A tragedy is a genre of drama based on human suffering, specifically by way of terrible or sorrowful events that befall a main character or cast of characters. [1] Traditionally, the intention of tragedy is to invoke an accompanying catharsis, or a "pain [that] awakens pleasure," for the audience. [2][3] While many cultures have developed forms that provoke this paradoxical response, the term ...

Understanding the Context

Tragedy, branch of drama that treats in a serious and dignified style the sorrowful or terrible events encountered or caused by a heroic individual. By extension the term may be applied to other literary works, such as the novel. Learn more about the history and characteristics of tragedy in this article. Define tragedy.

Key Insights

tragedy synonyms, tragedy pronunciation, tragedy translation, English dictionary definition of tragedy. ) n. pl. trag e dies 1. a.

Final Thoughts

A drama or literary work in which the main character is brought to ruin or suffers extreme sorrow, especially as a consequence of... In a figurative sense, a tragedy (from Classical Greek τραγωδία, "song for the goat," is any event with a sad and unfortunate outcome, but the term also applies specifically in Western culture to a form of drama defined by Aristotle, characterized by seriousness and dignity and involving a great person who experiences a reversal of fortune (Peripeteia). (Aristotle's definition can ... Modern tragedy is a little different. It doesn’t tend to focus on just “great men” and their political actions. Instead, it focuses on the middle class: we might think of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman as a good example.

Modern tragedies might be ironic or sarcastic, too, playing on two millennia of the idea of “tragedy” to both seriously entertain the drama of life while ...