Peripeteia Essays

  • Application of Aristotle's Nature of Tragedy to the Tale of Oedipus

    971 Words  | 2 Pages

    Out of Aristotle’s apprehension of tragedy, four out of the six ideas are used in the tragic drama, “Oedipus the King” by Sophocles. These ideas are tragic hero, hamartia, peripeteia, and anagnorisis. The tragic hero is a person of greatness, and noble stature who usually contributes to their own downfall. Oedipus has greatness and noble stature; he’s sublime, in the way that he cares for his people. What leads to his own downfall is his own pride, which came out when he solved the riddle of the

  • Bennet's The Executioner

    2179 Words  | 5 Pages

    Bennet's The Executioner "I am the executioner. When the crime is committed and the Lord God does not take vengeance nor does the exalted State move to declare and then to punish, I say when these bitter events happen, then comes the time for the executioner to declare himself or herself as the case may be. I have waited long enough. So the time has come, and I declare myself the executioner.     The three criminals are hereby sentenced to death. By fire. By earth. By water." This is the direct

  • Peripeteia In Hamlet

    918 Words  | 2 Pages

    Peripeteia or plot reversal is a tragic element that can be found in two tragic plays “Agamemnon”, “Hamlet” and “John F. Kennedy’s Secret Society Speech.” Main Points Both Agamemnon and Hamlet fulfill Aristotle’s definition of tragedy. There is an error in judgment involving one of higher standing, error results in suffering which in turn causes pity and fear in the audience. (Hamlet and Agamemnon and the audience in Secret Society Speech) Both Agamemnon and Hamlet are Kings, their personalities

  • Aristotle’s Elements of Tragedy

    1479 Words  | 3 Pages

    Aristotle is one of the most important western philosophers in history that has influenced our society in many aspects. Many of Aristotle’s teachings have affected our world for many years and still continue to have such a big impact. Some of the subjects Aristotle has influenced include: logic, physics, government and poetry. Aristotle’s study of poetry mainly focused on the elements to a good tragedy. Some of his elements have been used in Greek tragedies and modern movies. The Greek play, Medea

  • Hamlet And Peripeteia Essay

    1715 Words  | 4 Pages

    order to produce a tragedy, it is necessary to have a tragic hero. Aristotle sets forward characteristics that all tragic heroes should have in common. Included are hamartia, peripeteia, anagnorisis, and consequence. Hamartia, or the hero's tragic flaw, is his error or transgression or his flaw or weakness of character. Peripeteia, is the reversal of his fortune. The tragic thing that happens to him. Anagnorisis is when the hero discovers

  • The Ultimate Peripeteia in Hamlet

    903 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Ultimate Peripeteia in Hamlet If one were to push a boulder up a hill with a gentle incline, it would be rather difficult to discern that pivotal moment when it is poised for a split-second at the summit.  In tragedy, this moment is known as the ultimate peripeteia or the point of no return for the protagonist. From this point on, the protagonist moves downhill with increasing momentum and decreasing control over where they're headed. Act 3 of Hamlet is filled with dramatic and powerful

  • Creon: The Tragic Hero in Antigone

    540 Words  | 2 Pages

    brothers Polyneices and Eteocles after both died in a battle. But according to the law of the Creon, the king, Antigone cannot bury her brothers. The tragic hero in Antigone is Creon because he fits in all the characteristics of a tragic hero such as peripeteia, anagnorisis and fatal flaw. A Greek tragedy is a theatre from Ancient Greece and Asia Minor. It was created by the Greeks in the 5th century BC. It's characterized by tragic plots, they are often based on myths from the oral traditions and they

  • Fate In Oedipus The Odyssey

    876 Words  | 2 Pages

    parents. Oedipus believes he is able to disrupt his fate, but fate is set and cannot be changed. From other Greek literature like the Odyssey, gods manipulate the character, but eventually, the outcome is the same. In Oedipus The King, Oedipus’ peripeteia is when Teiresias is summoned, once Teiresias speaks the truth,

  • Creon In Sophocles Antigone

    935 Words  | 2 Pages

    tragic paths, however, many people argue about who the true tragic hero is. Even though Antigonê is a pitiable character, Creon is more deserving of the title because he has a clear peripeteia, anagnorisis, and hamartia. Creon follows the tragic arc in Antigonê, and one of the reasons for this is his clear peripeteia and anagnorisis. Creon’s big reversal of fortune is from a well-renowned king and leader of Thebes to the

  • Hamlet Hamartia Analysis

    986 Words  | 2 Pages

    audience when exploring both hamartia and peripeteia within Hamlet as an anti-hero. Therefore, to connect with the audience, Shakespeare creates Hamlet as a hero with flaws, allowing for Hamlet to become further recognisable and relatable towards the audience. Shakespeare depicts Hamlet’s hamartia, leading him to travel down the incorrect path, causing his downfall. This hamartia is brought upon Hamlet when his circumstances change due to his peripeteia, which reverses his fortunes dramatically

  • Aristotle's Poetics: Complexity and Pleasure in Tragedy

    2113 Words  | 5 Pages

    types: simple [haplos], and complex [peplegmenos]. The simple plot is defined as a unified construct of necessary and probable actions accompanied by a change of fortune. The complex plot, says Aristotle, is accompanied by two other features, namely; peripeteia or reversal, and anagnorisis, or recognition. It is this which Aristotle feels is the best kind of tragic plot, in that it provides the best possibility of delivering tragic pleasure. Before we look at the distinctive features of the complex

  • The Tragic Hero in Sophocles´Antigone

    1056 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Greek tragedies, tragedians always establish a tragic hero who descends from grace due to a fatal flaw as well as someone who is of nobility. Moreover this character may also experience peripeteia, anagnorisis, and of course, a terrible ending (“Tragic Hero as Defined by Aristotle”). One Greek tragedy that involves a tragic hero is Sophocles’ Antigone which portrays two characters who strive for what they believe in, either state law or divine law, which leads to their demise. These two characters

  • Romeo And Juliet Tragic Hero Essay

    620 Words  | 2 Pages

    A peripeteia is something that leads another thing towards a tragic fate though Juliet definitely qualifies as one of his peripeteias, she is not the only one he has. In Act III scene i when Tybalt stabs Mercutio and then afterwards when Romeo kills Tybalt it marks a peripeteia by showing that after that event Romeo is in great danger of getting a death penalty and the fight between the two

  • Romeo and Juliet: A True Aristotelian Tragedy

    1077 Words  | 3 Pages

    these concepts are outlined by Aristotle and need to be present in a tragedy. Because, all of the aspects of an Aristotelian tragedy are present the play is truly a tragedy. The tragedy has the perfect characters that experience an anagnorisis, peripeteia, and catastrophes. In short, Romeo and Juliet is a true Aristotelian tragedy.

  • Oedipus Tragic Flaw

    625 Words  | 2 Pages

    According to Aristotle, heroes exhibit certain characteristics to be considered as tragic. The hero must possess a tragic flaw that leads him to his downfall. Another prerequisite is the reversal of fate which is occurs because of the hero’s tragic flaw. The discovery of the reversal arises because of the realization of the hero’s actions. The amalgamation of tragic elements in Oedipus Rex delineates Oedipus as the archetypal Aristotelian tragic hero. Oedipus’s tragic flaw can be attributed to his

  • Tragic Heroes, Joe and Chris Keller, Portrayed in All My Sons

    1132 Words  | 3 Pages

    A tragic hero can be defined by several different factors; the hero usually has a major flaw that prevents him from seeing the truth that lies in front of him, which contributes to the character’s peripeteia due to mistaken judgement. This mistake then leads to achieving anagnorisis, usually at the end of the play, but is too late to change anything, and results in death. Both Joe and Chris Keller constitute as being tragic characters of All My Sons because they both make very tragic mistakes and

  • Nixon's Hamartia During The Watergate Scandal

    620 Words  | 2 Pages

    Peripeteia is when a situation suddenly changes. After the Burglars broke into the DNC’s office and Nixon tried to pay off the FBI to stop the investigation, Nixon’s connection to the crime was still unclear and hard to prove. Although, Nixon had taped all

  • Research Paper On Oedipus The King

    759 Words  | 2 Pages

    Oedipus the King Oedipus Rex is believed to be one of the best classical examples of the Greek classical order and what tragedy represents. Many Greek tragedies include a central character that is known to be the “tragic hero”. In Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, Oedipus the main character plays this role. This paper will give a brief summary of some of the characteristics of a tragic hero, while also analyzing all the major events that lead to Oedipus rise and downfall. Oedipus, the king of Thebe’s

  • Who Was Responsible For Macbeth's Downfall

    813 Words  | 2 Pages

    Responsibility, no one ever wants to be burdened with it, especially if it is for something negative. Holding responsibility means you will be taking the blame for things that could or could not be as a result of your actions. In the play Macbeth, the character Macbeth was a loyal member of the king Duncan, however he was told by three witches of his prophecy, that he would become the new king if he kills Duncan. Macbeth, with a little convincing from his wife, goes through with what the witches

  • Creon's Catharsis In Sophocles Antigone

    623 Words  | 2 Pages

    with the statement, “ Of course I knew, was it not publicly claimed.” The was an error in judgement. Peripeteia: Antigone’s peripeteia is when she is sentenced to death by Creon. It was the EXPIATION that she had to make for burying Polynices. She broke his decree by burying Polynices and Creon overreacted. His punishment was HEINOUS when it should not have been. Although Antigone's peripeteia was tragic, she did not deserve everything because she was only trying to do the right thing by honoring