An example of artwork that would fit Aristotle’s definition of tragedy would be Oedipus Rex. Antigone is also considered a tragedy, but I am going to focus on analyzing how the play Oedipus Rex fits into Aristotle’s definition.
Oedipus Rex is a classic Ancient Greek tragedy. It is considered to be the ultimate tragedy according to Aristotle’s definition because he actually used this play to create his definition. I read this play in high school, and although I normally did not enjoy the books my teachers made us read, this one struck me. It is a story many cannot forget, and considering it was written in the fifth century B.C.E. and is still considered a great now, it must be a pretty tragic story.
“Every Tragedy, therefore, must have six parts, which parts determine its quality- namely, Plot, Character, Diction, Thought, Spectacle, Song”- Aristotle
Aristotle wrote that all the other points are less important than the plot, since they all come from it. A tragedy must have a complex plot, not a simple one. A tragedy must be centered around the tragic hero, who has a tragic flaw or tragically falls from grace. Oedipus is the tragic hero in this story. His tragic flaw is that he is so focused on avoiding an oracle’s words about his future, that he directly runs into it because he is ignorant and does not know who he is. An oracle proclaimed to Oedipus’s father that Oedipus would one day kill him, so he left his child outside in the country to die. Oedipus was saved and raised by a king and queen in a nearby land. Oedipus grew up believing these were his real parents, and he received an oracle saying he would kill his father and marry his mother. He fled his “homeland” to escape his horrible fate, and along the road he killed his father, the King. He saved the kingdom he was originally born in and won his actual mothers hand in marriage. His kingdom then suffers from a plague and an oracle claims that only if they catch the killer of the old king, their kingdom would be saved. Once Oedipus discovers that it was him, he gouges out his own eyes and weeps, realizing he never escaped his faith, he went towards it. Oedipus is the main character who has a tragic story and tragic harmartia. His downfall was his own ignorance. This doesn’t make him an evil character, just a tragically flawed one, this is what Aristotle defines the tragic hero as. The tragic hero is someone that the audience pities. The story also has a very complex, tragic plot. My summary was short and sweet, but the play in its entirety is very complex and detailed. The language or diction, spectacle and sound in the play leads the audience to feel how deeply Oedipus feels.
This play, Oedipus Rex, was the groundwork for Aristotles’ definition of a tragedy, and Oedipus was the groundwork for the tragic hero.
Published by ginam0
My name is Gina, I am 18 years old and this is my second semester of college. I was born in Sacramento and have lived out my life in my tiny two bed/ two bath east sac home with my two sisters and parents. In most ways, I grew up very fortunate. My mom dedicated herself to her work with the Los Rios District so that she could provide a comfortable life for her children, something she lacked as a child. I was lucky enough to attend private elementary and high school; I went to Christian Brothers. I don't like to view myself as a victim in any way because I truly was given so many opportunities that many people do not receive growing up. However, one of the biggest obstacles that I had to overcome came after my transition from middle school to high school. I faced a lot of bullying my freshman year. I had always been a little bit sheltered due to my private elementary background, I had only ever gone to school with about 35 other kids from kindergarten-8th grade. A certain freshman boy showed interest in me, and did not take it well when I rejected him in a decent manner. Before the school year had even started, he spread a rumor about me preforming sexual acts with him. At the time of the incident, this really broke me down. Other guys would meet me for the first time, and while still being 'friendly' towards me, would bring up the rumor or joke about it to get a reaction from me. Some girls looked at me differently, and this rumor felt like I carried a sign above me everywhere I went or that I was under a microscope. I had never even remotely come close to being with another person before this incident. I cared a lot about what people thought of me, and this created a negative self-image. I was also very small at the time (both my parents are small, my mom was small when she was young, and my sisters and I all were very small as kids), and multiple other boys made jokes about my body in front of me, and one (another reject) even posted a comment about me being "flat" on his snap chat story. The hardest part for me throughout all of this was not having an adult or anyone wiser than I to talk to. Both of my parents are loving, but out of touch. I never have had a strong enough relationship with either of them to bring up this embarrassing situation I had gotten into, and for the first few months I believed I brought it upon myself by even being friends with the guy who started it all. Especially when I kind of knew he had different intentions than I did. I think overcoming this obstacle really helped me grow into a smarter, happier person. I stopped desiring to erase the rumor or revise my reputation, I just learned to accept myself for who I knew I was, and be happy with the people around me who loved me. I felt free from judgement because I simply learned to not care anymore about what people thought of me. Eventually by doing this, the bullies caught the hint too. I think this is one of my biggest triumphs because learning to accept yourself is a huge part of becoming an adult and accomplishing your dreams. I also am proud that I survived the bad high school experience on my own and by the end of it, turned it into a good one. I learned to trust myself, be more independent, and confident. My biggest passion in life right now is to complete my degree and live out a loving life. I want to be happy and surround myself with the right people. Creating a family and surrounding my kids with love is my biggest passion in life.
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