Aristotle’s
Elements of a Tragedy:
PRO- = FOR
ANTI- = AGAINST
-Agonist = One who Struggles
·
PROTagonist
= Main
or Central Character.
“The one who struggles FOR.”
·
ANTagonist = Obstacle
to the Protagonist.
“The one who struggles AGAINST”
·
Harmatia = Fatal
flaw. In a classical tragedy,
the protagonist traditionally
falls from a great position of power due to
a flaw in their character. This flaw is called
the harmatia
and is usually an emotional instability, like
pride (hubris),
in the case of Oedipus.
·
Peripetia = Reversal
of Fortune. The
reversal of fortune that besets the protagonist
is called peripetia
and is intended to elicit our pathos
or pity and sympathy.
·
Anagnorisis = Recognition
of Deeds. When
the protagonist understands that their plight
has been brought about by their own harmatia
we have reached the moment
of recognition called the anagnorisis.
·
Catharsis = Purgation
of Pathos / Establishment of Ethos. A
tragedy is considered complete when the audience
is cleansed morally or emotionally by the closure
of the tragedy called catharsis.
The catharsis
is intended to fortify the ethos or cultural
framework of the audience.
Quick
& Dirty
1.
The reversal of the protagonist's fortune is
brought on by a personal flaw.
2. The eventual
recognition by the protagonist of this tragic
flaw
3. The resulting
moral consequences of their actions.
The
moral re-affirmation of the audience, signified
by Boos
& Hissing or Applause.
Aristotle TRANSLATED:
1.
Glorious
Hero does something he really shouldn't
do, and everything falls apart on him.
2. Not-so-glorious
Hero scrambles to fix it, and realizes that
it's his own damned fault.
3. Hero crashes
and burns. (He dies, she dies, everybody
dies...)
The audience
feels good because they didn't make the Hero's
mistakes.
(Boos
& Hissing or Applause)
Does this
look familiar?
It should.
This is where the traditional
Act One, Act Two, and Act Three, come from.
However, most modern plotlines have a Fourth
Act:
4.
Hero rises again - and Kicks Butt!
Moby
Dick is a CLASSIC Greek Tragedy
· Protagonist
= "The one who struggles FOR."
· Antagonist =
"The one who struggles AGAINST."
In Moby Dick
- The White Whale
was minding his own business when Ahab attacked
him the first time. (This is in the Back
Story, the story that happens before the book
begins.) The
book begins with Ahab seeking revenge against
the White Whale for the loss of his leg - no
matter what.
The White Whale
is fighting FOR his Life.
He's the Protagonist.
Ahab is fighting
AGAINST the whale's will
to live. He's the Antagonist.
Ismael is merely
the Observer to
their epic battle.
ACT
ONE
Harmatia = Fatal flaw
of the Protagonist.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ahab's overwhelming thirst
for revenge is driven by pride.-
"I WILL have that whale", causes him
to pit his ship, and the lives of his men against
a monster far too big for him. The
Whale also thirsts
for revenge and is also driven by
pride.
The Whale &
Ahab BOTH have the same flaw.
ACT TWO
Peripetia
= Reversal of Fortune - intended to elicit our
pathos or pity and sympathy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ahab finds the white whale, (again minding his
own business,) and attacks the
whale. The reversal
happens when the whale obviously realizes who
is attacking him, and goes after Ahab personally,
attacking the part of the ship Ahab occupies.
ACT THREE
Anagnorisis = Recognition of Deeds.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ahab's ship is sinking, and his men are dying.
Ahab REALIZES that the whale has made Ahab a
personal enemy - and it's his Own Fault. If
Anyone is to survive, he must face the whale
HIMSELF.
Entangled in
the ropes, Ahab dies and the whale leaves the
rest of the survivors alone.
CONCLUSION
Catharsis = Purgation of Pathos / Establishment
of Ethos.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Whale
leaving the survivors reinforces the concept
of the Whale being the Protagonist,
by showing the Whale Honorably
recognizing that the sailors
hadn't picked the fight, Ahab had. UNLIKE Ahab,
the Whale did NOT attack those, who did not
attack him.
Additional
Reading:
Methods
for Analyzing Theatrical Plays
