Shakespearean Tragedy and Macbeth South Kitsap 莎士比亚悲剧麦克白南Kitsap.pptVIP

Shakespearean Tragedy and Characteristics of Shakespearean Tragedy Although the tragedy may have many characters, it is preeminently the story of one person or at the most two. The story leads up to and includes the death of the hero. The story depicts also the troubled part of the hero’s life which precedes and leads up to his death. The hero is a conspicuous person, a person of high degree. His downfall influences/destroys society. The suffering and calamity are exceptional, of a striking kind. They are as a rule unexpected and are a strong contrast to previous happiness or glory. The suffering and calamity extend far beyond the protagonist so as to make the whole scene one of woe. This scene becomes the chief source of the tragic emotions, especially pity. Other Elements of a Tragedy A tragedy should have a protagonist or protagonists worthy of our interest, concern, or sympathy. An evil or depraved character cannot be a tragic hero. The disaster that befalls the protagonist should be inevitable, either decreed by fate or the clear outcome of the actions engaged in or the choices made by him. Despite the inevitability of his destiny, the protagonist must assert his force and dignity as a person and not take destruction meekly without battle or protest. The protagonist may be a victim, but he must not bow in total acceptance of his destruction. Other Elements of a Tragedy The cause for which the protagonist fights must be a noble one; the choice he makes when faced with a dilemma must be for a cause that has a measure of good in it. Since he must be defeated, his defeat must be the result of action that is worth; if not worthy in itself, then worthy in terms of the goal he seeks. The world of the tragic play is a turbulent one, in a disarray to play havoc with the life of the protagonist. Though it appears that the death or defeat of the protagonist restores order to this world, it is an illusion since the new order can no longer help the protagonist and