THE TRAGIC HERO

TragedyAccording to Aristotle, tragedy arouses pity and fear in the audience so that we may be purged of unsettling emotions…

This emotional release can be pleasurable and

exhilarating, not depressing. This emotional release is known as

catharsis…

The Tragic Hero√ Not completely good or bad√ Highly renowned and prosperous

(royalty)√ Must fall from good fortune in order

to move us

The Tragic Flaw√ A character weakness that makes the hero

responsible for his downfall√ He is not merely a plaything of the gods√ By the end of the play he recognizes his

flaw and accepts his fate… he is enlightened.

We the audience feel that the punishment is too excessive for our hero so we pity him, yet we are fearful too because we know that the hero is better than us and still failed.

The Hero’s PersonaI. They will possess a particular type of

excellence (arete`)II. In addition, they also possess an

excessive degree of pride (hubris)III. This excessive pride causes them to

believe that the customary limitations do not apply to them, and they act with imprudence or blind recklessness (ate`)

IV. As a result their behavior invites disastrous retribution (nemesis)

Family Feud

1.Antigone’s quiet and timid sister

Ismene

2.Ends each scene with a summary or opinion of the past

events

Chorus

3.The leader of the chorus

Choragos

4.In charge of watching Polyneices’

body

Sentry

5.Kills herself after her son dies

Eurydice

6.A tragic hero that suffers from pride

Creon

7.Son of the King

Haimon

8.Blind prophet that warns Creon

Tiresias

9.Sophocles’ birth place

Athens

10.The plays were inspired

by these storiesThe Greek myths

11.In the Greek plays where did

the violence take place?Off stage

12.________is dropping hints

about what is to come later in the

textForeshadowing

13.Antigone expects to be

_____ for burying her brother.

honored

14.How does Creon feel

about women?He is sexist

towards women

15.How do the Gods feel about Creon’s decreesThey are angry

16.What final choice does Antigone

make in the play?She commits suicide

17.Creon believes that

this brother is a traitor

Polyneices

18._____ is Antigone’s

uncleCreon

19.Who is the author of this

play?Sophocles

20.The name of the city where this play takes

placeThebes

21.Antigone asks this person to

help bury PolyneicesIsmene

22.Oedipus killed his _____

and married his _____

Father, Mother

23.Known for her loyalty and

braveryAntigone

24.Announces the tragedy at the end

of the play

The Messenger

26. Name the 4 Greek Concepts (stages) of a

hero.

Arete, hubris, ate, nemesis

27. What is Creon’s nemesis by the end of

the play?

His son and wife commit suicide

28. Name at least one background

characteristic of a hero.

Elevated status, not extremely good or bad

29. According to Aristotle, this characteristic leads to the down fall of our

hero.

Tragic flaw

30. According to Aristotle a tragedy inspires what two things from the audience?

Pity and fear

31. A release of emotion at the end of the play is called_____.

catharsis

32. In what type of government did Sophocles live?

democracy

32. How many plays of Sophocles have

survived over time?

7

33. The opposite of what is said is

meant.

Verbal irony

34. A character that contrasts the qualities of another character.

Foil

35. The audience knows something that the

characters do not know.

Dramatic irony

36. A person, place, or activity that stands for something else.

symbol

37. Blind recklessness

Ate

38. Excessive pride

hubris

39. Showing excellence

arete

40. What is enlightenment in terms of our tragic hero?

Our hero realizes his/her tragic flaw and accepts

his/her fate.