A Comparison Of Tragedy In English Works

Title	A Comparison Of Tragedy In English Works
# of Words	803
# of Pages (250 words per page double spaced)	3.21

A Comparison of Tragedy in English Works

A Comparison of Tragedy in English Works

     For a story to be a tragedy it has to follow the principles set by
Aristotle, a Greek philosopher, or those of Arthur Miller who is a twentieth
century playwright.  A tragedy, in Aristotle's view, usually concerns the fall
of an individual whose character is good but not perfect and his misfortunes are
brought about by the tragic flaw.  This flaw is the part of the character that
personifies him as being tragic.  Miller uses this definition of a tragedy but
also broadens it including the common man.  All of these characteristics are
seen in the plays  Julius Caesar, Death of a Salesman, and Oedipus Rex.

     Although the title of the play  Julius Caesar focuses on Caesar, the
play itself is really based on Brutus. "Brutus had rather be a villager than to
repute himself a son of Rome."(Act I, scene II, line 172).  This was said by
Brutus after Cassius told him how Caesar had become a towering figure over Rome
and how Caesar controls Rome. Notice the good in Brutus, and the extremes he
will go to in order to protect democracy in Rome even if it means killing the
one he loves, Caesar.  Brutus possesses one of the most tragic flaws.  He is too
nice of a person and therefore he gets taken advantage of.  He lets Cassius
persuade him into killing Caesar for the good of Rome.  Because he does for
others more than himself he makes a fatal mistake, he lets Antony live. Brutus
says to the conspirators, "For Antony is but a limb of Caesar"(Act II scene I
line 165) meaning that if Caesar is killed Antony will die off too. Brutus
clearly does not regard Antony as being a threat,  but little does Brutus know
that Antony will stir up the town to seek revenge after the assassination of
Caesar. This mistake will cost him his own life. When he dies he becomes a prime
example of tragedy because not only did he bring about his own death he dies by
his own hand.

     In Death of a Salesman, Willy Lowman's  tragic flaw is that he is a
dreamer who is unable to face the realities of a modern day society.  Willy
builds his whole life around the philosophy that if a person is well liked and
good looking then he will be successful.  Willy says to Biff , "I thank Almighty
God that you are both are built like Adonises."(Act I page 33)  Later, Willy
makes...

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