of fate. These hags lead Macbeth on to destroy himself. Their
Aristotle states that "For Tragedy is an imitation, not of men, but of an action and of life, and life consists in action, and its end is a mode of action, not a quality. Now character determines men's qualities, but it is by their actions that they are happy or the reverse. Dramatic action, therefore, is not with a view to the representation of character: character comes in as subsidiary to the actions. Hence the incidents and the plot are the end of a tragedy; and the end is the chief thing of all.
Fitzgerald’s character Jay Gatsby from his book The Great Gatsby, was very much in love with luxurious life .That is why in his early childhood he left St.Olaf’s College because he had to work as a janitor there to pay his tuition fees. It would not be wrong to say he hated poverty from his early life. This could be his main reason to feel attracted towards Daisy Buchanan, who was a symbol of beauty and class. During Gatsby’s military training he met Daisy and the two fell in love with each other. Though Daisy promised to wait for Gatsby yet married Tom Buchanan ,while Gatsby was studying in Oxford .Gatsby took his rejection seriously and made his aim to achieve Daisy. He started involving himself in illegal work to earn money and started throwing mysterious parties to show off his money and social status .The main motive behind all these was not his greed or revenge but it was all for Daisy, whom he thought to be the love of his life. According to Gatsby his love for Daisy was very innocent and it did not even matter to him that Daisy was married to someone else. He perceived Daisy as a symbol of purity and innocence and wanted to have her at any cost. The main mistake of Gatsby was he mistook his obsession for Daisy as love and also he wanted to erase their past separation from their life by dint of his new money. " Fitzgerald also seems to be problematizing the inevitability of the text’s ending: Gatsby “turn[s] out all right’’
Grendel, the first monster encountered in Beowulf, is introduced as a creature who leaves terror and causes harm. However, he is not really described physically, meaning that his characteristics and appearances are of no importance in the poem rather it is his actions that are. It is learned that Grendel is
But because of his obsession with the past, he can never accept the present as it is, resulting in his failed Dream and his inability to reach happiness. Originating from a poor midwestern family, Jay Gatsby joins the army as a boy in an attempt to achieve honor and glory in the only way he feels he can. When at his training camp in the South, he meets and falls in love with Daisy Buchanan, a gorgeous debutante in whom “Gatsby’s meretricious dream was made flesh” (Trask 214). When Gatsby’s deployment note finally comes, he is reluctant to leave Daisy and the relationship he has begun with her, but his desire to fulfill his Dream with Daisy comes with the requirement that he become the wealthy young man he has portrayed himself to be. He departs with the fervent hope that Daisy will wait for him while he becomes “rich and gentlemanly… so he will be worthy to ask Daisy to… marry him” and maintains complete belief in the attainability of his Dream (Mizener 81). Unfortunately for Gatsby, Daisy falls victim to the pressures of her surroundings, caving to the demands of her parents and society that she marry Tom Buchanan, an enormously wealthy and powerful man from East Egg. From then on, Daisy is placed outside of Gatsby’s grasp, ruining the attainability of his Dream. They reunite five years later, Gatsby
Laurence Sterne once wrote, “No body, but he who has felt it, can conceive what a plaguing thing it is to have a man’s mind torn asunder by two projects of equal strength, both obstinately pulling in a contrary direction at the same time.” This passage embodies one of the over arching themes of Macbeth. The character Macbeth, in Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth, could easily identify with this passage due to the fact that he is pulled in opposite directions by both his desire to do what is right and his desire for power.
The Great Gatsby presents the main character Jay Gatsby, as a poor man who is in love with his best friends cousin, Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby was in love with Daisy, his first real love. He was impressed with what she represented, great comfort with extravagant living. Gatsby knew he was not good enough for her, but he was deeply in love. “For a moment a phrase tried to take shape in my mouth and my lips parted like a dumb man’s”(Fitzgerald 107). Gatsby could not think of the right words to say. Daisy was too perfect beyond anything he was able to think of. Soon Gatsby and Daisy went their separate ways. Jay Gatsby went into the war while telling Daisy to find someone better for her, someone that will be able to keep her happy and provide for her. Gatsby and Daisy loved one another, but he had to do what was best for her. Gatsby knew the two might not meet again, but if they did, he wanted things to be the same. “I 'm going to fix everything just the way it was before”(Fitzgerald 106). He wanted Daisy to fall in love with him all over again. Unsure if Daisy would ever see Gatsby again, she got married while he was away. The two were still hugely in love with one another, but had to go separate ways in their
Neoclassical writers emphasized the importance of the Poetics of Aristotle, as well as the unities of place, time, and action that they extracted from his works. In Poetics, Aristotle laid out the six essential elements of tragedy: plot, character, diction, thought, spectacle, and song (McManus). Each of these components held certain value to what Aristotle believed to be a successful play, however, plot and character held to be the most important.
Tom sees right through Jay’s little romance with Daisy as absurd, calling him out as, “crazy!”(125) Since his devotion for her boarders on obsession, creating a visionary life with Daisy, and unrealistic expectations she will never be able to fulfill. Tom sees the affair much differently as just a bump in the road, Gatsby’s expectations of Daisy will put her in unbelievable pressure and will overwhelm her. Overall Tom’s willing to forgive her, and let her continue living the life that she already has been, while Jay wants to change everything about her lifestyle. Daisy responds in between Jay, and Tom’s argument saying, “‘I did love him once − but I loved you too.’” (126) She is confronting her conflict, by trying to rationally infer what her decision should be to resolve this rivalry. By choosing Jay over Tom she would be essentially wrecking her marriage, and future stability with Tom. She could never live up to Jay’s high expectations of her, and ruin the perfect illusion she has with Tom. Daisy could never give up what she currently obtains, and completely disregard the past to benefit Jay. Furthermore, Tom tries to take back Daisy by responding, “in my heart I love her all the time.’” (125) He uses his control as her
Jay has sunk thousands of dollars into making his dream a reality, And now he is finally attempting to make his past dream a reality. To Jay’s dismay, he finally realizes that Daisy is not in love with him, or Tom, but instead is in love with their money and lifestyle. While Nick, Jay, Tom, Daisy, and Jordan are packing for a day on the town, Nick and Jay finally realize Daisy’s true nature. Fitzgerald writes, “‘Her voice is full of money,’ (Jay) said suddenly.” (120) After this realization, Jay still attempts to get Daisy back from Tom. Jay and Tom start arguing and Jay is angered to the point that he tells of his and Daisy’s affair. Fitzgerald writes, “‘ Your wife doesn 't love you,’ said Gatsby. ‘She’s never loved you. She loves me.’” (130) Jay and Daisy leave together and Jay lets Daisy drive. Daisy, in a bizarre accident, hits and kills Tom 's mistress, Myrtle. Myrtle’s husband is told by Tom that it was Jay driving, so in an act of revenge he kills Jay, and then
For students to be able to do well on standardized test they rely on their teachers. Several teachers interviewed said they spent hours of extra planning time and hundreds of dollars to create more interesting lessons. They said they must be supremely organized and strict enforcers of classroom rules. (Watanabe). Some teachers are pressured to the point that they make education all about the test and up to the test. The pressure to improve students test performance in California and across the country often meets with disdain from teachers who say they are compelled to throw out creativity and “teach to the test.” (Watanabe). If somehow the test were based on what students learn, then students could score better. Educators are unanimous that high-stakes test should be aligned with curriculum and instruction-taught and are expected to know – and that teachers should be involved in the process. (Nina and Sol Hurwitz). Teachers should continue to teach to the test, standardized test will end up being a simple exam in which every student should find it easy to take. If high-stake tests adequately cover the essential material to be learned in each grade, these practices can enhance the teaching in the classroom. Teaching to a well-designed set of tests can improve both test scores and student achievements. (Crone). Even
“Macbeth,” written by William Shakespeare initially described the main character, Macbeth, as an honorable, brave, loyal hero. He was a Scottish General and thane of Glamis. Macbeth fought for his country and supported the king. Macbeth was looked up to and admired for being so courageous and brave. He understood the difference between right and wrong. Macbeth was a man who seemed to have everything, including a loving wife! So what happened to this great man? How did he change from a hero to a villain in a very short time? Macbeth had a very bad character flaw. He was a powerful man, but he was not virtuous; thus, he allowed many outside influences to invade his thoughts and he acted on them! He was immoral.
Tragic heroes, who destined for a serious downfall, are the protagonist of a dramatic tragedy. A tragic hero is usually a great hero, who gets the most respect from other people; on the other hand, a tragic hero can also lose everything he gained because of his mistakes. His downfall is the result of a wrong judgment, a flaw which might combined with fated and external forces. The downfall can cause the tragic hero to suffer for the rest of his life. In many literary works, the downfall of the tragic heroes usually happen in their highest point. In the same way, Macbeth is a tragic hero in the play called “The Tragedy of Macbeth” which is written by a legendary writer, William Shakespeares. Macbeth is a great general who gained many respect from the people and even the king. In the highest point of his life, because of seeking for greater power, it created Macbeth’s downfall. Macbeth, a tragic hero, causes suffering for himself and others by committing murders and creating distress, which are the negative effects of seeking for a greater power.
Tragic events can happen as a result of accidents, misunderstandings, or specific situations, hence, they relate little to others. However, tragedy is rooted in the order of our universe because it reveals hypothetical situations that can occur at any time or place. This feeling of uncertainty arouses feelings of pity and fear because we can imagine ourselves having to face tragedy. In Aristotle's Poetics, Aristotle defines tragedy as, “a representation of an action of serious stature and complete, having magnitude, in language made pleasing in distinct forms in its separate parts, imitating people acting and not using narration, accomplishing by means of pity and fear the cleansing of these states of feeling” (Aristotle, 26). A dramatic composition that captures the true essence of suffering and awakens our senses is one that Aristotle would call a tragedy worthy of our praise. He notes, “It is clear first that decent men ought not to be shown changing from good to bad fortune (since this is neither frightening nor pitiable but repellent) and people of bad character ought not to be shown changing from bad to good fortune (since this is the most untragic thing of all, for it has none of the things a tragedy needs, since it neither arouses love for humanity nor is it pitiable or frightening)” (Aristotle, 36).
In Poetics, Aristotle defines plot as “the arrangement of the incidents” (Aristotle 12). He indicates that there are six elements in every tragic play, which are plot, character, thought, diction, melody and spectacle, among these plot is placed in the foremost positi...
A modern tragedy of today and a tragedy of ancient Greece are two very different concepts, but ironically, both are linked by many similarities. In “Poetics”, Aristotle defines and outlines tragedy for theatre in a way that displays his genius, but raises questions and creates controversy. Aristotle’s famous definition of tragedy states: