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Tragedy v. Catastrophe. For each example, write down what it is, whether you think it is a tragedy or catastrophe (or both), and jot down a few notes to help you later.
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Tragedy v. Catastrophe For each example, write down what it is, whether you think it is a tragedy or catastrophe (or both), and jot down a few notes to help you later. At the end, you will select one instance and write your warm up “arguing” whether or not this is a tragedy or catastrophe and WHY using specific evidence, examples, and explanation. Remember: your job is to effectively persuade your audience of your opinion, practice CLAIM, CITE, COMMENT, CONNECT.
Details on the Events.. • Event #1: The April 2011 outbreak of tornadoes that devastated the southern states, leaving more than 300 dead and thousands homeless. Said to be the most deadly outbreak since the Depression. Emergency response teams were deployed almost immediately. • Event #2: “American Royalty;” JFK’s son John Jr., his wife, and sister-in-law went missing off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard in 1999. The small plane, piloted by John, went off radar shortly after taking off, despite warnings of heavy fog. • Event #3: The death of Princess Diana. (Given the royal coverage, this might be a little more familiar) Princess Diana was killed in a car accident in 1997. Driving at excess speeds, early in the morning, the car crashed in a Paris tunnel killing Diana and her (fiance?) Dodi Al Faed. The British blame the paparazzi that were chasing her at rapid speeds, as well as the driver of the car who was presumed drunk and speeding.
The Hero, The Tragic Hero, and The Anti-Hero Preparing for Hamlet
The Hero • Traditionally in literature a hero is a character who possesses a strong moral fiber. • This is a character that seems to always do to right thing, no matter what the situation. • A hero has a strong conviction, is dynamic, and/or has a certain magnetism that draws the reader to him/her. • A hero does not necessarily complete their journey on their own, but they are the central character in the story. • A literary hero will complete the traditional Hero Cycle.
ADVENTURE THRESHOLD • Step 1 The call to adventure • Step 2 Crossing the Adventure Threshold • Step 3 Supreme Ordeal • Step 4 The Return
TragicHero Background • A tragic hero is often used in Shakespearean literature. • This model of a hero may not always be a “good guy”. • The tragic hero has made its way into more contemporary literature because audiences can relate to them. • A tragic hero follows a twelve step pattern.
According to Aristotle:What Defines Shakespearean Tragedy? • # Usually of noble birth# Hamartia - a.k.a. the tragic flaw that eventually leads to his downfall.# Peripeteia - a reversal of fortune brought about by the hero's tragic flaw# His actions result in an increase of self- awareness and self-knowledge (catharsis)# The audience must feel pity and fear for this character. (denouement)
Tragic Hero Traits • The tragic hero is someone we, as an audience, look up to—someone superior. • The tragic hero is nearly perfect, and we identify with him/her • The hero has one flaw or weakness • We call this the ‘tragic flaw’, ‘fatal flaw’, or hamartia
Reversal of Fortune • The ‘fatal flaw’ brings the hero down from his/her elevated state. • Renaissance audiences were familiar with the ‘wheel of fortune’ or ‘fickle fate’. • What goes up, must come down.
Catharsis • We get the word ‘catharsis’ from Aristotle’s katharsis. • ‘Catharsis’ is the audience’s purging of emotions through pity and fear. • The spectator is purged as a result of watching the hero fall. • This is why we cry during movies!
Restoration of Social Order • Tragedies include a private and a public element • The play cannot end until society is, once again, at peace. • This is why the Tragic Hero often dies!
Tragic Hero Pattern • Step 1 – A protagonist of high estate • Step 2 – A tragic flaw in character • Step 3 – Intrusion of time, sense or urgency • Step 4 – Misreading/Rationalizations • Step 5 – Murder, exile, alienation of enemies and allies • Step 6 – Gradual isolation of Tragic Hero
Tragic Hero Pattern • Step 7 – Mobilization of opposition • Step 8 – Recognition of tragic flaw, too late • Step 9 – Last courageous attempt to restore greatness. • Step 10 – Audience recognizes potential for greatness. • Step 11 – Death of tragic hero. • Step 12 – Restoration of order.
"A man cannot become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall." Aristotle:
Can You Think of Modern Examples? • Try to come up with a list of 5-10 modern heroes and tragic heroes • Separate into 2 columns • Pick 2 and explain the difference (what makes one tragic and one a hero?)
Hamlet • Hamlet's fatal flaw, as seen by Aristotle, would be his failure to act immediately to kill Claudius. • Unlike classical tragic heroes, however, Hamlet is well aware of his fatal flaw from the beginning - he constantly questions himself on why he continues to delay the fulfillment of his duty. • His continuous awareness and doubt delays him from acting. (This is slightly different from the Aristotliean classical tragedies such as Oedipus Rex where Oedipus is not aware of his flaw until the very end.)Hamlet finally acts to kill Claudius only after realizing that he is poisoned. But by procrastinating, his tragic flaw, everyone whom he ridicules and targets also dies along the way, such as Laertes, Gertrude, Polonius, Ophelia, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern.
Other common traits • His downfall is usually due to excessive pride (hubris) • He is doomed from the start, he bears no responsibility for possessing his flaw, but bears responsibility for his actions. • He has discovered fate by his own actions, and not by things happening to him • He is usually a king, a leader of men - his fate affects the welfare of a whole nation or number of people. Peasants do not inspire pity and fear as great men do. The sudden fall from greatness to nothing provides a sense of contrast. • The suffering of the hero must not be senseless: it must have meaning! • The hero of classical tragedies is almost all male: one rare exception is Cleopatra, from Antony and Cleopatra
The strange, the supernatural and chance • Shakespeare occasionally represents abnormal conditions of mind: insanity, somnambulism, hallucinations - e.g. King Lear's insanityShakespeare also introduces the supernatural: ghosts and witches who have supernatural knowledge - e.g. the ghost of Hamlet's father who tells his son to avenge his deathShakespeare, in most of the tragedies, allows "chance" in some form to influence some of the action - e.g. in Romeo and Juliet, if Juliet didn't wake up a minute sooner they both could have avoided death Go to film
The Anti-Hero • The concept of an Anti-Hero is often used in darker literature. • The Anti-Hero is being used more in modern literature as authors try to portray villains as complex characters • An Anti-Hero relates to a reader because the Anti-Hero displays more humanity that a regular Hero. • Instead of a standard tragic flaw an Anti-Hero may try to do what is right by using questionable means.
Anti-Hero Traits • Anti-Heroes can be obnoxious. • Anti-Heroes can be pitiful. • Anti-Heroes can be awkward. • Anti-Heroes can be passive.
Types of Anti-Hero • Some Anti-Heroes may be unable to commit to traditional values of society. • This type of Anti-Hero distrusts conventional society. • Another type of Anti-Hero cannot “get a break” in life. • He/she will move from one disappointment to another, their efforts always ending in failure. • The Anti-hero does not always die at the end of a text
Back to the Text Step 1: Get into a group of 5-6 people Step 2: Assign one person to be the scribe for your group Step 3: Answer the following questions with textual support and analysis from acts 1 and 2 from Othello • Who is the Tragic hero? • Is there a hero? • Is there an anti-hero?
