Unit : 1
About the Chapter
• tragedy & types
• Comedy & types , tragic - comedy ; Expressionists Drama ; Drama of ideas ; Poetic Drama ;
Closet Drama ; The problem play ; Theatre of absurd .
Tragedy & types
Definition of tragedy :-
Aristotle in his definition of tradedy says ," tragedy is an initiation of action that is serious ;
complete and of a certain magnitude; in language, embellished with each king of fantastic
ornaments the serval kind being found in the separate parts of the play in the form of action
not of narration through pity and fear affecting the proper catharsis or purging of these
emotions.
( Tragedy excites pity and fear two kindred emotions always at work in human breast . The act
of excitating affords a pleasurable relief . But the feelings called forth by the tragic aspect are
not permanently removed but quitened for the time being so that the system could fall on its
normal working.)
Types of tragedy:-
The main trends of English tragedy can broadly be classified in the following ways :
1.) The Greek tragedy or the athenian tragedy.-
Tragedy is Greek word . It is literally means ' goat song ' . In the beginning it implied a " form
of rituals sacrifice" .
The main features of Greek tragedy were four .
, • the first of there was the chorus which is consisted of bane of dancers and singers. It is
represented a group of men and women of low social rank they were those who were interested
in destinies of major characters of play.
• the second important aspect of Greek tragedy was the concept of the unities . Aristotle
mentioned two unities only _ unity of time and unity of action . But the the third one _ the unity
of place _ was implied in the unity of time .
• the third important requirement of Greek tragedy was the plot. Aristotle regarded it as the
soul of tragedy. He gave it greater importance that characters .
2.) THE Roman tragedy:-
Following the expansion of the Roman republic into serval Greek territories between 270-
240B.C , Roman encountered Greek tragedy. From the later years of the republic and by means
of Roman Empire, theatre spread west across Europe around the Mediterranean and even
reached England .
From the time of the empire the tragedies of two playwright survive one is an unknown author
while others is stoic philosopher Seneca. Nine of Seneca's tragedies survive all of which are
adapted from Greek originals .
3.) Heroic tragedy :-
The heroic tragedy is a drama in the epic mode . It was grand rhetorical and declamatory and
occasionally bombastic.
" it's themes were love and honour and it's was considerably influenced by french classical
drama .. ... It was staged in spectacular and operatic fashion and it one can detect the influence
of opera ... In his " preface to the conquest of granda ."
4.) The Renaissance tragedy:-
• This is revolutionized English Drama . This feat was performed by the scholars produced by
two universities of England, the Oxford and Cambridge University that has established
themselves as the great seats of New learning.
The university wits made the definite improvement in plot -construction and in the art of
characterization. Greene showed the way to Shakespeare in the art of plot construction. An so
on ....
5.) The morden tragedy :-
The morden tragedy or drama is a drama of ideas of social problems. It is mostly realistic and
naturalistic. Themes of modern tragedy are taken form actual life . Social tragedy, domestic
tragedy , Poetic Drama are the chief forms of morden tragedy.
Basically modern tragedy has two distinct forms _ the problem play and the poetic drama .____
About the Chapter
• tragedy & types
• Comedy & types , tragic - comedy ; Expressionists Drama ; Drama of ideas ; Poetic Drama ;
Closet Drama ; The problem play ; Theatre of absurd .
Tragedy & types
Definition of tragedy :-
Aristotle in his definition of tradedy says ," tragedy is an initiation of action that is serious ;
complete and of a certain magnitude; in language, embellished with each king of fantastic
ornaments the serval kind being found in the separate parts of the play in the form of action
not of narration through pity and fear affecting the proper catharsis or purging of these
emotions.
( Tragedy excites pity and fear two kindred emotions always at work in human breast . The act
of excitating affords a pleasurable relief . But the feelings called forth by the tragic aspect are
not permanently removed but quitened for the time being so that the system could fall on its
normal working.)
Types of tragedy:-
The main trends of English tragedy can broadly be classified in the following ways :
1.) The Greek tragedy or the athenian tragedy.-
Tragedy is Greek word . It is literally means ' goat song ' . In the beginning it implied a " form
of rituals sacrifice" .
The main features of Greek tragedy were four .
, • the first of there was the chorus which is consisted of bane of dancers and singers. It is
represented a group of men and women of low social rank they were those who were interested
in destinies of major characters of play.
• the second important aspect of Greek tragedy was the concept of the unities . Aristotle
mentioned two unities only _ unity of time and unity of action . But the the third one _ the unity
of place _ was implied in the unity of time .
• the third important requirement of Greek tragedy was the plot. Aristotle regarded it as the
soul of tragedy. He gave it greater importance that characters .
2.) THE Roman tragedy:-
Following the expansion of the Roman republic into serval Greek territories between 270-
240B.C , Roman encountered Greek tragedy. From the later years of the republic and by means
of Roman Empire, theatre spread west across Europe around the Mediterranean and even
reached England .
From the time of the empire the tragedies of two playwright survive one is an unknown author
while others is stoic philosopher Seneca. Nine of Seneca's tragedies survive all of which are
adapted from Greek originals .
3.) Heroic tragedy :-
The heroic tragedy is a drama in the epic mode . It was grand rhetorical and declamatory and
occasionally bombastic.
" it's themes were love and honour and it's was considerably influenced by french classical
drama .. ... It was staged in spectacular and operatic fashion and it one can detect the influence
of opera ... In his " preface to the conquest of granda ."
4.) The Renaissance tragedy:-
• This is revolutionized English Drama . This feat was performed by the scholars produced by
two universities of England, the Oxford and Cambridge University that has established
themselves as the great seats of New learning.
The university wits made the definite improvement in plot -construction and in the art of
characterization. Greene showed the way to Shakespeare in the art of plot construction. An so
on ....
5.) The morden tragedy :-
The morden tragedy or drama is a drama of ideas of social problems. It is mostly realistic and
naturalistic. Themes of modern tragedy are taken form actual life . Social tragedy, domestic
tragedy , Poetic Drama are the chief forms of morden tragedy.
Basically modern tragedy has two distinct forms _ the problem play and the poetic drama .____
