Tragedy/Definition

An unfortunate event or chain of events which leads to suffering, loss of life, or serious repercussions. The sense of the word is linked to its etymological roots in Greek tragedy which was a form of drama invented by playwrights such as Aeschylus, Euripides and Sophocles in which a tragic hero such as Oedipus or Orestes, who, despite good intentions, acts in good faith to strive for a positive outcome but has the unfortunate effect of bringing about suffering. Often the hero has what is called a tragic flaw, a personality defect or trait which brings about the negative outcome. In the theatre, a tragedy, despite the often grisly ending, brings about a cartharsis for the audience; according to Greek philosophers such as Aristotle, the cartharsis happens because theater-goers experience the pain vicariously, watching it happen in other people, and therefore get a kind of release and are relieved that the horrific fate did not happen to them.