Tragedy is not just a
sad story, cause that is simply sad, or
unfortunate. This is my definition, which is not nesecarily the correct one. This definition deals mainly with tragedy in
literature.
Tragedy is when a character creates his or her personal and
moral downfall and destruction of self and/or life that results from a single, limiting
decision chosen with the understanding of other possible choices but with the feeling of having
no choice, so that the
character is left only to follow a course that ends up in the character’s
downfall. The character feels that they have no choice because of the extent of their
environment that has affected them, rather than an
innate flaw in their character. It is because the character
understands that they have the choices but believe so
firmly that they have none and this results in
destruction, that there is tragedy. The character also does not believe that they are
responsible for their choices and actions, because the can only
perceive one course of action. This idea also
evokes a feeling of
empathy and
astonishment from the reader because they are able to perceive that the character could have had a way out if they were not so intent on their purpose. With the end
tending to result in
unnecessary or
sorrowful death or the character left with out
resolution, the tragedy is experienced by the
reader.