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LITR 4370
TRAGEDY Model Assignments Midterm2 Samples 2017 (midterm2 assignment)
Model Answers to Part 2. |
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Part 2. Learning about
Tragedy 2: Revise, continue, improve, & Extend Essay
begun in Midterm1
. . . to include Sophocles's Family of Oedipus plays.
(Index)
Katie
Morin
2/20/2017
Tragedy: A Learning Process
Admittedly, before having enrolled in this course, my knowledge of
tragedy was rather limited. I primarily associate the term “tragedy” with
Shakespeare’s Hamlet because it is
one of my favorite works of literature in general, regardless of the genre it
falls under. To be rather blunt, I have, up until now, always associated
tragedies with death – after all, what is more tragic than death, itself?
However, over the past few weeks, my knowledge on the subject has increased
significantly, and I look forward to garnering an even deeper understanding of
tragedy as a whole, in addition to its relationship with its counterpart,
comedy.
What
makes the tragedy genre so interesting is that it is probably one of the least
popular genres, at least present-day, yet it is still so relatable because it is
reflective of human nature. Personally, this concept is one of the most
fascinating aspects of tragedy – either people love to hate it or perhaps hate
that they love it. This could be attributed to the fact that tragedy is raw and
exposes the faults of humanity. It shows the good and the bad, regardless of how
unhappy or uncomfortable audience members may become.
In
contrast, comedy, although relatable at times, is rather one-sided in that it
shows primarily the good, pleasant things people enjoy reading and/or viewing.
According to Aristotle’s Poetics, “Comedy is . . . an imitation of characters of
a lower type . . . . It consists in
some defect or ugliness which is not painful or destructive.
To take an obvious example, the comic mask is ugly and distorted, but
does not imply pain” (V). This is indicative of comedy’s tendency to make light
of even serious situations. Characters may have struggles or conflict, but there
are no real consequences, pain, or otherwise long-lasting effects from these
situations – there is nearly always a happy conclusion where everyone walks away
joyous and unscathed. Regardless of how dire a situation may appear, everything
still seems to come to a happy resolution somehow. In tragedy, however, actions
do have very real consequences, and these consequences are very rarely
temporary. Alternatively, comedy is fun and exciting, and makes us forget about
life’s struggles momentarily.
Characterization is also something that varies among the two genres. So
far, learning about the various types of characterization has been one of the
most interesting aspects of this course. In comedies, characters are often very
superficial, and because of this lack of depth, rarely see a great deal of
growth as the narrative progresses. This is somewhat similar to characters
depicted in romance narratives, who are typically seen as only “good guys” or
“bad guys,” and not a mixture of the two. In tragedies, however, characters are
not seen solely as good or bad, but often a combination of both, and it is not
uncommon for characters to “transform” throughout their trials. This duality of
characterization is reflective of human nature, and this could be a reason why
tragedy is a bitter pill for some to swallow, as characters and their
motivations/struggles have the tendency to “hit close to home.” Comedy is fun to
watch, but tragedy is oftentimes more relatable, not necessarily because of the
overall conflict (most of which seems to occur in times of nobility, and
therefore more difficult to sympathize with), but because of the feelings and
emotions these characters experience. On the very surface, it appears as if
tragedy represents what we know life can become, which is why we may shy away
from it, so comedy makes for a nice escape from an otherwise harsh reality.
However, it would be difficult to truly appreciate either genre without its
counterpart to compare it to. As with most things in life, balance is key.
An example of this mixed characterization can be seen in Aeschylus’
Agamemnon. The story’s protagonist,
Agamemnon, is forced to decide between sacrificing his daughter, Iphigenia, or
remain at a standstill and unable to sail to Troy and lead his men to victory.
Much to the audience’s horror, Agamemnon ultimately agrees to the sacrifice of
his daughter, therefore painting him as somewhat of a villainous character.
However, later on he appears to be remorseful and seems to acknowledge the
horrible act he has committed, and he regains some of his humanity. Although
what he has done is awful and unforgivable, it is difficult to not feel some
level of sympathy for him as he struggles with his decision.
Surprisingly enough, one can also see mixed-characterization when analyzing
Agamemnon’s wife, Clytaemnestra, the one who orchestrated his murder. She is
deceptive, unfaithful, and betrays her own husband. Naturally one would paint
her as a villain. However, one must also take into account her grief at losing
her daughter, Iphigenia. Can a mother avenging her daughter’s murder be seen as
truly evil? To an extent it is nearly impossible not to sympathize with
Clytaemnestra. Both Agamemnon and Clytaemnestra can be seen as good or bad
depending on one’s perspective, and this mixed characterization contributes to
the Oresteia’s classification as a
tragedy.
A seemingly subtle difference between tragedy and comedy is also seen in
a piece’s treatment of spectacle. Spectacle, according to our course website,
“is an old-fashioned word for a concept that, in different words, lives today in
popular speech—e.g., ‘special effects,’ ‘costume design,’ ‘stunts,’ and
‘computer graphics.’” The lack of spectacle is common amongst tragedies, where
murders or otherwise graphic scenes are performed off-stage. In tragedies,
spectacles are concealed and hidden away from the audience, leaving much to the
imagination. However, in comedies, spectacles are often performed in plain view
of the audience. For instance, in the play
Lysistrata, which focuses primarily
on sex (or rather the lack thereof), there is a great deal of verbal innuendo,
but also spectacles in the forms of nudity, obscene gestures, and vulgar bodily
functions. While these scenes might have a place in works of comedy, they are
less likely to be seen in tragedies, where the storylines are of greater
importance than visual aids.
The
use of spectacle is seen again in Shakespeare’s
Hamlet, in the gravedigger scene
(V.i.). Here, we see the gravediggers acting incredibly morbid and seemingly
cold by tossing skulls and speaking of death so nonchalantly. However, this
level of spectacle is still relatively tame, especially when in comparison to
the play’s final scene, which is of course, far more graphic and intense.
According to the course’s website, “As tragedy modernizes, it relaxes somewhat
its prohibition on spectacle, but in other modern tragedies spectacle is still
carefully managed so as not to overwhelm the intellectual or spiritual aspects
of the play.” I found this to be especially interesting since I am also
researching the evolution of the tragedy genre. Although the usage of spectacle
has become more common and graphic, there is still a great deal of care taken so
as not to detract from the play’s meaning. This stands in stark contrast to the
comedy and romance narratives, who both seem to rely on spectacle more.
Generally speaking, tragedies are also timeless, while works of comedy
are typically short-lived and fleeting. Ultimately, this distinction boils down
to tragedy’s focus on human nature, something that is virtually unchanging.
Comedies, however, have the tendency to fixate on topics/issues relevant to a
certain time period or place, which could be difficult for future audiences to
relate to. According to our course’s site, “Since such everyday phenomena age
rapidly and become old-fashioned or obsolete, comedy's attention to such
realistic details makes most comedies age rapidly.” It goes on to state that
although tragedy “is concerned with essential human problems,” it “sometimes
seems isolated from everyday events (in classical tragedy, by being associated
with noble families).” This distinction between the two genres only further
contributes to the concept that comedy is generally a temporary “feel good” form
of entertainment, whereas tragedy and its dealings with matters concerning human
emotions and struggles is more timeless.
These human emotions contribute to an
ever-present theme seen in tragedies: familial conflict. This is very obvious in
Shakespeare’s Hamlet, where the
play’s protagonist is absolutely overcome with the urge to murder his uncle in
order to avenge his father’s death. Caught in the middle of it all is Hamlet’s
own mother, Gertrude, who is now married to his Uncle Claudius, his father’s
killer. As stated on the course’s site, “Tragedy involves families who
simultaneously love and hate each other as their fates are bound together,” and
this is very much so seen in Hamlet.
Hamlet is torn between avenging his father’s death and struggling to overcome
his resentment of his mother, and the family’s conflict becomes so all-consuming
that virtually everyone meets an untimely end by the play’s conclusion.
Sophocles’ Family of Oedipus plays not only depict more of the familial conflict
that one might expect to see in a work of tragedy, but also touch on some other
central themes of the genre: Oedipal conflict, fate, as well as the individual
vs. authority. Oedipal conflict, although somewhat unpleasant to discuss, is a
reoccurring theme seen throughout works of tragedy. In
Oedipus the King, the play’s
protagonist discovers that he has not only murdered his father, but
unintentionally married and had children with his own mother. Although Oedipus
did not intend for any of this to happen, it was seemingly all out of his hands
from the beginning –it was fate. Try as he might to avoid this outcome, the
prophecies told to him years prior still came to fruition because it was the
will of the gods. In Oedipus at Colonus,
Oedipus finally stops fighting his fate, and instead accepts it, saying: “He
lives not ill who lives withal content” (815). It is impossible to escape fate.
Finally, in Antigone, the theme of
authority vs. the individual, or civil disobedience, is also depicted. Set out
to give her brother, Polynices, a proper burial, Antigone goes against the
wishes of Creon, the King of Thebes. Antigone’s defiance of authority of
authority is, according to the course website, a decision to “obey” the “‘law of
the state’ or ‘higher law,’” of which she chooses the latter.
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