What is Tragedy?
Lesson Plan
Video: 15 minutes
Lesson: 35 minutes
Pre-viewing
• :00 Warm-up: Have the students name any plays, movies, or novels that they consider tragedies.
2 minutes
• :02 Pre-test: Use the examples from the Warm-up and ask the students why they think their examples are tragedies.
Are the stories sad? Do people die? Explain the characteristics of a tragic figure, as defined in the program. Go over
the learning objectives.
4 minutes
Viewing
• :06 Playing Video: Hand out the Viewing Guide. Go over Viewing Questions and expectations. Tell the students to
answer the questions while watching the program. Don’t hesitate to stop the program and review if the students
seem confused.
15 minutes
Post-viewing
• :21 Question & Answer Session: Ask the class the Viewing Questions. See if any parts of the program were difficult or
confusing for the students. Ask a few questions to check their understanding of the key topics.
5 minutes
Sample Questions
1. What's one characteristic of a tragedy?
2. Is Oedipus a tragic figure? Why?
3. What is the Wheel of Fortune?
Handouts
• :26 Practicing Material: Hand out the Worksheet and give the class 6-8 minutes to complete it. Students are allowed to
use their Viewing Guides. Monitor the students’ progress, helping where needed. Go over Worksheet as a class.
10 minutes
• :36 Applying Material: Hand out the Activity and go over the instructions. Ask the students which parts of Oedipus
Rex would interest their friends. Give them a few minutes to write their ideas on their posters, then have them
compare their posters to the others in the class. Which were the most common selling points? What actors would they
like to see in the roles?
12 minutes
• :48 Wrap-up: Briefly sum up what has been covered in class by prompting students to list the main points covered.
Assign any homework.
2 minutes
Viewing Questions Answer Key
1. What poet described tragedy as a “terrible beauty?” William Butler Yeats
2. How does Oedipus confront the facts of his past? with courage and integrity
3. Which two tragedies by Shakespeare focus on TWO tragic figures? Romeo and Juliet;
Antony and Cleopatra
Teacher Notes:
What is Tragedy?
Teacher's Reference Guide
Video: 15 minutes
Lesson: 35 minutes
Learning Objectives
At the end of the module, students will be able to:
• list the characteristics of tragedy and tragic figures
• compare and contrast medieval and Shakespearean tragedies
• use Oedipus Rex to explain the elements and importance of good tragedy
Materials
• Video: defining tragedy, Oedipus Rex, medieval tragedy, Shakespeare and tragedy; 15 minutes
• Viewing Guide: definitions, Oedipus Rex plot summary, medieval tragedy notes, Shakespeare and tragedy;
3 Viewing Questions
• Worksheet: definition corrections, cause & effect matching, naming tragedies, Wheel of Fortune
• Activity: advertising Oedipus Rex
• Check Your Knowledge: titles matching, tragic figure checklist, definitions; 50 points
Background
None required.
Preparation
None required.
Extension
News of horrible events technically might not be considered as tragedies, as they don’t let the viewer vicariously
experience and explore human suffering. Have students clip out news articles and present a case showing how news
articles try to involve the reader. Do the students feel news articles today qualify as tragedy?
What is Tragedy?
Viewing Guide
Tragedy Defined
• a great work of art
• ennobles and uplifts the audience
• creates catharsis in the audience
(a purging of emotions)
Tragic Figures
• noble figures better than the average person
• they suffer a reversal of fortune
• they endure great suffering
• they recognize the consequences of their actions
“Terrible Beauty”
terrible – extreme suffering of the tragic figure
beauty – their dignity while suffering
Oedipus Rex
• written around 500 B.C. by Sophocles
• economical play (contains no extraneous material)
• explores the depths of human suffering
Plot Points
• Oedipus, the King of Thebes, must discover his past to save
his city from a plague sent by the gods.
• Oedipus’s version of his history:
He was told as a youth by an oracle that he was destined to
kill his father and marry his mother.
He decides to leave Corinth and his parents.
On the road to Thebes, he gets in an argument with a man at
a crossroads and kills him.
Thebes is terrorized by the Sphinx, a half-woman/half-lion
monster.
Oedipus arrives in Thebes; defeats the Sphinx by answering
its riddle.
Oedipus is made king of Thebes, then marries the widowed
queen, Jocasta.
• Oedipus discovers:
His “parents” were actually foster parents.
He is the son of the man he killed at the crossroads, who was
the king of Thebes.
He married his mother.
• Horrified, he punishes himself by gouging his eyes out,
and is banished from the city.
The Tragic Figure Checklist
Oedipus
A mighty figure? Yes
Suffers a reversal of fortune? Yes
Endures uncommon suffering? Yes
Recognizes the consequences of his actions? Yes
Does his plight ennoble us? Yes
Tragedy in the Middle Ages (A.D. 500 – A.D. 1500)
• tragic tales
• in the form of narratives
• the fall or death of main character is the tragedy
• meant to teach the audience moral lessons
Examples:
De Casibus Virorum Illustrium, by Boccaccio
The Mirror for Magistrates
Wheel of Fortune:
If a character is successful (at the top of the wheel), the
wheel will turn and soon they’ll suffer from tragic events
(at the bottom of the wheel).
Shakespeare and Tragedy
• influenced by De Casibus tragedies
• his tragedies reflect the theme of life as a pattern
controlled by Fortune
Shakespeare’s Tragedies
Titus Andronicus – Shakespeare’s first tragedy.
A Roman general gets bloody revenge for crimes against
his family.
Romeo & Juliet – a hybrid comedic/tragic structure.
Two young lovers from warring families fall in love and
meet a fatal end.
Hamlet – Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy; philosophical
play. A prince must decide whether to avenge his father’s
murder.
Othello – very economical tragedy.
A Moorish general succumbs to his paranoid jealousy and
kills his wife, then himself.
Macbeth – perhaps Shakespeare’s finest dramatic poetry.
An ambitious nobleman murders his way to the throne and
destroys his soul in the process.
King Lear – perhaps Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy.
A fairy tale-like play of a king who rashly gives up his
kingdom and exiles his loved ones. Through suffering and
madness, he redeems himself.
Other tragedies include: Julius Caesar, Antony & Cleopatra,
Coriolanus and Timon of Athens.
Viewing Questions
1. What poet described tragedy as a “terrible beauty?”
2. How does Oedipus confront the facts of his past?
3. Which two tragedies by Shakespeare focus on TWO
tragic figures?
What is Tragedy?
Worksheet
A. Tragic, Schmagic!
The sentences below ALMOST match the definitions from your Viewing Guide, but not quite! Cross out the errors and correct
the sentences.
Example: Shakespeare’s tragedies reflect the theme of life as a pattern controlled by villains. fortune
1. Tragic figures are lowly figures beneath the average person.
________________________
2. Tragedy is a great work of art that makes people cry.
________________________
3. Catharsis is a purging of one’s stomach.
________________________
4. Tragic figures suffer from bad luck.
________________________
5. “Terrible beauty” refers to young men playing the roles of women.
________________________
6. Medieval tragedies were told in the form of documentaries.
________________________
7. Medieval tragedies were meant to teach audiences civic law.
________________________
8. Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy is Oedipus Rex.
________________________
B. Oedipus Rex Cause and Effect
Match the cause in the left-hand column with the effect in the right-hand column.
________ 1. Thebes suffers from a plague sent by the gods.
A. Oedipus gouges his eyes out.
________ 2. Oedipus saves Thebes from the Sphinx.
B. Oedipus kills the man.
________ 3. Oedipus was told by an oracle he was destined
to kill his father and marry his mother.
C. The citizens of Thebes make Oedipus
their king.
________ 4. Oedipus discovers that he did kill his father and marry
his mother.
D. Oedipus leaves Corinth so he can’t harm
his parents.
________ 5. Oedipus encounters a man at a crossroads and
argues with him.
E. Oedipus sets out to solve the murder of the
former king.
C. Big William’s Greatest Hits, Volume One
Circle each logline (Hollywood industry term, folks–it’s a story squeezed into a sentence) below that matches one of Shakespeare’s
tragedies. Note: Some of the loglines are for plays you might not know. For each you do know, write the title in the blank provided.
1. Two young lovers from warring families fall in love and meet a fatal end.
2. A man looking for a fortune has a battle of wills with his argumentative wife.
3. A Roman general gets revenge for crimes against his family.
4. An English king defeats the French at the Battle of Agincourt.
5. A Moorish general succumbs to paranoid jealousy and murders his wife.
6. An exiled duke tries to protect his daughter from men and monsters.
________________________
________________________
________________________
________________________
________________________
________________________
What is Tragedy?
Worksheet
Answer Key
A. Tragic, Schmagic!
The sentences below ALMOST match the definitions from your Viewing Guide, but not quite! Cross out the errors and correct
the sentences.
Example: Shakespeare’s tragedies reflect the theme of life as a pattern controlled by villains. fortune
1. Tragic figures are lowly figures beneath the average person.
2. Tragedy is a great work of art that makes people cry.
3. Catharsis is a purging of one’s stomach.
4. Tragic figures suffer from bad luck.
5. “Terrible beauty” refers to young men playing the roles of women.
6. Medieval tragedies were told in the form of documentaries.
7. Medieval tragedies were meant to teach the audience civic law.
8. Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy is Oedipus Rex.
noble figures better than
ennobles and uplifts the audience
emotions
a reversal of fortune
the suffering and dignity of a tragic figure
narratives
moral lessons
Hamlet
B. Oedipus Rex Cause and Effect
Match the cause in the left-hand column with the effect in the right-hand column.
E
1. Thebes suffers from a plague sent by the gods.
A. Oedipus gouges his eyes out.
C
2. Oedipus saves Thebes from the Sphinx.
B. Oedipus kills the man.
D
3. Oedipus is told by an oracle he was destined
to kill his father and marry his mother.
C. The citizens of Thebes make Oedipus
their king.
A
4. Oedipus discovers that he did kill his father and marry
his mother.
D. Oedipus leaves Corinth so he can’t harm
his parents.
B
5. Oedipus encounters a man at a crossroads and
argues with him.
E. Oedipus sets out to solve the murder of
the former king.
C. Big William’s Greatest Hits, Volume One
Circle each logline (Hollywood industry term, folks–it’s a story squeezed into a sentence) below that matches one of Shakespeare’s
tragedies. Note: Some of the loglines are for plays you might not know. For each you do know, write the title in the blank provided.
1. Two young lovers from warring families fall in love and meet a fatal end.
2. A man looking for a fortune has a battle of wills with his argumentative wife.
3. A Roman general gets revenge for crimes against his family.
4. An English king defeats the French at the Battle of Agincourt.
5. A Moorish general succumbs to paranoid jealousy and murders his wife.
6. An exiled duke tries to protect his daughter from men and monsters.
Romeo and Juliet
(The Taming of the Shrew)
Titus Andronicus
(Henry the Fifth)
Othello
(The Tempest)
What is Tragedy?
Activity
Oedipus Rex Remake
Let’s face it, if Oedipus Rex were made into a movie today, it would be rated “R.” After all, it contains murder, incest, self-mutilation and lots of other gross stuff. But hey, the play has tested well with audiences for over 2,500 years and Hollywood loves to
remake the classics. Think about it: It’s a detective story! It’s a drama! It’s a fantasy thriller! It’s got great special effects and a surprise twist that’ll shock the audience! Yes, indeed, the only thing missing from this Oedipus Rex remake is a great ad campaign to
get America interested. Hollywood needs a publicist. That would be YOU.
Your job is to create the big selling points that’ll get people interested in seeing the movie. Think of one thing that you like about the
play from each of these categories:
a character’s emotions
a neat scene
audience reaction
Write your reasons on the back of this sheet. Then spice up the reasons into slogans for the movie poster and insert them in the
blanks! Have fun!
Example: “It’s must be awesome to watch Jocasta’s reaction when she discovers she’s married her son!”
Transforms into:
See Queen Jocasta discover her family’s horrible secrets!
What is Tragedy?
Check Your Knowledge
Total Score
/ 50
A. The Play’s the Thing
Match the title of each Shakespeare tragedy below to its logline. (2 points each)
1. _________ Titus Andronicus
A. Two young lovers from warring families meet a
tragic end.
2. _________ Romeo and Juliet
B. A King gives up his kingdom and exiles his loved
ones. Through madness and suffering, he redeems
himself.
3. _________ Hamlet
C. A Roman general gets bloody revenge for crimes
against his family.
4. _________ Othello
D. A Scottish nobleman murders his king to become the
King of Scotland and destroys his soul in the
process.
5. _________ Macbeth
E. A Danish prince agonizes over whether or not to
avenge his father’s murder.
6. _________ King Lear
F. A Moorish general succumbs to insane jealousy and
murders his wife.
B. The Tragic Figure Checklist
For each of the questions, write “yes” or “no” and explain your answer. (4 points each)
Oedipus Rex
1. Is Oedipus a mighty figure?
2. Does he suffer a reversal of fortune?
3. Does he endure uncommon suffering?
4. Does he recognize the consequences of his actions?
5. Does his plight ennoble us?
C. Tragedy Timeline
Answer each question by filling in the blank with the correct term. (3 points each)
1. Shakespeare was influenced by which medieval tragedies?
_________________________
2. What is a purging of emotions called?
_________________________
3. Shakespeare’s tragedies reflect the theme of life as a pattern controlled by what?
_________________________
4. Oedipus Rex is a model of a great tragedy because it explores the depths of human
suffering and because it is what?
_________________________
5. Tragedies in the Middle Ages taught the audience what?
_________________________
6. Successful characters who suffer from tragic events are said to be on what wheel?
_________________________
What is Tragedy?
Check Your Knowledge
Answer Key
Total Score
/ 50
A. The Play’s the Thing
Match the title of each Shakespeare tragedy below to its story description. (2 points each)
1.
C
Titus Andronicus
A. Two young lovers from warring families meet a tragic end.
2.
A
Romeo and Juliet
B. A King gives up his kingdom and exiles his loved ones.
Through madness and suffering, he redeems himself.
3.
E
Hamlet
C. A Roman general gets his bloody revenge for crimes against
his family.
4.
F
Othello
D. A Scottish nobleman murders his king to become the King
of Scotland and destroys his soul in the process.
5.
D
Macbeth
E. A Danish prince agonizes over whether or not to avenge his
father’s murder.
6.
B
King Lear
F. A Moorish general succumbs to insane jealousy and
murders his wife.
B. The Tragic Figure Checklist
For each of the questions, write “yes” or “no” and explain your answer. (4 points each)
Oedipus Rex
1. Is he a mighty figure? Yes. He is courageous, intelligent, and a king.
2. Does he suffer a reversal of fortune? Yes. He is king of Thebes at the start of the play and is banished by the end.
3. Does he endure uncommon suffering? Yes. He is horrified that he killed his father and married his mother.
4. Does he recognize the consequences of his actions? Yes. He gouges his eyes out as a self-punishment.
5. Does his plight ennoble us? Yes. We see the depths of human suffering as we watch Oedipus.
C. Tragedy Timeline
Answer each question by filling in the blank with the correct term. (3 points each)
1. Shakespeare was influenced by which medieval tragedies?
De Casibus tragedies
2. What is a purging of emotions called?
catharsis
3. Shakespeare’s tragedies reflect the theme of life as a pattern controlled by what?
Fortune
4. Oedipus Rex is a model of a great tragedy because it explores the depths of human
suffering and because it is what?
economical
5. Tragedies in the Middle Ages taught the audience what?
moral lessons
6. Successful characters who suffer from tragic events are said to be on what wheel?
the Wheel of Fortune