LITR 4370 TRAGEDY Model Assignments Midterm2 Samples 2017 (midterm2 assignment) Model Answers to Part 1. Genre Definition 2.

Part 1. Continue genre definition and example(s) from Midterm1 .(Index) . .

Kimberly Bronson

30 March 2017

Guts and Gore Are Never a Bore

          We live in a world with a nearly unlimited number of options for just about everything, which can make it rather difficult to make decisions when it comes to certain things. If I went to the movie theatre right now, I would have to choose between about ten different films. When it comes to minor things such as this, I tend to have a hard time making decisions, so it helps to break it down by genre. Do I want a good laugh, an adrenaline rush, or a nice plot with gruesome visuals and a twisted dark side? The latter—widely known as horror, is usually my choice.

          Horror is a genre that is notorious for guts and gore, but it is also much more than that. When referring to the subject or audience identification, there are many different types of horror and they all are made to frighten the audience. Shock and fear is what the audience seeks in this genre, and it can be quite satisfying to find a film or novel that succeeds in this. Some have plots set up like a mystery, but include some element of fear or danger. Some horror films are classified as “slasher films,” which are known for a villain (often seemingly immortal) that endlessly chases victims before slaying them. Examples of these types of films include The Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream. Over time, these films have shown an increasing amount of blood and gore.

Sometimes horror focuses on the supernatural or paranormal, such as in Paranormal Activity. This is often the most realistic form of horror, as these films typically contain realistic settings and characters that get plagued by some type of haunting or invasion. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; or a Modern-Day Prometheus is an excellent example of a paranormal thriller, a classic piece of literature in which a scientist wickedly gives life to a creature. In 2015, Sarah Robin Roelse noted the significant horror speckling within Oedipus the King. The scene she refers to is where the priest speaks of a disease and as Roelse puts it, is “a beautiful picture of horror…[in which] the image depicts a scene of pestilence.” Another example of paranormal horror is Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Although it is a tragedy with mild hints of comedy, it has some inklings of horror as well. The ghost, which is assumed to be that of the late King Hamlet, adds a spooky element to the play, as well as the multiple graphic deaths. A play such as this is nice treat for anyone who enjoys a nice side of horror with their tragedies.

When analyzing the formal genre, the “types and number of voices” (course site: Intro to Genres) as well as the relation to the audience are considered. Many of the tragedies we have read in class have a narrator and dialogue setup, where the chorus acts as the narrator and the characters within the play have dialogue towards each other. As Nietzsche says, a chorus is Most modern horror productions typically have a setup that includes dialogue between two or more characters. It is rare to have a narrator in horror, although some older plays with horror aspects (although they are primarily considered tragic plays) have a narrator as well, often in the form of a chorus.

Despite what you may think when upon learning this, horror usually falls under the narrative genre of romance. This is not referring to the stereotypically attractive young woman canoodling with the handsome jock right before the killer comes to kill everyone, such as the scene in nearly all twelve Friday the 13^th movies. Instead, it is referring to the narrative genre, which is the type of story being told. Romance narratives are about a journey or quest, and often end with a transcendence, or a feeling of “things will only get better from here” (course site: Genres).

There are many movies that may fall into multiple categories of genres. The term genre, according to the course website, is not meant to be exclusive or confining. The beauty of genres is that you are never confined to just one specific type of movie or book. Whatever you are in the mood for, you will be able to find something that will be just right in that moment. While it is not concrete, genres help us narrow down and understand movies and books better. If you like horror and action, many movies can be both such as The Purge series and Underworld. If you like comedy and horror, you will likely enjoy a parody of popular horror films such as Scary Movie, or even Hamlet, as mentioned above for its ability to encompass tragedy with a side of comedy and a touch of horror. Many films and books can nicely fit into many different molds, which makes for a uniquely diverse selection that nearly every person can be happy with.

Works Cited

Nietzsche, Friedrich W, et al. The Birth of Tragedy: Out of the Spirit of Music. Penguin Books, 2003.

Roelse, Sarah R. "Oh! The Horror!" LITR 4370 Tragedy UHCL 2015 Midterm Samples, Craig White, Apr. 2015, coursesite.uhcl.edu/HSH/Whitec/LITR/4533/models/2015/MT2/2015Mt2pt1Roelse.htm.

White, Craig. "Critical Sources: Introduction to Genres." Coursesite.uhcl.edu - /, coursesite.uhcl.edu/HSH/Whitec/xcritsource/genre/genres.htm.

White, Craig. "Terms & Themes: Narrative Genre." Coursesite.uhcl.edu, coursesite.uhcl.edu/HSH/Whitec/terms/N/narrativegenre.htm.