Learning Guide Module

Subject Code Eng 4 English 4

Module Code 5.0 Oedipus Rex
Lesson Code 5.1 Elements of Tragedy
Time Limit 30 minutes

Components Tasks TAa ATAb

Target By the end of this learning guide module, the students should be able to:

1. point out the elements of tragedy 1

min.
2. describe the heroic world - the heroism that faces and suffers death; and
3. understand the roles of the gods and man in determining one’s destiny as
depicted in the tragedy

Hook Initial Task. Accomplish the Story Anticipation Guide below. Before reading
the module, mark each statement with either a ✓ if you agree with it or an X if
you disagree with it. After reading the module, fill in the column with the page
number of the text where you found the correct answer for each statement.

Agree Disagree STATEMENT 3

1. A tragic hero is one who undergoes any mins.
significant change in character, personality, or
perspective over the course of a story.

2. Plot is considered as the important element of a

tragedy.

3. Nemesis is the inevitable punishment or cosmic

payback for acts of hubris.

4. Aeschylus is one of the three great tragic

playwrights and poets. He is well-known for his
several major and minor dramatic innovations

5. The amphitheater was the common venue for

Early Greek plays.

English 4 |Page 1 of 7
Ignite
Background on Greek Drama

Greek drama was an important part of ancient Greek life since it was one
of the ways they celebrated religious festivals or entertained themselves. It was 13
also their way of investigating the world they lived in. The drama was considered mins.
the crowning glory of the Athenian Age because Athens became the literary
center of Greece.

Photo Fine Art America. Ancient Greek Theater. Retrieved from: https://www.
pinterest.co.uk/pin/423971752392603596/

The term drama is derived from the Greek word ‘dran’ which means “to
do, to act, or to perform.” In Greece, two main types of drama were born:
tragedy and comedy. Tragedy is a play that is more serious and deals with darker
themes, usually marked by a sad and depressing ending. Comedy, on the other
hand, is a play that is meant to be humorous with a happy ending. From the 6th
century BCE, tragic plays were
performed at religious festivals
in Athens. Some scholars claim
that the tragic drama evolved
from the lyrical performance of
epic poetry, though others
attribute its origin to the song
ritual performed in the worship
of Dionysus, which was called
the tragodia (Cartwright).
Greek Muses of Tragedy and Comedy: Thalia and Melpomene. Photo. Dinner
Theatre Cliparts. Retrieved from: favpng.com/png_view/dinner-theatre-cliparts-
mask-theatre-tragedy-
Playwrights and poets competed in Ancient Greece. Their plays were
judged by a panel for a prize that was often a bronze tripod cauldron. As such,
they had to follow certain rules such as the avoidance of comments or political
statements in their plays. Since the tragedies of Ancient Greece heavily featured
the gods and goddesses they worshipped, there was a reverent seriousness in the

English 4 |Page 2 of 7
way scenes were performed. Deaths cannot be depicted in front of the audience;
instead, they had to be heard offstage.
Greek tragedies were typically romantic and grief-ridden, cognizant of the
rampant corruption and power-tripping of egotistic men, and the love-hate
relationship
between men and
their gods. One of
the most common
plots revolve
around a hero
dealing with the
dire consequences
Greek Famous Playwrights and Poets. Photo by Pierre Angina. Retrieved from:
of the grave https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/

mistake he did not

realize he had
committed, as
seen in stories such as that of Oedipus (PBS).
Comedies in Ancient Greece were satirical mockeries. Aristophanes was
known as the master of comedy, particularly Old Comedy which were about men
in power, particularly those who were vain and foolish. Later on, as the genre of
comedy evolved, Menander became known as the father of New Comedy, which
were situational comedies of ordinary people (PBS).
Perhaps one of the least known genres of Ancient Greek Drama is the satyr
play, which are short plays performed between acts of tragic dramas. They make
fun of the plight of the tragedy’s characters. In a way, it is the earliest incarnation
of the tragicomedy. However, too few examples of satyr plays have survived the
passage of time.
It may be tempting to assume that, since technology has greatly aided modern
dramatists, Ancient Greek dramas are less impressive. However, there were
stringed instruments such as the lyre and the flute-like wind instrument such as
the aulos for musical scores;
padded and exaggerated
costumes so that actors can be
seen even from the back seats;
masks with different
expressions so the same actor
can play multiple roles; cranes
for lifting up actors when their
character must “fly”; and
special effects for sounds like
rain, thunder and horse hooves.
Sophocles, Antigone, and Athenian tragedy.
(2014). The Rational Colonel. Retrieved from:
https://therationalcolonel.org/2014/

English 4 |Page 3 of 7
 Ancient Greek tragedy consists of five important parts:
1. Prologue – This is the opening monologue or dialogue prior to the entrance
of the chorus that usually presents the background of the play.
2. Parados (Entrance Ode) – This is the actual entrance of the chorus through
expressive songs and dances that leads up to the main theme of the play.
3. Episode – this is the central part of the play where the chorus and actors
interact through dialogues. Typically, there are 3-5 episodes performed by
the actors.
4. Stasimon – This section is where the chorus gives comment or reaction for
the episodes.
5. Exodus – This is the concluding part of the play and the final song of the
chorus where the moral of the play is revealed.

3 Principles of a Greek Tragedy

Much like modern tragedies, Aristotle’s concept of a tragedy revolves

around a flawed hero whose downfall results in a change of fortune, revelation
and/or purification at the end. Below are the specific terminologies that Ancient
Greeks used to describe the characters and phenomena in tragedies.

1. “A true tragedy should evoke pity and fear on the part of the
audience.”
▪ Tragedies serve as a platform for people to healthily come to terms
with their negative emotional responses, such as pity and fear, to
distressing situations, such as pain and suffering. This is catharsis, the
type of purification or purging of feelings that Aristotle believed was
the purpose of a tragedy.

2. “The tragic hero [protagonist] must be essentially admirable and

good.”
▪ Audiences can relate and empathize more with the “good guys” – the
protagonist or hero – in the story. It is precisely for this reason that
tragedies are so disturbing; they ask the question, “Why do bad things
happen to good people?”

3. “In a true tragedy, the hero's demise must come as a result of some
personal error or decision.”
▪ Aristotle emphasizes personal accountability for the tragedies that
befall the hero. He calls this the hamartia or fatal flaw of the main
character that caused the tragedy to happen. He does not consider
accidents or “bad luck” to be a significant factor that causes pathos or
suffering.

Six Elements of a Tragedy

According to Aristotle, tragedy can be divided into six essential elements:
1. Plot – is the most important element of a tragedy. This is considered the
soul of tragedy where the arrangement of incidents or actions exist both

English 4 |Page 4 of 7
 internal and external. Drama is usually divided into acts and each act is
divided into scenes.
Plot can be classified as simple or complex:
a) Simple - consists of “change of fortune” (catastrophe). The catastrophe
marks the protagonist’s failure and usually occurs at the end of the
drama.
b) Complex - involves both “plot reversal” (peripeteia) and “tragic
recognition or insight” (anagnorisis) connected with the catastrophe
2. Characters – refer to the hero, heroine, and other entities portrayed in the
play.
3. Thought – pertains to the message that the playwright wishes to convey
through the events and the characters. It also refers to what the characters
think or feel during their career in the development of the plot through their
speeches and dialogues.
4. Diction – refers to the choice of words of the characters which are meant
to be delivered by the actors.
5. Song – refers to the rhythm of actor’s voices as they speak by which
dialogues are delivered.
6. Spectacles – are visual elements of the play, such as the physical
appearance of the actors, the special effects of the performance, and the
design of the stage.

The term tragic hero, first used by Aristotle, refers to a dignified character
in a tragedy. Aristotle states that heroes are imperfect and the tragedy they
experience in the plot of the play is of his own doing, such as his poor judgment,
pride, weakness, or an excess of an admirable quality. It is typically quite late
into the story when the hero is able to reflect upon the error of his ways.

Aristotle's Characteristics of a Tragic Hero

1. Hamartia
● This is the hero’s flaw that leads to his tragic downfall.
2. Hubris
● This refers to the hero’s arrogance or excessive pride.
3. Peripeteia
● This is the reversal of fate or fortune.
4. Anagnorisis
● This is a pivotal moment in which the hero reaches a realization.
5. Nemesis
● Literally translating to ‘revenge,’ this is the full brunt of
consequences of the hero’s mistake.
6. Catharsis
● Audiences experience this release of negative emotions such as pity
and fear towards the end of the play.
Navigate
Learning Task

A. Identify what is being asked in the following sentences. Write your

answer on the space provided before each number. (10 points)

English 4 |Page 5 of 7
 ____________1. It refers to the hero’s flaw that leads to his tragic downfall.
____________2. It pertains to the unavoidable fate of the hero usually caused 9
by his own hubris. mins.
____________3. It refers to what the characters think or feel.
____________4. It deals with anything that can be seen onstage during the
performance of the play
____________5. It is a play that presents a serious subject matter about
suffering with corresponding terrible events presented in a
dignified manner.
____________6. It pertains to the words or lines of the characters.
____________7. It is a play that intends to incite laughter and amusement.
____________8. It is a literary character who makes a judgment error that
inevitably leads to his/her own destruction.
____________9. It is the moment when the hero makes an important
discovery.
___________10. It is the hero’s experience of a reversal of fate or fortune.

Knot
Summary
▪ Drama is a literary work written to be performed onstage and intended to
create an illusion of reality.
▪ The tragedy can be classified into six essential elements: plot, characters,
dialogue, thought, diction, song, and spectacle.
▪ The ideal tragic hero, according to Aristotle, should exemplify the
following characteristics: anagnorisis, catharsis, hamartia, hubris,
nemesis, and peripeteia. 2
▪ Sophocles is one of the greatest Greek tragic poets. He is known for his mins.
theatrical effectiveness, rapidity, directness, sense of suspense, and well-
written climaxes.

Assignment

Read in advance the literary selection entitled Oedipus Rex by Sophocles.

You can access the reading materials provided by your teacher or you can visit
this link
http://socrates.acadiau.ca/courses/engl/rcunningham/Fall2008/1413/pdf/Oedipu
sRex.pdf

Note: This lesson will be continued in the next module

References

Ancient Greece Drama and Theater. (n.d.) Ducksters Education Site. Retrieved
on 4 August 2020 from https://www.ducksters.com/history/ancient
_greece/drama _and_theatre.php

Castro, H. M. & Reyno, S. A. (2014). Exploring Life through World literature.

English 4 |Page 6 of 7
 Quezon City: Phoenix Publishing House, Inc.

Cartwright, M. (2016) Ancient Greek theatre. Ancient History Encyclopedia.

Retrieved on 4 August 2020 from https://www.ancient.eu/Greek_Theatre/

Matthews, R.T. & Platt, F.D. (2008). Readings in the Western. Humanities. New
York: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Ray R. (2020). Storyboard That. Retrieved from: https://www.storyboardthat.

com/articles/e/tragic-hero

Romero, J. P. & Delos Reyes, A. D. (2014). Exploring Life through English and
American Literature. Quezon City: Phoenix Publishing House, Inc.

The different types of Greek drama and their importance. (n.d.) PBS.
Retrieved on 4 August 2020 from https://www.pbs.org/empires/thegreeks/
background/24c.html

.
a
suggested time allocation set by the teacher
b
actual time spent by the student (for information purposes only)

Prepared by: Jared P. Manalastas Reviewed: Brian Villanueva

Position: SST-II Position: SST-II
Campus: PSHS-CLC Campus: PSHS-Main Campus

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