No warm-up. Instead, get out a piece of paper for notes.
Title these, “Tragedy Notes.”
Essay revisions… due tomorrow.
Period 3: Warm-ups please.
Tomorrow, you will be taking an in-class essay exam
on Oedipus the King. Bring the following:
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Your textbook
Your T-chart (with notes on which quotes reveal which
characteristics)
Any notes you take tonight in preparation.
The notes you are about to take…
Reading 3.1: Analyze characteristics of
subgenres (e.g. tragedies) used in… plays.
Hamartia= a term developed by Aristotle that
refers to a character’s flaws or errors.
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Hamartia usually brings about unintentional harm
from the character who possesses it.
Hubris= excessive pride, haughtiness or
arrogance
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Hubris usually leads to the downfall of the
character who possesses it, thus it is a negative
trait.
Tragic hero= a dignified or noble character
(who is central to the drama) who possesses a
tragic flaw (or hamartia) that brings about or
contributes to his/her downfall.
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This tragic flaw may be
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excessive pride (“hubris”)
Poor judgment
Weakness
An excess of an admirable trait
The tragic hero usually recognizes
his/her flaw, but only after it’s too late.
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You will need to prove how Aristotle’s
definition of a tragic hero applies to
Oedipus.
Based on this definition, what TWO things do
you think you will have to prove?
In your thesis, you will have to mention what
Oedipus’ admirable qualities are, as well as the
tragic flaws that led to his ruin.
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Body paragraph #1= prove Oedipus’ admirable qualities.
Body paragraph #2= prove one of Oedipus’ tragic flaws.
Body paragraph #3= prove another one of Oedipus’
tragic flaws.
Format:
 Introduction Paragraph:
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Hook= grab the reader’s attention
Explain= explain your attention-grabber and how it
applies to the play.
Bridge= connect your hook and bridge to your thesis.
Thesis= explain what you will prove in your three body
paragraphs.
Format:
 Body Paragraphs (3 needed):
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Topic sentence: Mention what you will discuss in this
paragraph (admirable trait OR hamartia).
Explain: Explain your topic sentence.
Evidence: Provide a quote (embedded in a sentence) that
proves Oedipus’ quality or flaw.
Explain: Explain what this quote proves about Oedipus.
Evidence: Provide a second quote to prove Oedipus’
quality or flaw.
Explain: Explain what this quote proves about Oedipus.
Wrap-up: State how this paragraph proves that Oedipus
is a tragic hero.
Format:
 Conclusion Paragraph:
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Rephrase thesis: Re-write your thesis in different words.
Apply: Apply what you discussed in this essay to your
own life or to humanity.
Theme: Leave your reader with a powerful message
about the importance of this essay.
Finish your T-chart and study/organize for your test!!!
Quotes that show Oedipus’ Quotes that show Oedipus’
flaws
admirable traits
*Make sure you have page numbers, so you can include in-text
citations after giving evidence.