Tragedy

Arthur Miller

Melodrama & Pathos

(not enough to be tragedy)
-External conflict between people,
typically ending in violence
-Mere sadness, sympathy, and
identification
-Accidental death
Ex: A piano falls on someone causing
them to perish.
-No lesson on human nature and human
potential

The Rungs of the Ladder

TRAGEDY

mans STRUGGLE for

M Portrays
HAPPINESS
P
E HOPE we will learn (believable)
A
L Shows us RIGHT way of living shows
T
us what the character MIGHT have
O become
H
D Evoke FEELINGS sadness, sympathy,
E
identification, fearBUT also
R KNOWLEDGE, Enlightenment
Characters
T are wholly
realized
INTERNAL CONFLICT- man vs. self
I
(why
he
almost
did
not
act)
A
C
CONFLICT BETWEEN PEOPLE
M
person vs. person

Tragic Hero
One

who tries, but fails to gain his

rightful place in the world.

Misses

accomplishing his joy the

promise of right living.

Tragic Flaw
The

protagonist(s) possess a tragic flaw;

A fault in his or her character that lead to his or
her demise or downfall or the downfall of
others.
ex: Romeo is ruled too heavily by his emotions
making him hasty and brash. This results in his
choice to obtain poison and take his own life.

Is The Crucible a Tragedy?

Review the rungs in the ladder and see
if you believe that this text fits with A.
Millers definition of tragedy.