... Tragedy Leah Smith Class of 1997 Melissa Balint Class of 1997 Franklin & Marshall College Tragedy as an art form was invented in ancient Greek dramas. The philosopher Aristotle discussed the art form in his Poetics. This work, written down from his students' notes, was an attempt to describe what makes a tragedy. However, this ancient Greek description was interpreted ... Hardy's choice to make Michael Henchard, the protagonist of his novel, the mayor of Casterbridge. He has the highest social standing of the town. Also, nineteenth century interpretation said that Aristotle defined a t...

• Word Count: 3292
• Approx Pages: 13
• Grade Level: High School

... much more easily. The cathartic effect which is presented almost perfectly in Oedipus, is not as effective in Hamlet, as it does not follow all of Aristotle's criteria, although it still possess some reader identification. Hamlet is a story about a prince (Hamlet JR.) who is told by a Ghost (Hamlet Sr ... amount of fear from the audience because of the fact that he has one major flaw i.e. his procassination to kill Claudius, which conforms perfectly to Aristotle's criteria. The less flaws present the less remote the possibility that a reader will be able to identify with Hamlet's flaw. I...

• Word Count: 3952
• Approx Pages: 16
• Grade Level: High School