tragedy
Sign in to savethumb|The classical Punjabi tragedy of Heer Ranjha, one of the four classic tragedies of [[Punjabi folklore; the tragedy's epic form by Waris Shah is regarded as one of the greatest pieces of Punjabi literature]]
AI overview
Tragedy is a serious form of storytelling where characters face unavoidable downfall or loss, exemplified by classics like the Punjabi tale of Heer Ranjha. These stories matter because they are regarded as among the greatest works of literature and culture, preserving important values and emotional truths within a society.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Article
20 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Greek
- Roman<!--'Roman tragedy' redirects here-->
- Renaissance
- Influence of Greek and Roman
- Britain
- Domestic tragedy
- Opera
- Neo-classical
- Later development
- Bourgeois
- Modern development
- Theories
- Aristotle
- Hegel
- See also
- Notes
- References
- Sources
- External links
thumb|The classical Punjabi tragedy of Heer Ranjha, one of the four classic tragedies of [[Punjabi folklore; the tragedy's epic form by Waris Shah is regarded as one of the greatest pieces of Punjabi literature]]
A tragedy is a genre of drama based on human suffering, specifically by way of terrible or sorrowful events that befall a main character or cast of characters. Traditionally, the intention of tragedy is to invoke an accompanying catharsis, or a "pain [that] awakens pleasure," for the audience. While many cultures have developed forms that provoke this paradoxical response, the term tragedy often refers to a specific tradition of drama that has played a unique and important role historically in the self-definition of Western civilization. That tradition has been multiple and discontinuous, yet the term has often been used to invoke a powerful effect of cultural identity and historical continuity—"the Greeks and the Elizabethans, in one cultural form; Hellenes and Christians, in a common activity," as Raymond Williams puts it.