Tragedy is defined by thefreedictionary.com as "A drama or literary work in which the main character is brought to ruin or suffers extreme sorrow, especially as a consequence of a tragic flaw, moral weakness, or inability to cope with unfavorable circumstances." The next logical question would be: "Who would want to watch such a thing?" but people just don't watch tragedy they love it; it is a hugely popular genre of entertainment. This seems sort of warped but as I thought about it I realized I am just as intrigued by horrific human suffering as the next person. I watch crime dramas and with fascination and find myself staring at the television whenever a tragic disaster is being showcased. I think all humans posses at least a small sample of this sick obsession. I believe people are drawn to this sort of entertainment because it makes them nauseous. People long to feel intense emotions and invest themselves in something to break the monotony of their painfully boring lives. Often, this means people turn to tragedy; it is harder to feel elation and joy, which could prove to be equally strong emotions, without genuinely caring about the people involved. This theory would also explain the "pushing of the envelope." It sometimes seems every time you turn around something even more awful is being classified as entertainment. This is because people get sensitized to a certain level of tragedy and the longing to feel strongly arises again. If someone has an exciting life full of turmoil, watching a tragedy can allow them to take solace in the fact that somebody out there has it worse. In pop culture television and in news reporting it has been proven that the tragedies draw large audiences, and substantial audiences are rewarded with dedicated air time.
The beginning of tragedy in language arts can be traced to ancient Greece. Greek tragedy or Athenian tragedy is a type of dance-drama that focuses on culture. In annual contests 3 playwrights would present a series of 3 tragedies and a concluding comedy. Plays from only 3 scriptwriters survived: Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. Many other types of tragedies emerged and tragedy is still evolving today. These types include Roman tragedy, Renaissance tragedy, Neo-classical tragedy and various others.
Tragedy is important to study, understand and ponder because it is such a consequential aspect of human life. If we understand the origins of tragedy and how it effected historical figures it may lead us to epiphanies relating to modern times and our own personal struggles.
The beginning of tragedy in language arts can be traced to ancient Greece. Greek tragedy or Athenian tragedy is a type of dance-drama that focuses on culture. In annual contests 3 playwrights would present a series of 3 tragedies and a concluding comedy. Plays from only 3 scriptwriters survived: Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. Many other types of tragedies emerged and tragedy is still evolving today. These types include Roman tragedy, Renaissance tragedy, Neo-classical tragedy and various others.
Tragedy is important to study, understand and ponder because it is such a consequential aspect of human life. If we understand the origins of tragedy and how it effected historical figures it may lead us to epiphanies relating to modern times and our own personal struggles.