The word could have referred either to the prize, a goat, that was awarded to the dramatists whose plays won the earliest competitions or to the dress (goat skins) of the performers, or to the goat that was sacrificed in the rituals from which tragedy developed. The most generally accepted source is the Greek tragōidia, or “goat-song,” from tragos (“goat”) and aeidein (“to sing”). Even the etymology of the word tragedy is far from established. The questions of how and why tragedy came into being and of the bearing of its origins on its development in subsequent ages and cultures have been investigated by historians, philologists, archaeologists, and anthropologists with results that are suggestive but conjectural. The role of tragedy in the growth of theatre is discussed in Western theatre.Ī Night at the Theatre Quiz Development Origins in Greece For information on the relationship of tragedy to other types of drama, see dramatic literature. This article focusses primarily on the development of tragedy as a literary genre. In the modern period, roughly from the middle of the 19th century, the idea of tragedy found embodiment in the collateral form of the novel. Each period saw the development of a special orientation and emphasis, a characteristic style of theatre. Historically, tragedy of a high order has been created in only four periods and locales: Attica, in Greece, in the 5th century bce England in the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I, from 1558 to 1625 17th-century France and Europe and America during the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th. 480–406 bce)-that the word they first used for their plays survived and came to describe a literary genre that, in spite of many transformations and lapses, has proved its viability through 25 centuries. So powerful were the achievements of the three greatest Greek dramatists- Aeschylus (525–456 bce), Sophocles (c. Most of the material was derived from the works of Homer and was common knowledge in the Greek communities. There were altars to the gods, with priests in attendance, and the subjects of the tragedies were the misfortunes of the heroes of legend, religious myth, and history. The atmosphere surrounding the performances was more like that of a religious ceremony than entertainment. Sponsored by the local governments, these plays were attended by the entire community, a small admission fee being provided by the state for those who could not afford it themselves. The Greeks of Attica, the ancient state whose chief city was Athens, first used the word in the 5th century bce to describe a specific kind of play, which was presented at festivals in Greece. By extension the term may be applied to other literary works, such as the novel.Īlthough the word tragedy is often used loosely to describe any sort of disaster or misfortune, it more precisely refers to a work of art that probes with high seriousness questions concerning the role of man in the universe. Tragedy, branch of drama that treats in a serious and dignified style the sorrowful or terrible events encountered or caused by a heroic individual. SpaceNext50 Britannica presents SpaceNext50, From the race to the Moon to space stewardship, we explore a wide range of subjects that feed our curiosity about space!.Learn about the major environmental problems facing our planet and what can be done about them! Saving Earth Britannica Presents Earth’s To-Do List for the 21st Century.Britannica Beyond We’ve created a new place where questions are at the center of learning.100 Women Britannica celebrates the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment, highlighting suffragists and history-making politicians.COVID-19 Portal While this global health crisis continues to evolve, it can be useful to look to past pandemics to better understand how to respond today.Student Portal Britannica is the ultimate student resource for key school subjects like history, government, literature, and more.Demystified Videos In Demystified, Britannica has all the answers to your burning questions.This Time in History In these videos, find out what happened this month (or any month!) in history.#WTFact Videos In #WTFact Britannica shares some of the most bizarre facts we can find.Britannica Classics Check out these retro videos from Encyclopedia Britannica’s archives.Britannica Explains In these videos, Britannica explains a variety of topics and answers frequently asked questions.
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