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1. Noble Stature:
since tragedy involves the "fall" of a tragic hero,
one theory is that one must have a lofty position to
fall from, or else there is no tragedy (just
pathos). Another explanation of this characteristic
is that tragedies involving people of stature affect
the lives of others. In the case of a king, the
tragedy would not only involve the individual and
his family, it would also involve the whole society.
2. Tragic Flaw (Hamartia): the tragic
hero must "fall" due to some flaw in his own
personality. The most common tragic flaw is
hubris (excessive pride). One who tries to
attain too much possesses hubris.
3. Free Choice: while there is often a
discussion of the role of fate in the downfall of a
tragic hero, there must be an element of choice in
order for there to be a true tragedy. The tragic
hero falls because he chooses one course of action
over another.
4. The Punishment Exceeds the Crime: the
audience must not be left feeling that the tragic
hero got what he deserved. Part of what makes the
action "tragic" is to witness the injustice of what
has occurred to the tragic hero.
5. Hero has Increased Awareness: it is
crucial that the tragic hero come to some sort of an
understanding of what went wrong or of what was
really going on before he comes to his end.
6. Produces Catharsis in Audience: catharsis
is a feeling of "emotional purgation" that an
audience feels after witnessing the plight of a
tragic hero: we feel emotionally drained, but
exultant.
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