Tragedy

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In a figurative sense a tragedy (from Classical Greek , "song for the goat", see below) is any event with a sad and unfortunate outcome, but the term also applies specifically in Western culture to a form of drama defined by Aristotle characterized by seriousness and dignity and involving a great person who experiences a reversal of fortune (Peripeteia). (Aristotle's definition can include a change of fortune from bad to good as in the Eumenides, but he says that the change from good to bad as in Oedipus Rex is preferable because this effects pity and fear within the spectators.) According to Aristotle, "the structure of the best tragedy should be not simple but complex and one that represents incidents arousing fear and pity--for that is peculiar to this form of art." This reversal of fortune must be caused by the tragic hero's hamartia, which is often mistranslated as a character flaw, but is more correctly translated as a mistake (since the original Greek etymology traces back to... full article at wikipedia

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There is nothing more tragic than to find an individual bogged down in the length of life, devoid of breadth.
It's not the tragedies that kill us, it's the messes.
In this world there are two tragedies. One is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it. The last is much the worst.
We participate in tragedy. At comedy we only look.
What would be left of our tragedies if an insect were to present us his?
The tragedy of life is in what dies inside a man while he lives -- the death of genuine feeling, the death of inspired response, the awareness that makes it possible to feel the pain or the glory of other men in yourself.
It is restful, tragedy, because one knows that there is no more lousy hope left. You know you're caught, caught at last like a rat with all the world on its back. And the only thing left to do is shout -- not moan, or complain, but yell out at the top of your voice whatever it was you had to say. What you've never said before. What perhaps you don't even know till now.
This world is a comedy to those that think, a tragedy to those that feel.
It often happens that the real tragedies of life occur in such an inartistic manner that they hurt us by their crude violence, their absolute incoherence, their absurd want of meaning, their entire lack of style.
Tragedy delights by affording a shadow of the pleasure which exists in pain.
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Topic History

Metaweb
Created by Metaweb Oct 22, 2006
rictic
Last edited by rictic about 10 hours ago

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