Origins & History
This ancient civilization is considered the birthplace of tragedy.
The Greeks
He wrote Oedipus Rex.
Sophocles
The audience’s emotional release or purification experienced through tragedy.
Catharsis
Tragedies were originally performed during festivals honoring this god.
Dionysus
The youngest of the three major tragedians—wrote Medea.
Euripides
The tragic flaw or error in judgment that leads to the protagonist’s downfall.
Hamartia
The open-air circular space where actors performed in Greek theater.
Known for Prometheus Bound and many lost plays.
Aeschylus
The moment when the tragic hero recognizes the truth about their situation.
Anagnorisis
The group of performers who commented on the action of the play and represented society.
Chorus
He introduced a third actor, advancing dramatic complexity.
Sophocles
The reversal of fortune from good to bad.
Peripeteia
The word “tragedy” comes from Greek and literally means...
Goat-song
This ancient theorist wrote Poetics, the first formal definition of tragedy.
Aristotle
Pity and Fear are...
The emotions aroused by Tragedy