Tragedy, as stated by Aristotle is an imitation, not of men, but of action and life, of happiness and misery, that is serious, complete and encompasses language which is pleasant at different places. Miller had added on to this definition by saying that tragedy is “the consequence of a man’s total compulsion to evaluate himself justly.” Aristotle also states that the aim of tragedy is to excite pity and fear, which are the distinctive marks of a tragedy. Aristotle also said that plot should be simple rather than complex and should have, however rudimentary this may seem, a beginning, middle, and an end. All of this so far Miller agrees with for the most part and

The thing that they most disagreed on was character and the building of the tragic character. Aristotle believed that the tragic character must be a man of extraordinary good and just, who brings misfortune on himself not by vice or rascality, but by some error or frailty. He believed that he must be someone who is highly renowned and prosperous, such as Oedipus. Miller on the other hand believed that tragedy could be found in anyone, including the common people. He went on to show this in The Crucible by having Procter, a common farmer as the tragic hero. Perhaps the idea of a common hero in the days of Aristotle might not have worked, and a hero who maintained a high status was necessary, that is no longer true, as Miller has proven. Procter portraying the tragic hero was as powerful if not more than when it was Oedipus in Oedipus Rex or Creon in Antigone, so therefore the genius of Arthur Miller was able to create a modern classic tragedy.

Tragedy in this day and age is rarely written, but not because it is above us or we are below it, it is because people do not realize that tragedy can exist in a modern time without the tragic falling of a person fro a high status, which is no longer accepted as well as the

Some topics in this essay:
Mary Warren, Crucible Tragedy, Arthur Miller, Miller Aristotle, Crucible Procter, View Bridge, , Oedipus Miller, Tragedy Common, tragic hero, mary warren, arthur miller, Creon Antigone, age rarely written, poppet elizabeth, age rarely, rarely written, crucible death, tragic character, sentenced death, day age,