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Overview
tragedy
Quick Reference
A serious drama with an unhappy ending involving the downfall of the protagonist. One of Frye's four main literary genres, the others being comedy, romance, and satire. For Aristotle, this involved catharsis, and a tragic flaw on the part of the hero: ‘Pity is aroused by unmerited misfortune, fear by the misfortune of a man like ourselves’ (see also identification).
Subjects: Literature
