Introduction to Tragedy
Defining tragedy, tragic structure and plots...
Shakespeare’s plays and styles
Shakespeare wrote a variety of styles of
plays, that all fall into 3 distinct categories.
 He wrote comedies (i.e. A Midsummer
Night’s Dream), histories (i.e. Henry V)
and tragedies (i.e. Romeo & Juliet).
 Antony and Cleopatra is a tragedy and
more specifically, the play is a Roman
tragedy.

Tragedy Brainstorm

Brainstorm all of the tragedies that you
can think of (films, novels, TV shows, etc...)
Defining Tragedy
Imagine you have been commissioned by
the Oxford dictionary to write a
definition of the word tragedy....
 Attempt to write a definition


Think about the definition of the word
itself, and what might be characteristic of
a play in the tragic genre.
Defining Tragedy cont’d
Noun
 An event causing great suffering,
destruction, and distress, such as a serious
accident, crime, or natural catastrophe.

A play dealing with tragic events and
having an unhappy ending, esp. one
concerning the downfall of the main
character.
Shakespeare’s Tragedies
Shakespeare’s tragedies are his most famous and
popular plays. They contain his best known
characters and his most famous quotations.
 His tragedies include:

- Romeo & Juliet
- Julius Caesar
- Hamlet
- Othello
- King Lear
- Macbeth
- Antony & Cleopatra
Plots
Shakespeare often took well-known
stories (sometimes fictional, sometimes
true) and would adapt them into a play
for the stage.
 This is similar to what many film-makers
do today when they adapt books or
events for the cinema.
 This meant that the audience was often
aware of the basic storyline before they
viewed the play.

The Roman Tragedies

Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra and Corionalus
are the 3 plays which make up the ‘Roman Tragedies’.

They deal with political power

Their heroes are state leaders who have a
responsibility to people. Often tragedy results when
they fail to meet these responsibilities.

However, these plays are not just about politics. They
are full of emotions, dramatic power struggles, and
brilliant writing.
Roman Tragedies cont’d

The Roman tragedies are set mainly in Ancient Rome.
Shakespeare based the plots on the stories of real
Roman heroes, but he adapted them to make them
more exciting.

The plays show how hard it is to be a political leader.
The heroes have power, but also weaknesses which
make them vulnerable to being attacked or
overthrown.

Torn between LOVE + DUTY
In the Roman tragedies, people often have to make
difficult choices between their emotions and their
responsibilities.
Tragic Structure
There is a basic structure which is common of all Shakespearean dramas:
Act One introduces the characters and the conflicts which will form the plot. Often
only minor characters are on stage at the beginning of Sc1. They talk about what has
happened in the lives of major characters and introduce context.
Act Two: The conflict increases and the action of the play intensifies. Suspense and
tension builds up as both the ‘good guys’ and ‘bad guys’ make preliminary moves
against each other.
Act Three: The action leads to a complication and the suspense builds. It begins to
look as though the ‘bad guys’ might win. The audience gets worried.
Act Four: The climax. The action intensifies. Major battles occur in this act. The ‘good
guys’ start prevailing. The act closes just short of a final victory!
Act Five: The conclusion. The action winds down and the final conflict is resolved.
However, there may be a surprise! If the play is a tragedy the main characters die in
Act Five, but in spite of this there is hope for the future. If the play is a comedy, the
main characters get married and live happily ever after!
Tragic Structure cont’d...

Exposition (introduction): Characters are introduced; setting is described; conflict is prepared
for and implied.

The exciting force (catalyst): Begins the conflict.

Conflict or Rising Action: Plot advances by means of a series of crises, until the point is reached
where one force declines relative to the other.

Technical Climax / Turning Point / Crisis No going back. The point at which the rising action
begins to fall.

Catastrophe or Falling Action: Counteraction sets in. The fortunes of the protagonist are in
decline, and the action falls to a Resolution: The protagonist's death.

Dénouement (untangling): The highest-ranking character left alive has the last speech, to indicate
the restoration of social stability.

Comic or Dramatic Relief: To provide relaxation when tension gets too high, and to intensify
following build-up of tension. A comic scene in the middle of a tragedy may not seem like a good
idea, but most of Shakespeare’s tragedies have them. They give the audience a break from the
harrowing scenes, and can help make characters seem more human.
Tragic Characterstics

The tragedies all share similar dramatic and literary
characteristics:

TRAGIC HEROES
All of Shakespeare’s tragedies have a tragic hero, or
“protagonist”. He is often a man of high rank, such as
a king or prince. The protagonist creates, or is put
into, a difficult situation which he must try and
resolve. But a combination of bad luck and bad
decisions lead to his death. The protagonist is often a
relatively sympathetic figure.

The tragic hero always has a tragic flaw: a weakness
that can be exploited (i.e. ambition, pride, jealousy or
greed).
Tragic Endings
Tragedies give a very bleak view of the world.
 At the end of a tragedy, the hero, and usually
several other characters, are dead, and the
survivors are left to start again without them.
 Although most tragic heroes are partly to blame
for their own fates, death can be a very high price
to pay for what may have seemed like a small
failing.
 But in most tragedies, there is also a feeling that
some good may have come out of the terrible
suffering. They always finish with the restoration
of the rightful order.

Creating a class tragedy

“Yes and” activity...