What was the function of Greek tragedy?

What was the function of Greek tragedy?

Theatrical performances in ancient Greece were not simply, or even primarily, for the purposes of entertainment. Tragic drama provided the audience with an opportunity to reflect on its own social, political, and religious values.

Why do Greeks love tragedies?

First, it is not clear that the ancient Greeks loved tragedy more than comedy. For example, tragedies tended to examine the relationship between people and the gods. They would explore the way in which people reacted to the actions of the gods. This was, to them, an important part of everyday life.

What is a Greek tragedy and what defines it?

Greek tragedy in British English (ɡriːk ˈtrædʒədɪ) (in ancient Greek theatre) a play in which the protagonist, usually a person of importance and outstanding personal qualities, falls to disaster through the combination of a personal failing and circumstances with which he or she cannot deal.

What makes a Greek tragedy?

In general, Greek tragedies feature a high-born character of ordinary moral virtue. This means that the character, though not villainous, exhibits a realistic, but fatal flaw, known as hamartia. Although the character’s choices are important, the tragic plot is considered more dominant than the character.

What is the purpose of tragedy What are audiences expected to learn from watching them?

The aim of tragedy, Aristotle writes, is to bring about a “catharsis” of the spectators — to arouse in them sensations of pity and fear, and to purge them of these emotions so that they leave the theater feeling cleansed and uplifted, with a heightened understanding of the ways of gods and men.

What is the effect of tragedy on the audience?

Aristotle states that a well written tragedy produces catharsis. It produces a feeling of pity and fear in the audience watching it. The audience should feel pity for the tragic hero or heroine, a good person who falls from good fortune to bad fortune through no fault of their own.

Why do we read tragedy?

Tragedy imparts knowledge, whatever its cost in pain. In any case, tragedies allow us to expand our view of the world and assimilate that view at the same time, and they allow us to bear witness to events and say, This Really Happened. All of this is a bit lofty, and understandably so, for tragedy is a lofty subject.

What is the most tragic incident in Greek mythology?

Credit: Wikipedia/Public domain. The story of Oedipus is perhaps the most tragic story of ancient Greece. The mythological character was the king of Thebes and lived under the shadow of a curse that could not avoid until the end of his days.

What is the definition of tragedy according to Aristotle?

“Tragedy,” says Aristotle, “is an imitation [mimēsis] of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude…through pity and fear effecting the proper purgation [catharsis] of these emotions.” Ambiguous means may be employed, Aristotle maintains in contrast to Plato, to a virtuous and purifying end.

What are the main characteristics of a tragedy?

Aristotle defines tragedy according to seven characteristics: (1) it is mimetic, (2) it is serious, (3) it tells a full story of an appropriate length, (4) it contains rhythm and harmony, (5) rhythm and harmony occur in different combinations in different parts of the tragedy, (6) it is performed rather than narrated.

What is an example of a Greek tragedy?

Our top ten Greek tragedies in writing

• The Iliad (760 – 710 BC), Homer.
• Antigone (c.
• Prometheus Bound, Aeschylus.
• The Odyssey, Homer.
• The Oresteia (458 BC), Aeschylus.
• Medea (431 BC), Euripides.
• Oedipus Rex (c.
• The Bacchae (405 BC), Euripides.

What is the function of tragedy according to Aristotle?

According to Aristotle, the function of tragedy is to arouse pity and fear in the audience so that we may be purged, or cleansed, of these unsettling emotions. Aristotle’s term for this emotional purging is the Greek word catharsis.

What are the characteristics of Greek tragedy?

Greek tragedy is widely believed to be an extension of the ancient rites carried out in honor of Dionysus, and it heavily influenced the theatre of Ancient Rome and the Renaissance. Tragic plots were most often based upon myths from the oral traditions of archaic epics.

What is another name for Greek tragedy?

For other uses, see Greek Tragedy (disambiguation). Greek tragedy is a form of theatre from Ancient Greece and Anatolia. It reached its most significant form in Athens in the 5th century BC, the works of which are sometimes called Attic tragedy .

What is the primary source of knowledge on Greek tragedy?

The primary source of knowledge on the question is the Poetics of Aristotle. Aristotle was able to gather first-hand documentation from theater performance in Attica, which is inaccessible to scholars today. His work is therefore invaluable for the study of ancient tragedy, even if his testimony is open to doubt on some points.

What are the origins of Greek tragedy and comedy?

Although the origins of Greek Tragedy and Comedy are obscure and controversial, our ancient sources allow us to construct a rough chronology of some of the steps in their development. Some of the names and events on the timeline are linked to passages in the next section on the Origins of Greek Drama which provide additional context.