Shakespearean Tragedy and its Relation to Aristotelian Concept of Tragedy Week One: A brief introduction to tragic drama in the Western tradition, from ancient Greek drama onwards. A brief survey of what Aristotle says in The Poetics about what he sees as the essential features of Greek tragedy. These features are:--1) The tragic protagonist is a superior person. But s/he is not exceptionally good; nor, at the other extreme, is s/he wicked or depraved. S/he is morally somewhere in between. 2) Because his/her virtue is not outstanding, we do not find his/her downfall morally repellent-as we would do if s/he were an absolute paragon of virtue. 3) S/he commits a crucial error or mistake, through misunderstanding or misapprehension. This error is what leads to his/her downfall. The error entails harm to someone close to him/her. 4) S/he later experiences a painful realisation of the error. 5) The tragic spectacle is intended to produce the emotions of pity and fear in the audience; but with the aim, not of eradicating these feelings in the audience after they have been evoked, but of evoking them in such a way as to restore them to a balanced and rational level in the audience. Then a statement of intention to examine the extent to which these features apply to the protagonists in the four Shakespearean tragedies: Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth. Week Two: A brief revision of Aristotle's 5 points (as above). Begin work on Hamlet. The consideration of the first two of Aristotle's points in relation to the character and situation of Hamlet. Week Three: A consideration of the next 3 of Aristotle's 5 points, again in relation to Hamlet's character and situation. Week Four: Completion of work on Hamlet. Start of work on Othello. Examining the relevance of Aristotle's first 3 points to the character and situation of Othello. Week Five: Consider the relevance to Othello of Aristotle's last 2 points. Then begin work on King Lear,
Name: Shakespearian Tragedy Qualification title: Non regulated provision, Level 1, Languages, Literature and Culture of the British Isles Qualification type: Assessment Assessment information not yet available Awarding Generic award - no awarding body Created 20160211 11:43:13 Updated 20160211 11:43:13
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Richmond Adult Community College
Further Education
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Parkshot Town: Richmond County:Surrey
Title: Non regulated provision, Level 1, Languages, Literature and Culture of the British Isles Qualification: Non regulated provision, Level 1, Languages, Literature and Culture of the British Isles Classification: Languages, Literature and Culture