Shakespearean Tragedy
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Characteristics of Shakespearean Tragedy
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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
1. 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.
2. 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
3. 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.
4. 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 is ready
for a new protagonist with whom it can play a
new game. Disequilibrium of the universe is
an essential of tragedy.
Other Characteristics of a Tragic Hero (Aristotle)
1. This character is not completely good or bad.
2. His/her misfortune is brought about by some error
or frailty, which is the tragic flaw.
1. The flaw is often hubris: arrogance caused by
excessive pride.
3. The hero’s fall must be from a tremendous height.
4. Because of the tragic flaw, the hero is responsible
on some level for his or her downfall.
5. The hero comes to recognize his error and accept
the consequences.
6. He is not angry; he is humbled and enlightened.
7. The audience, though, feels that the hero’s
punishment exceeds his crime.
8. We see that the hero is flawed like us, and fear for
ourselves because he failed.
9. The observing of the tragic hero’s downfall and
ultimate punishment creates a catharsis: the
purging of emotion.
Guy Fawkes
• Former soldier and devout
Catholic
• Caught in the cellars of
Parliament with nearly 1800
pounds of gunpowder on
November 5, 1605
• If successful, the plot would
have not only blown up
Parliament and many members
of the English aristocracy, but
King James I, who would be
addressing the general
assembly on planned date of
detonation.
The Gunpowder Plot
• Under Protestant James, Catholics were severely
persecuted; their faith was deemed a crime.
• Fawkes and his co-conspirators (including Robert
Catesby and Henry Garnet) wanted to rid England of
Protestant James, and install his 9 year-old daughter on
the throne, making England a Catholic nation again.
• The plan did not succeed: Fawkes was arrested,
tortured into confession, and charged with treason and
attempted murder.
• Fawkes, along with many others, was executed on
January 31, 1606.
• “Remember, remember the Fifth of November
The gunpowder, treason, and plot
I see no reason the Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot…”
What does this have to do with Macbeth??
• Scottish-born James I claimed to trace his linage back to Banquo, a
contemporary of the real Macbeth. Having a play set in Scotland
would certainly please the Scottish king, especially when it dealt
with witches and other things of a dark nature (James was a firm
believer in the evils of black magic).
• It is widely thought that Shakespeare published Macbeth in order to
sooth the king in this time of national turmoil. (Some people think
Shakespeare’s name was on the list of conspirators and he wrote
the play to appease James, but this is unlikely.) Shakespeare also
took liberties with the character of Banquo, making him more heroic
and noble than history claimed him to be.
• Henry Garnet had secretly published A Treatise of Equivocation,
which was a kind of “guidebook” on how to lie under oath about
one’s faith. To equivocate meant to not exactly lie, but not tell the
whole truth either. This theme comes up in Shakespeare’s play (and
is mentioned directly in the Porter’s speech), as well as issues such
as loyalty to one’s king and country.
• People in England still celebrate Guy Fawkes Day on November
5th, with bonfires and fireworks. Stuffed dummies representing
Fawkes are traditionally burnt on this night.
Macbeth
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Written sometime between 1603-1607 (probably after the
Gunpowder plot)
Set in approx. 1040 AD in Scotland
Macbeth is the Thane (Duke) of Glamis and a captain in King
Duncan’s army
Slowly, Macbeth’s lust for power overwhelms his sensibilities
Theme of "fair is foul, foul is fair" – paradoxes of appearance
and reality
Blood is mentioned over 100 times in play
Conforms to the mold/structure of Renaissance tragedies, which
were about real people from history, made to feel like an
authentic human being - "psychological truth"