Greek Theater Terms to Know for the Antigone Test
Catharsis: a purgation of the emotions of pity and fear aroused by the
action
Hubris: Greek for “insolence” or “affront.” Applied to the arrogance or
pride of the protagonist in a tragedy in which he or she, out of pride, defies
moral laws or the prohibitions of the gods.*
Peripeteia: a reversal caused by a major incident in the plot during which a
previously unknown piece of information is revealed
Hamartia: Greek word for error or failure. Aristotle’s term for the tragic
flaw. A failing. It might be an error in judgment or a false step that leads
the tragic hero to his downfall. It’s where the hero screws up. It leads to
divine retribution, or nemesis.
Anagnorisis: means recognition or discovery. Refers to the turning point
in a drama at which a character recognizes things as they really are, as when
Oedipus’s true origins are revealed to him
Hubris and hamartia can get muddled. According to The Oxford Dictionary
of Literary Terms, the term “hamartia” is often translated as “tragic flaw,”
but it’s not that simple. According to Aristotle’s definition, it isn’t
necessarily just the flaw itself, which is a character defect, but the action
caused by the character defect, or by misjudgment, or ignorance, or
something else.
In Greek thinking, human virtue, arête, is knowledge; evil and error are the
result of ignorance. Hence Socrates’ directive to his students, “Know
Thyself,” and his contention that “the unexamined life is not worth living.”
To obtain harmony and balance, one must avoid hubris, which results from
human excesses. Hubris provokes nemesis, or retribution.
Oedipus’s drive to know his origins becomes obsessive. His pride, which
stems from ignorance, causes his downfall
*Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms