Reading a Shakespearean Tragedy
Tragedy—a drama in which the main character suffers disaster after a
serious struggle but faces his or her downfall in a heroic way
Pattern of a Tragedy
The fortunes of the leading character (called the tragic hero or protagonist) improve until the third act, in which the play reaches its structural climax or high point. Then the fortunes of the hero decline until, in Act Five, the leading character dies or is in a devastated condition, the tragedy is complete, and the play ends. Technically the components of this structure are called the
rising action, the climax, and the falling action.
The Tragic Hero
v is of high social rank—a king, a prince, or a general
v has a tragic flaw that ultimately leads to his or her downfall
v suffers complete ruin or death
v faces his or her downfall with courage and dignity
The Tragic Flaw
The downfall of the tragic hero may result from outside forces, such as another character, or from a weakness within the character, which is known as a tragic flaw.
The tragic flaw may be an error of judgment or a personality failure. Tragic heroes evoke both pity and fear in readers or viewers: pity because they feel sorry for the characters and fear because they realize that the problems and struggles faced by the characters are perhaps a necessary part of human life. At the end of a tragedy, a reader or viewer generally feels a sense of waste, because humans who were in some way superior have been destroyed.
Questions about Julius Caesar
1. Who is the tragic hero?
2. What event signals the climax of the play?
3. What specific event signals the beginning of the tragic hero’s downfall?
4. List other specific events from the falling action that show the continuing
downfall of the tragic hero.
5. In what way does the tragic hero face his downfall in a heroic way?
6. What is the tragic flaw that leads to the downfall of the tragic hero?