The Tragedy Archetype

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The Tragedy Archetype
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What is Tragedy?

• The idealized world of Romance is replaced by the
  real world of Tragedy where greatness can be
  crushed and goodness defeated.
• While Romance glorifies the beauty and power of
  youth and innocence, tragedy presents the
  problems and challenges of adulthood.

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Types of Tragedy

• The Pure Hero
• Loss of Innocence
• Sacrificial Victim
• Classic Tragic Hero
• Spiritual Death

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The Pure Hero

• 1. An innocent victim of tragic events
• --an accident
• --a natural catastrophe
• --an innocent bystander
• 2. An innocent person who is unjustly accused of
  a crime
• We empathize, feel pity, and dignify this
  tragedy.

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Loss of Innocence

• Innocent, young hero faces harsh world of
  experience
• Innocence is left behind
• Hero recognizes maturing significance of event
• Hero gains wisdom or is crushed

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Sacrificial Victim

• Hero willingly suffers or dies for a just cause,
  or a scapegoat is sacrificed to rid world of evil
  
• There is victory in defeat--cause is strengthened
• Destiny singles out this person for greatness

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Sacrificial Victim
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Classic Tragic Hero

• Important person brings about his/her own
  downfall due to a tragic flaw (greed, ambition,
  cowardice, lust, hatred)
• Hero destroyed by outside force
• Catharctic experience for audience

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Classic Tragic Hero
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Spiritual Death

• Hero is trapped, humiliated, ridiculed, or
  tortured
• Hero can not control his destiny
• Frequently set in prisons, war, asylums
• Some hope is left but very little

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Typical Plot

• Hero accepts the call to adventure and embarks
  on perilous physical or psychological journey to
  achieve his goal
• Destiny intrudes fate, bad luck, the heros
  flaw, a stronger enemy blocks the hero
• Hero is defeated
• The audience experiences catharsis

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Typical Tragedy Themes

• Tragedy is part of REAL WORLD experiences and
  events
• Innocence may lose evil may triumph
• All people have the capacity for wrong-doing
• People suffering tragic events and emerge wiser
  and stronger--hope remains
• People can feel pity and learn from the tragic
  events of others (empathy and catharsis)
• Tragic events occur to both the lowly and the
  high and mighty

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Common Motifs and Settings

• Cold, harsh world--gloomy settings, autumn, rain
  storms
• Isolation
• Cruelty--unintentional or intentional
• Dark colors