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Don’t copy this ... Definition of tragedy: “A tragedy is the imitation of an action that is serious and also, as having magnitude, complete in itself; in appropriate and pleasurable language;. … in a dramatic rather than narrative form; with incidents arousing pity and fear, wherewith to accomplish a catharsis of these emotions.” it must be: - a serious topic, i.e. not trivial - have magnitude, i.e. importance - complete in time and space, i.e. not be interrupted
Character: • No matter who they are (hero or slave), the characters must be good in some way. • The characters should act appropriately for their gender and station in life. • The characters have to have believable personalities. • Each character must act consistently throughout the play. Nothing should be “out of character.”
Turn to page 138, and look at the passage between: Biff: There were a lot of nice days to Happy, infuriated: Don’t say that! Relate this passage to some of the main ideas and themes of DOAS. Why is this the last significant conversation of the text? Please write a developed paragraph. I’d like to collect this. REQUIEM. A Mass celebrated for the dead. The name is derived from the first word of the opening hymn in the Latin Rite Mass prior to the revision since the Second Vatican Council. The invocation said, "Requiem aeternam dons eis, Domine" (Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord). (Etym. Latin requies, rest after labor, relaxation.)
Tragedy and the Requiem • How does peripety apply to DOAS? • How does discovery apply to the characters of DOAS, especially in the Requiem? • Do you notice a connection between how the two ideas are presented in the play?
Peripety is the change from one state of things at the beginning of the play to the exact opposite state by the end of the play. This could be something like the change from being rich to being poor, or from being powerful to being powerless, or from being a ruler to being a beggar. The change that takes place in a tragedy should take the main character (and possibly other characters) from a state of happiness to a state of misery. Discovery is a change from ignorance to knowledge. This often happens to the tragic hero who starts out “clueless” and slowly learns how he himself created the mess he ends up in at the end of the play.
Tragedy and DOAS • Hamartia • Arete • Ate • Nemesis • Anagnorisis • Catharsis
1. Hamartia: the tragic flaw, which leads to Ate, the offence to the Gods, which itself leads to Nemesis, or divine (and just) retribution. a. Hubris: A particular type of Hamartia, known as “overweening pride,” arrogance, or excessive confidence. 2. Arete: The “goodness” or “excellence” of a hero. It is the source of pride (a good thing), but leads through over-extension to Ate and Nemesis. 3. Ate, a Greek word for 'ruin, folly, delusion', is the action performed by the hero, usually because of his hubris, or great pride, that leads to his death or downfall. There is also a goddess by that name (Até) in Greek mythology, a personification of the shame. 4. Nemesis: The spirit of divine retribution against those who succumb to hubris; vengeful fate personified as a remorseless goddess. The name Nemesis is related to the Greek word νείμειν, meaning "to give what is due". 5. Anagnorisis: the moment of tragic recognition, when he realizes what he has done wrong and must confront the real truth of the situation. Nemesis follows. 6. Catharsis: purging or cleansing of the emotions, a release of tension.
Essay Prompt Exam Preparation Please answer the following question: “Willy is the most powerless character in DOAS.” Considering the idea of peripety from classical Greek tragedy, how is this statement true or false? In your groups, outline a full essay-length answer, then write a thesis statement for your non-existent essay.
Essay Prompt Exam Preparation Please answer the following question: How are convictions related to power in Death of a Salesman? Outline a full essay-length answer, and then write a paragraph in response. Separately, please write a thesis statement for your non-existent essay. We’ll use them as samples... conviction = “a firmly held belief or opinion”
What does this mean in the context of DOAS? Sometimes he is one who has been displaced from it, sometimes one who seeks to attain it for the first time, but the fateful wound from which the inevitable events spiral is the wound of indignity, and its dominant force is indignation. Tragedy, then, is the consequence of a man's total compulsion to evaluate himself justly. How, if at all, does this make the play optimistic or pessimistic for the audience?
Why does Willy plant seeds at the end of the play? What does this symbolize, and how does it relate to the end of the play?
Consider the following sample essay question: “You’re a pair of animals! No one, not another living soul would have the cruelty to walk out on that man in a restaurant!” What does this quote indicate about the power relationships between Willy and his sons?
DOAS is a play about parenting, not material success. Discuss with examples from the text. • outline • thesis statement • Please take five minutes.
1. Communication type: (Poetic, Mass, Professional) ________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Text type: (NP article, letter, manifesto, etc…) ________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Title of Text: ________________________________________________________________________________ 4. Where would it be published? Which specific venue? Give me a title! ________________________________________________________________________________ 5. Who is the author? Whether fictitious or real, he must have a name, and he must have a reason for writing this article. ________________________________________________________________________________ 6. What is his affiliation? Does he belong to a university or a newspaper? Is he a private character or a public one? ________________________________________________________________________________
Linda is always taken for granted in the play. When does this change? Does it? • outline your answer • write a thesis statement