Is Antigone a tragic play as defined by Aristotle? Antigone is not a tragic play. Rather it is a theological debate spawned by Sophocles, a debate that is still raging today, the debate of who holds the higher law, the Gods or the State. While this debate has slowly twisted into Church versus State, which is a very different argument, the highest questions still remain the same: Which one is held higher in men’s (and women’s) hearts? Antigone answers this question with shocking clarity in her admission
Tragic Flaws and the Role They Play Many Greeks considered tragedies to be the greatest form of literature. The characters in these tragedies, mainly the heroes, were not doomed from the start because of their fate, but rather had certain flaws that made them cause their tragic ends. These tragic heroes have been talked about for generations and have had their stories passed down year after year. These heroes, all having different tragic flaws, slowly bring their impending doom closer and closer
the Tragic Hero of the Play “One who is neither villainous nor exceptionally virtuous, moving from happiness to misery through some frailty or error in judgement.” The above opening quotation is from Aristotle, which is his view of what elements a tragic hero contains. This essay will investigate the destiny of the main character Eddie Carbone also known as a tragic hero, as illustrated by Arthur Miller in ‘A view from a Bridge’ against Aristotle’s view of a tragic hero. The play takes
Macbeth as a Tragic Hero in William Shakespeare's Play The play ‘Macbeth’ by William Shakespeare charts the rise and fall of the Scottish general Macbeth, through a tale of treachery, deceit and death. First performed in 1606 ‘Macbeth’ is inspired by a story of the Scottish monarchy. A tragic hero is one who at the outset is not wholly good or bad but has a character fault that causes them to make tragic mistakes resulting in their eventual downfall. ‘Macbeth’ is a renaissance tragedy and
Character Profile of Friar Lawrence Most movies portray friars as wise mentors, or strict religion-followers, that lead lawful, moral, and virtuous lives. But this tragic play of Romeo and Juliet begs to differ, as the friar does nothing but help achieve the forbidden plans of two star-crossed lovers. As Friar Lawrence gets involved more deeply into the schemes of Romeo and Juliet, he too begins to warp sly plans out of his head, such as the potion plan. Despite his conscience, Friar Lawrence
When I thought about the role that the word "night" would play in the tragic play "Macbeth," I found that there were a variety of possibilities. Immediately, I thought of the nighttime as a period of rest and revitalization. I expected that this would allow characters to recover from the day's many demands. Secondly, I connected the night to the unknown. In the night's cloak of darkness, many more things could go undiscovered than in the revealing light of day. Next, I thought that the night would
Macbeth Meets the Definition of a Tragic Hero William Shakespeare's tragic play 'Macbeth' contains images of suffering and details the consequences of one's action. The story, set within medieval Scotland, follows the actions of a man destined for greatness. Macbeth is known to be noble, yet he falters and ultimately falls prey to his conscience. As a result, Macbeth is the tragic hero of this play because he makes a fatal mistake, he endures great suffering, and he possesses a destructive
Literary Devices used in Macbeth Imagine how dull a Shakespearean play would be without the ingenious literary devices and techniques that contribute so much to the fulfillment of its reader or viewer. Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, is a tragedy that combines fact and legend to tell the story of an eleventh century king. Shakespeare uses numerous types of literary techniques to make this tragic play more appealing. Three literary devices that Shakespeare uses to make Macbeth more interesting
The Crucial Role of Teiresias in Sophocles’ Antigone Antigone is a tragic play written by Sophocles in ancient Greece during approximately 441 B.C. The story is set in a palace in Thebes, a city within Greece. Teiresias is an old blind prophet who claims to be capable of seeing the future, he has yet to tell a prophesy to be untrue; he has immense credibility. A theme within the text is: quality not quantity. In this translation of Antigone, Teiresias has exactly 76 lines of text. Physically
King Lear Shakespeare's King Lear is a tragic play about an English king and his three daughters. It is a tragic play because it takes Lear all his long life and much suffering to realize the true value of the thing that he takes for granted, his youngest daughter Cordelia. The old king, Lear, spoiled by his absolute power and his habit of receiving instant gratification, asks his daughters to verbalize the feelings that each has for her father in exchange for his kingdom. At this point the
death. Beowulf is the ultimate epic hero who risks his life countless times for great honor and for the good of others. Oedipus Rex is a tragic play, which discusses the tragic discovery of Oedipus--that he has killed his father, and married his mother. He is self-confident, intelligent, and strong willed. Ironically these are the very traits which bring about his tragic discovery. Oedipus gains the rule of Thebes by answering the riddle of Sphinx. The two heroes, Beowulf and Oedipus, are very similar
Oedipus: Riddle of the Sphinx as a Metaphor of Life Oedipus Rex (the King), written by Sophocles, is the tragic play depicting the disastrous existence to which Oedipus, an Athenian, is 'fated' to endure. With a little help from the gods and the 'fated' actions and decisions of Oedipus, an almost unthinkable misfortune unfolds. Athenian perfection can consist of intelligence, self-confidence, and a strong will. Oedipus, the embodiment of such perfection, and his tragedy are common place to Athenians
Shakespeare's tragic play, King Lear, the audience witnesses to the devastation of a great kingdom. Disorder engulfs the land once Lear transfers his power to his daughters, but as the great American writer, A.C. Bradley said, "The ultimate power in the tragic world is a moral order" (Shakespearean Tragedy). By examining the concept of order versus disorder in the setting, plot, and the character King Lear, Bradley's idea of moral order is clearly demonstrated by the outcome of the play.
Macbeth To understand Shakespeare’s tragic play, Macbeth it is necessary to fully comprehend the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. The differences between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are profound. Over the course of the play, Shakespeare skillfully changes the role of the two characters. Macbeth is frightened at the beginning then confident at the end while Lady Macbeth confident at the beginning and frightened at the end. At the beginning of the play King Duncan hears of Macbeth, the bloody
Ambition in Macbeth Shakespeare's tragic play, Macbeth, shares common themes with many other stories and actual events. Many scandals, both historic and current, can be linked to greed, ambition, and abuse of power. Typically, the key figures are motivated by, and are inevitably destroyed by, ambition. This is also the case in Macbeth, where ambition leads to the downfall of the once great character, Macbeth. William Shakespeare's tragedy, Macbeth, is a play about a man's ambition to become
Imagery in Macbeth In Shakespeare's tragic play, Macbeth, the use of imagery is connected with character development as well as theme throughout the play. From the beginning of the play the image of darkness is introduced. Darkness was called upon by Banquo, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Banquo, in his aside to Macbeth says, But tis strange and oftentimes, to win us to our harm, /the instruments of darkness tell us truths, /win us with honest trifles, to betray us in deepest consequence
Dr. Faustus Dramatic Quality of the Central Scenes in ‘Dr Faustus’ by Christopher Marlowe 'Dr Faustus' is considered by many to be a tragic play, in fact, Marlowe himself called it, ‘The Tragicall History of the Life and Death of Dr. Faustus’. However, there are several scenes in the middle of the play (scenes 6 to 11) which can be considered to be comical scenes, which do not fit into the stereotype of tragedies of the time. They can be considered to be interesting scenes in their own right,
The Importance of Fear in Hamlet Fear plays an important role in Shakespeare's tragic play, Hamlet. Within the play, the main character, Hamlet, attempts to overcome his fear and fulfill his father's revenge. Hamlet's apprehension toward death prevents him from carrying out the murder of Claudius. Although confrontation with death is avoided for as long as possible, Hamlet comes to recognize his weakness, and faces this anxiety. Displaying an 'antic disposition', Hamlet first attempts
Othello is a tragic play written by an English playwright, William Shakespeare, which contains several themes: love, racism, honesty, Christian values, and reputation, just to name a few. The play takes place in Venice, but soon moves to Cyprus, which the Christians had won from the Turks. By staring en media res in the beginning of the play, Shakespeare introduces that Iago is going to seek revenge on Othello. Iago then manipulates characters’ minds and feelings so he can achieve his goal, which
three most important plays, referered to as folk tragedies were: Blood Wedding, Yerma, and the House of Bernarda Alba. They really drove home his feelings of the Spanish culture, and, in particular, its treatment of women. "The House of Bernarda Alba" is set in Spain in the 1940's. It is definitely a very dramatic and very tragic play. Bernarda Alba is the tyrannical mother of five girls: Angustias, Magdalena, Amelia, Martitio, and Adela. At the opening of the play, we find out that Bernarda's