This study defines and applies a theory of tragedy which is based on the work of Friedrich Nietzsche in The Birth of Tragedy. In the first chapter the writer argues for the need of a widely accepted theory of tragedy and show that we do not presently have one. In the same chapter, the writer presents the theory that tragedy is a very specific art type which transcends genre and which is the product of a synthesis of the Dionysiac and Apollonian forces in Western culture. The writer argues that by understanding the philosophical and aesthetic nature of the forces as they are expressed in tragedy we can isolate and define the essential elements of tragedy. Tragedy must have a person of heroic stature as its main protagonist. It must have a specific kind of plot in which a reversal of the hero's experience of the universe occurs. It must have a choric element, which is a combination of two components: communality and lyricism. Finally, tragedy must contain a mythic background which allows for the expression of two themes, the Dionysiac theme and the Apollonian theme.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:unt.edu/info:ark/67531/metadc331844 |
| Date | 05 1900 |
| Creators | Dodson, Diane Martha |
| Contributors | Henderson, Sam H., Smith, John T., Mitchell, Giles R., Wright, Eugene Patrick, 1936- |
| Publisher | North Texas State University |
| Source Sets | University of North Texas |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | iii, 149 leaves, Text |
| Rights | Public, Dodson, Diane Martha, Copyright, Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. |
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