Elizabethan+Tragedy


 * Elizabethan Tragedy**


 * “Elizabethan Tragedy”** describes the type of tragedy that may be applied to Shakespeare's writing. This type of tragedy typically centers around one character. The story, next, leads up to and includes the death of this character, who is seen as the story’s hero. More specifically referred to as **"a tragic hero"** in **Elizabethan Tragedy**. The death of a tragic hero never comes easily or quickly. Instead a troubled part of the hero's life leads up to his death. The suffering and calamity of the hero must also be of an exceptional nature. In other words an essentially previous happy existence must be shattered by some unforeseen calamity. "A total reverse of fortune, coming unawares upon a man who stood in high degree, happy and apparently secure, - such was the tragic fact to the medieval mind."

Continuing along this line, in a Shakespearean tragedy, the hero must always contribute in some way to his downfall and the resulting tragedy. In other words, the tragedy follows inevitably from the deeds of men, and the main source of these deeds is the character himself. Thus a hero is generally considered to be a tragic figure when his own deeds and character traits bring about the calamity in which he is involved.

If we want to look in another direction for the meaning of tragedy,we can look at the hero himself. Are there any common qualities that seem to apply to most of the tragic heroes in Shakespeare? One obvious characteristic is that they are all great or exceptional persons, person of high degree and/or public importance. Besides this, however, their nature must be exceptional and must generally raise them above the general of humanity. These characters must be paragons of mankind; however, but must have at least one trait,referred to as **"a tragic flaw"**, which leads to their downfall. Because of this one trait, they are unable to resist or are often unconscious of a breach of right; in some it is accompanied by full conviction of right.

Shakespeare's general plan (of tragedy) is to show one set of forces advancing,in secret or open opposition to the other to some decisive success,and then driven downward to defeat by the reaction it provokes. Most tragedy comes into one of two categories: either the tragedy of greatness, or the tragedy of innocence.