Nine Rules of Tragedy

Question 1

1. The protagonist should be of…

Answer 1

noble stature—that is, a member of the upper classes.

**This is important so that behavior is public knowledge.

Question 2

2. The protagonist should be a…

Answer 2

fundamentally admirable person because the audience will sympathize with a good person.

**The Greeks admired ethical purity, emotional self-control, moderation in personal habits, and absolute devotion to one’s gods, nation, and family.

Question 3

3. The protagonist must commit…

Answer 3

hamartia—an error in judgment.

**He or she breaks a moral law or ignores a god’s warning, for example, thus bringing about personal destruction. This error is usually caused by a “tragic flaw.” Sometimes this flawed personality trait was hubris (arrogance or excessive pride).

Question 4

4. The protagonist must suffer…

Answer 4

peripeteia—a reversal of circumstances.

**He or she starts out happy and prosperous but eventually experiences misery and downfall.

Question 5

5. The protagonist must experience…

Answer 5

anagnorisis”—the discovery or realization of the truth.

**The protagonist can then take personal responsibility for mistakes.

Question 6

6. The protagonist’s tragic flaw…

Answer 6

Brings about extreme punishment.

**Thus, the audience feels pity

Question 7

7. Events must follow in…

Answer 7

chronological sequence.

**So that it is clear that each event or decision led to the next.

Question 8

8. Tragedy must be written in…

Answer 8

grand style.

**The language must be serious and impressive-sounding—usually poetry—so that the audience recognizes the importance of what is happening.

Question 9

9. The tragedy must provide…

Answer 9

catharsis—a satisfied feeling.

**After the terror and pity of the story, the spectator should feel that order has been restored and that there is hope for the future.