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Essay on Aristotle notion on tragedy
Oedipus Rex as Aristotle concept of tragedy
Oedipus Rex as Aristotle concept of tragedy
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In Ancient Greece tragic stories were the best form of entertainment. Because usually the fall of the tragic hero was relatable to the common people. One of the philosophers who developed the guidelines for tragic hero stories was Aristotle. He had five rules that you must follow in order to make a tragic hero story. The hero must be born of nobleness or have wisdom, the hero must have a fatal flaw, the hero must have a reversal of fortune because of his main error, anagnorisis, the hero must realize it’s his fault, and finally the hero must suffer a fate greater than what they deserved. Aristotle set these guidelines for many years to come. In Gladiator Maximus demonstrates some of Aristotle’s rules for creating a tragic story but I believe Maximus isn’t a tragic hero because he only follows two of the five traits required for a tragic hero. He is wise and suffers a fate greater than what he deserves. In the movie he shows his wisdom on the battlefield and in the arena. Also Maximus and his family both die and that’s not the fate he deserves. . …show more content…
When Commodus kills Marcus Aurelius, Commodus sends for Maximus to have him killed also. But Maximus is able to get away because he ends up killing the men that were sent to kill him, but he ends up getting cut. On the way he has a vision that the Legion is on there way to kill his family, when he arrives he finds his wife and son hanged and burned. As he sits there he passes out from the cut he received from the guards sent to kill him. When he awakes he is on a slave trader's caravan. He ends up getting sold to a guy named Proximo, who uses his slaves as gladiators. Maximus quickly becomes a great gladiator winning over the
I did like the Gladiator movie, it did really shows perspectives of being a tragic hero. In which their was so much betrayal in this movie, it did represent on how much Maximus has done to bring an end to Commodus reign and the vengeance he seeked. I do believe that Maximus was a tragic hero because of what events that occur which would put him in danger. He was more admirable than an average person would be and would earn his glory. The fortune that a tragic hero would occur will end in a downfall. He does display on what a tragic hero will represent in which that will bring him justice or
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I am here today to argue the title of tragic hero in the play Antigone by Sophocles. I would like to start off by saying that it will be extremely difficult for me to have the passion that I usually have because of my client. My client's ruthless leadership disgusts me in the worst way. But I will still stand in front of you, the jury, and defend my client. As I said before I am here to argue the title of tragic hero in the play Antigone. I could see that some of you are dazzled by the word "tragic hero". No need to worry for I will enlighten you. The great Aristotle was one of the first men who defined a tragic hero. His definition is not a rule for what tragedy should be, but it is a description of what he believed tragedy was. According to Aristotle a tragic hero must have these qualities to qualify as one. A tragic hero is neither good nor bad. Along with being neutral in his stance, a tragic hero must also be born into royalty. A tragic hero could never be of the common folk. In addition to this a tragic hero must suffer a large fall from good grace. By this he means that a fall that brings him "down to earth". A tragic hero also has some type of flaw. Whether it is a character flaw such as pride and ego or the character must make an error of judgment or a mistake. With the tragic flaw the character must also recognize the flaw that they have made. In other words, they have to be enlightened. The audience is then supposed to feel pity and fear for the tragic hero because of his tumultuous journey. The tragic hero also is supposed to inspire catharsis in the audience.
First one can see that Brutus is the tragic hero by looking at his background and comparing it with the background of a tragic hero. The first of the requirements for a tragic hero is that he has to be of noble birth. Brutus is of noble birth, and this influences many of his traits. For example, Brutus is Brutus is educated and this leads to his flawous idealistic views. Also, he fulfills another requirement, the requirement that he comes into some kind of understanding. In the case of Brutus, he is convinced into believing that he has to kill Ceaser because “That lowliness is young ambition's ladder, Whereto the climber-upward turns his face; But when he once attains the upmost round, He then unto the ladder turns his back, Looks into the clouds, scorning the base degrees By which he did ascend”. This shows that Brutus killed Caesar for the good of Rome. Overall, Brutus is the tragic hero because he fulfills all of the background requirements to be a tragic hero.
After its debut in America on May 5th of 2000, the movie Gladiator has been a nationwide symbol of heroism(Imdb). The film was directed by Ridley Scott and the lead roles of the film were carried out by Russell Crowe as Maximus and Joaquin Phoenix as Commodus(Imdb). The movie takes place during the reign of the Holy Roman Empire in the year 180 A.D. The Emperor, Marcus Aurelius, is dying and wishes to leave the Roman Empire under the control of Roman General Maximus Meridius. The Emperor’s son Commodus betrays Maximus, kills his father, and takes control of Rome. In betraying Maximus, Commodus has his family killed. Maximus knowing this returns to Rome as a gladiator under the alias “Spaniard” in search of revenge(Imdb). According to Aristotle, “Tragedy is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude”(Kwheeler). In order for someone to be considered a tragic hero, the person must meet the criteria of high social status, suffer from a hamartia, face a catastrophe, invoke catharsis, and experience anagnorisis and peripeteia(Kwheeler).
Maximus was a great warrior in the Roman legion under Emperor Marcus Aurelius. His first courageous feat occurs when he defeats the last of the Barbarians of Germaina. Leading his army along a 12 year campaign he brought it to an end. Next he risks his life as he defies the new Emperor Commodus, knowing that this could mean death. Commodus was the only son of Marcus Aurelius. However Commodus killed his father and took the place of Caesar.
Throughout literary history, tragic heroes have been defined as a great or virtuous character in a dramatic tragedy who is destined for downfall, suffering, or defeat. However, philosophers such as Aristotle tried to find connections between tragic heroes in Greek plays. This in-depth analysis of tragic heroes lead Aristotle to create six criteria for a true tragic hero: He or she has to be a Noble figure of royalty and noble in character, has to be imperfect by design, has a flaw or error that is a choice, is punished excessively for this choice flaw, has to undergo a downfall that leads to a realization, and the story of this tragic hero has to make the audience reach a moment of catharsis or purging of emotions. A prime example of a tragic hero that fits all of these criteria is Creon from the play Antigone, written by Sophocles in 441 BC. The story of Antigone is a tragedy that describes a stubborn and proud king named Creon who refuses to allow a burial for the brother of Antigone. Creon’s excessive pride leads to a series of unfortunate events resulting in the death of Antigone, his son Haemon, and his wife Eurydice. Throughout the course of the play, Creon undergoes each standard that is required by Aristotle’s terms to be a tragic hero.
Although this storyline is very entertaining it isn't very factual. There were emperor's named Marcus Aurelius and Commodus but as for the general Maximus, no such character exists. Aurelius, during his reign from 161-180 a.d., conquered many regions and countries. Under his vision, the Roman army defeated the Parthians and also defeated the Barbarians in the Marcomannic Wars. The Emperor Aurelius was not murdered by his son and serves as co-emperor for the last three years of his life with Commodus. Many scholars believe that Aurelius was one of the greatest emperor's of Roman history. He often showed compassion and other great traits of a leader. His son, however, did not share his leadership abilities. Commodus ruled from 180-192 a.d. Aurelius had many peace treaties in the latter part of his rule that his son violated and continued to increase Roman territory. Commodus has been rumored to have been insane and maybe that's why he loved the Gladiator games so much. The gladiator games were when men dressed in warrior outfits fought each other until one died. There were also games in which wild animals were placed with men.
Through Aristotle’s specific definition of a tragic hero, it can be concluded that Oedipus is a tragic hero. Oedipus The King was written by a well-known tragic dramatist named Sophocles. This story is considered to be one of the greatest tragedies of all time. In fact, the Marjorie Barstow of the Classical Weekly says that it “fulfills the function of a tragedy, and arouses fear and pity in the highest degree” (Barstow). It is also very controversial because of the relationship that Oedipus has with his mother, although it was unknown at the time that they were related. The qualifications of a tragic hero, according to Aristotle, include coming from a royal family and falling from power due to actions that only the protagonist can take responsibility for. The main character must also have a tragic flaw, which is defined as a “weakness in character” (Gioia). There have been many protagonists in other plays that represent a tragic hero, but none exemplify Aristotle’s tragic hero traits quite as well as Oedipus does because of many reasons including his royal history, his tragic flaw, his hamartia, and his his fall from power.
In the movie Gladiator, courage is a major ideal displayed through characters and a lack of courage is displayed through some of the characters of this film as well. Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines courage as “mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficult”. Throughout the movie Gladiator, Maximus Decimus Meridius, a Roman general, is betrayed by Commodus who wants the throne for himself. Maximus is thought to be dead when in reality he survived and has become a gladiator. In the betrayal of Maximus, his wife and son were also killed. Maximus is out for revenge but to do that he must be in reach of Commodus. Maximus embodies the ideals of courage and the definition throughout the movie Gladiator. Maximus shows
Julius Caesar may have been a noble person, but the people of Rome did not think so. In Julius Caesar, Shakespeare shows the Caesar comes to an unhappy end when he is murdered by the people he loved most. Within this play Julius Caesar is portrayed as a tragic hero. A tragic hero is defined as “the main character of a tragedy [who is] usually dignified, courageous, and high ranking” (Novel Study Guide). Also vital to defining a tragic hero is that, “the hero’s downfall is caused by a tragic flaw” (Novel Study Guide). It is evident that Julius Caesar is William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar is a tragic hero given that he is of noble stature, has a fatal flaw and comes to an unhappy end.
Much like today’s athletes gladiators competed with one another to decide a victor and is a form of entertainment for people spectating. But Gladiators competed much different than professional athletes do today. Gladiators were forced to fight for the entertainment of others and were considered slaves (“ The Roman Gladiator”). Gladiators did not just fight for friendly sport either they had to fight to the death. This made the gladiatorial games so exciting for the people watching. The people loved to watch others fight and the gore that they would see while the gladiators were fighting. It may sound horrible in today’s society but back then it was the most prominent form of entertainment. Different from today’s athletes and entertainers, gladiators were slaves and were told what to do against their will. Much of the gladiators were slaves, criminals, and prisoners of war. Gladiatorial games were mostly held by the Roman Republic and forced there enemy’s to fight for their lives in the...
According to Aristotle’s definition, a dramatic production needs to adhere to certain criteria to be considered a tragedy. The film “Gladiator”, directed by Ridley Scott, may be considered a tragic film in respect to Aristotle’s definition. “Gladiator” is set in the realistic time period of 180 AD, in ancient Rome. At this time, Rome was under the power of Emperor Marcus Aurelius Caesar. After his death, his son Commodus imprisons Maximus, who was general of his father’s army, since he fears he may overthrow him and take over his power as his father Marcus had hoped. run on Maximus is then enrolled into the gladiator games where he must fight to stay alive. This plot interprets a realistic situation which could have happened in the past, which
In his classic work "Poetics" Aristotle provided a model of the tragic hero. According to Aristotle, the tragic hero is more admirable than the average person. This results in the tragic hero being admired by the audience. For the audience to accept a tragic ending as just, it is crucial that the tragic hero be responsible for their undoing. At the same time though, they must remain admired and respected. This is achieved by the tragic hero having a fatal flaw that leads to their undoing. One of literature's examples of the tragic hero is Achilles from Homer's The Iliad. However, Achilles is different from the classic tragic hero in one major way - his story does not end tragically. Unlike the usual tragic hero, Achilles is able to change, reverse his downfall, and actually prove himself as a true hero.
The story of Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, perfectly lays out the qualities of a tragic hero. Oedipus, the king, blindly plays the role of a tragic hero, in a hopeless attempt to save the city of Thebes from a murderer; who turns out to be him all along. The qualities he possesses are clearly displayed through his action/words, lack of judgement, pride, and unfortunate fate, making him the ultimate tragic hero. One reading the story may wonder how he did not see that all the signs pointed to him, but that just goes to show how well he fit the description.
According to Aristotle, a tragedy must be an imitation of life in the form of a serious story that is complete in itself among many other things. Oedipus is often portrayed as the perfect example of what a tragedy should be in terms of Aristotle’s Poetics. Reason being that Oedipus seems to include correctly all of the concepts that Aristotle describes as inherent to dramatic tragedy. These elements include: the importance of plot, reversal and recognition, unity of time, the cathartic purging and evocation of pity and fear, the presence of a fatal flaw in the “hero”, and the use of law of probability.