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Tragedy Defined
In classic Shakespearean tragedies, a prominent hero (but not necessarily a virtuous one) somehow offends the moral order, and is punished in a manner that is out of all proportion to that offense. The hero's fall is not due to personal vice or depravity, but to some error in judgement or frailty -- a fatal flaw. The attraction to the audience is watching the hero's valiant but ultimately unsuccessful struggle to avoid his predestined demise. In the end, however, the audience is left with an overwhelming sense of waste. |