Second Nine Weeks
The Tragic Figure
Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world—William Butler Yeats
Tragedy is the imitation of an action; and an action implies personal agents, who necessarily possess certain distinctive qualities both of character and thought; for it is by these that we qualify actions themselves, and these—thought and character—are the two natural causes from which actions spring, and on actions again all success or failure depends.—Aristotle
Overview:
This unit will explore the characteristics of tragedy, the tragic hero, and tragic flaws. Through reading, discussion, and writing, students will establish and analyze the characteristics of a tragic hero/figure, focusing on the role of this figure in his/her society, the influence of society on him/her, the journey and downfall of the character, and what his/her tragic flaw shows about mankind in general.
Authors and works may include:
Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, Sophocles’Oedipus Rex, William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, Alfred Lord Tennyson’s The Idylls of the King, Toni Morrison’s Beloved, Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, and Richard Wright’s Native Son
Sample Assignments:
Close read works and keep a reader response journal which explores reactions, insights, and connections to the central theme for all the works. Teacher will provide feedback through class discussion on student responses as they strive for level three analysis and evaluation of the works.
Participate in careful analysis and discussion of the texts using a data summary sheet to note key elements of works.
Analyze Macbeth’s tragic decline over the course of the play, focusing on his changing state of mind as it parallels the outer catastrophe. Focus special attention on Macbeth’s solo speeches which reveal his inner thoughts and feelings and present all of these findings as a formal, researched analysis with at least two sources integrated to support student’s original ideas. Revise paper after written feedback and editing from both peers and the teacher. Students use sentence length/structure chart to revise their essays and make appropriate changes.
Explore Shakespeare’s view of sleep through the comparison of King Henry’s view of sleep from Henry IV with that of Macbeth’s in Act II of Macbeth, considering the use of imagery, diction, and figurative language.
Analyze Okonkwo from Things Fall Apart and compare/contrast him with a more classic tragic hero from past readings such as Sophocles’Antigone or Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. Discuss how Okonkwo as the tragic hero differs from the more classic version, analyzing both characters’ tragic flaws and downfalls. Teacher provides specific written feedback on the organization of essay, including strength and placement of thesis, quality of supporting evidence and commentary in body, smooth transitions, and logical, appropriate conclusion. Students revise accordingly.
Complete the AP free-response question 3 from the 2003 exam: Select a novel or play in which a tragic figure functions as an instrument of the suffering of others. Then write an essay in which you explain how the suffering brought upon others by that figure contributes to the tragic vision of the work as a whole.
Through the exploration of these characters’ tragic flaws, the students will have a self-realization about their own flaws. They will keep a personal journal of this inner journey and share a creative product about this exploration.
Related AP practice:
2003 (Question 3) – Tragic figure causes suffering
-- Henry Speech