A genre of literature that deals with tragic events and their consequences, often resulting in the downfall of the main character.
Oedipus Rex, also known by its English title Oedipus the King, is a play written by the ancient Greek playwright Sophocles. The play is a tragedy that tells the story of Oedipus, a man who becomes the king of Thebes but later learns that he has unknowingly fulfilled a prophecy that said he would kill his father and marry his mother.
The play begins with a prologue in which a priest describes the plague that has struck Thebes, and how the city's ruler, King Oedipus, has sent his brother-in-law, Creon, to seek help from the oracle at the temple of Apollo. When Creon returns, he tells Oedipus that the oracle has revealed that the plague was caused by the murder of the previous king, Laius, and that the killer must be found and punished in order for the plague to end.
Oedipus, determined to solve the mystery and save his city, vows to find the killer. However, as he investigates, he begins to suspect that the killer may be someone close to him. He sends for the blind prophet Tiresias, who tells Oedipus that he himself is the killer. Oedipus, in disbelief, continues to investigate and eventually learns the truth: he is the son of Laius and Jocasta, the current queen of Thebes, and he has accidentally fulfilled the prophecy by killing his father and marrying his mother.
Overwhelmed by this revelation, Jocasta hangs herself and Oedipus blinds himself. In the end, Oedipus is exiled from Thebes and leaves to begin a life of wandering and misery.
Throughout the play, Oedipus is portrayed as a proud and noble king who is ultimately undone by his own hubris and blindness to the truth. The play serves as a powerful commentary on the limits of human knowledge and the consequences of attempting to defy fate.
Hamlet is a play by William Shakespeare that tells the story of a young prince named Hamlet who is seeking revenge for the murder of his father, the King of Denmark. The story begins with the ghost of the late King appearing to Hamlet and revealing that he was murdered by his own brother, Claudius, who has since taken the throne and married Hamlet's mother, Gertrude. Hamlet is torn between his desire for revenge and his uncertainty about the truth of the ghost's story.
As the play progresses, Hamlet becomes increasingly erratic and unstable, causing those around him to question his sanity. He puts on a play that reenacts his father's murder in order to test Claudius' guilt, but the plan backfires when the King becomes enraged and interrupts the performance. Hamlet's best friend, Horatio, and two of his classmates, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, are also drawn into the events of the play, and ultimately, all of them are caught up in the web of deception and betrayal that surrounds the royal court.
In the end, a series of tragic events leads to the deaths of nearly all of the main characters, including Hamlet, Claudius, Gertrude, and Laertes, the son of the royal courtier Polonius. Only Horatio is left alive to tell the tale of what happened in the court of Denmark.
Hamlet is a complex and tragic play that explores themes of betrayal, revenge, madness, and the corrupting nature of power. It is considered one of Shakespeare's greatest works and continues to be performed and studied to this day.
Romeo and Juliet is a tragic play written by William Shakespeare that tells the story of two young lovers from feuding families, the Montagues and the Capulets, who are forced to keep their relationship a secret. The play begins with the servants of the Capulets and the Montagues brawling in the streets of Verona, Italy. The Prince of Verona intervenes and threatens to kill anyone who causes further trouble.
Meanwhile, Romeo, a Montague, is lovesick for a girl named Rosaline, who has sworn to remain chaste. Romeo's best friend, Mercutio, tries to cheer him up, but Romeo remains depressed. The Capulets are holding a party, and Romeo's cousin, Benvolio, suggests that they go to the party in disguise so that Romeo can take his mind off of Rosaline.
At the party, Romeo meets Juliet, the daughter of Lord and Lady Capulet, and the two fall instantly in love. Juliet's nurse helps them to secretly arrange to marry the next day. However, Romeo does not know that Juliet is a Capulet, and when he finds out, he is heartbroken.
Meanwhile, Juliet's parents have arranged for her to marry a wealthy nobleman named Paris. Juliet is devastated and goes to Friar Laurence for help. The Friar comes up with a plan for Juliet to take a potion that will make her appear dead for two days, and then she will awaken and be able to escape with Romeo.
The plan goes wrong, however, and Romeo believes that Juliet is truly dead. He goes to her tomb and kills himself, and when Juliet awakens and finds Romeo's body, she kills herself as well. The play ends with the Prince of Verona, the Montagues and the Capulets, and the families of Romeo and Juliet all grieving over the young lovers' deaths.
Medea is a play by the ancient Greek playwright Euripides. It was first performed in 431 BC, and is still widely performed today. The play tells the story of Medea, a woman who is married to Jason, the hero of the myth of the Argonauts. Medea is a powerful sorceress and has helped Jason in his quest to obtain the Golden Fleece.
In the play, Medea is betrayed by Jason, who has decided to marry a princess in order to advance his own political standing. Medea is devastated by this betrayal and decides to take revenge on Jason and his new bride. She does this by killing her own children, whom she had with Jason, in order to hurt him the most.
The play is a powerful exploration of themes such as love, betrayal, revenge, and the destructive nature of passion. It is a tragedy, and ends with Medea being exiled from her home and forced to flee to a new land. Despite this, she remains a powerful and formidable figure, a testament to the strength of her character.
Macbeth is a play written by William Shakespeare. The play tells the story of Macbeth, a Scottish general who receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that he will become the King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred on by his wife, Macbeth murders King Duncan and takes the throne for himself. He is plagued by guilt and fear, and he soon becomes a tyrannical ruler as he is forced to commit more and more murders to protect himself from threats to his power. The play explores the destructive nature of ambition and the consequences that come with unchecked ambition. In the end, Macbeth is overthrown and killed in a rebellion led by Macduff and Malcolm, the rightful heirs to the throne.
Antigone is a play written by the ancient Greek playwright Sophocles. It is a tragedy that tells the story of Antigone, a young woman who defies the law of her uncle, King Creon, in order to give her brother, Polynices, a proper burial.
The play begins with a brief background of the events leading up to the action of the play. Polynices and his brother Eteocles have fought a civil war for the throne of Thebes, and both have been killed in battle. King Creon, the new ruler of Thebes, has declared that Eteocles will be given a hero's burial, but Polynices will be left unburied and exposed to the elements as punishment for his treason.
Antigone, the daughter of the former king Oedipus, is outraged by this decree and decides to bury her brother's body herself, even though she knows it is illegal. She is caught in the act by the king's guards and brought before Creon, who is furious at her disobedience. Despite the pleadings of her sister Ismene and the intervention of her betrothed, Haemon, the king's son, Creon remains steadfast in his decision to punish Antigone.
He orders her to be entombed alive in a cave, and she is taken away to her fate. However, before she is sealed inside, a prophet named Tiresias warns Creon that the gods are not pleased with his treatment of Antigone and that he will suffer dire consequences if he does not change his ways. Creon stubbornly ignores the prophet's words, but he is soon visited by a series of disasters that prove Tiresias was right.
First, Haemon and Antigone's father, Oedipus, both commit suicide in despair over the fate of Antigone. Then, Creon's wife, Eurydice, kills herself upon hearing the news of her son's death. Finally, the gods send a plague to Thebes as punishment for Creon's actions. Realizing the error of his ways, Creon agrees to release Antigone from her tomb, but it is too late. She has already hanged herself inside.
In the end, Creon is left alone to mourn the loss of his family and to reflect on the tragic consequences of his pride and stubbornness. The play serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of violating the laws of the gods and the importance of listening to the wisdom of others.
King Lear is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. The play is set in ancient Britain and follows the story of King Lear, an aging monarch who decides to divide his kingdom among his three daughters based on their expressions of love for him. The two older daughters, Goneril and Regan, flatter their father and are awarded their share of the kingdom, while the youngest daughter, Cordelia, refuses to take part in her father's game and is disinherited.
As the play progresses, it becomes clear that Goneril and Regan are only interested in gaining power and are not truly devoted to their father. They begin to mistreat Lear, stripping him of his entourage and his authority. Meanwhile, Cordelia leaves the country to marry the King of France and begins to assemble an army to fight her sisters.
The situation comes to a head when Lear and his loyal friend, the Earl of Gloucester, are betrayed by their own children. Gloucester's illegitimate son, Edmund, plots to have his father blinded and Lear's daughters conspire to have him killed. However, in the end, justice is served and the evil characters are punished for their actions. Lear and Cordelia are reunited, but the reunion is short-lived, as Cordelia is killed and Lear dies of a broken heart.
Overall, King Lear is a powerful exploration of the consequences of pride, vanity, and the failure to recognize the true nature of others. It is a story of betrayal, love, and ultimately, redemption.
Othello is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been written in 1603 and first performed in 1604. The play is set in the city of Venice and the island of Cyprus during the Renaissance.
The play follows the story of Othello, a Moorish general in the Venetian army. Othello is a man of high military standing and is respected by his soldiers and his peers. Despite his success, Othello is not well-liked by the people of Venice because he is a foreigner and because of the color of his skin.
Despite these obstacles, Othello is able to win the heart of Desdemona, the daughter of a Venetian senator. The two of them marry, but their happiness is short-lived. Othello's ensign, Iago, is jealous of Othello's success and decides to ruin his life. Iago manipulates Othello into believing that Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio, one of Othello's officers.
Othello, consumed by jealousy, becomes enraged and eventually strangles Desdemona to death. As the truth about Iago's manipulations comes to light, Othello realizes the gravity of his actions and takes his own life.
The play explores themes of jealousy, prejudice, and the destructive power of lies. It is a powerful and tragic tale of love, betrayal, and the consequences of allowing emotion to control our actions.
The Death of Ivan Ilyich is a novella written by Russian author Leo Tolstoy. The story follows the life and eventual death of Ivan Ilyich, a middle-aged man living in 19th-century Russia.
Ivan is a successful lawyer who has worked his way up the social ladder to become a judge. However, despite his professional success, Ivan's personal life is unfulfilled. He is unhappy in his marriage, and his relationships with his friends and family are superficial and strained.
One day, Ivan is injured in a fall and begins to suffer from chronic pain. Despite seeking out the best doctors and treatments available, his condition only worsens. As he lies on his deathbed, Ivan reflects on his life and realizes that he has wasted his time and opportunities on superficial pursuits and shallow relationships. He comes to understand that true happiness and fulfillment can only be found in leading a virtuous and meaningful life.
The Death of Ivan Ilyich is a powerful exploration of the human condition and the fleeting nature of life. Through the story of Ivan's illness and eventual death, Tolstoy examines the ways in which people often take their lives for granted and prioritize material success over true happiness and fulfillment. The novella serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of living a virtuous and meaningful life.
Death of a Salesman is a 1949 play written by Arthur Miller. The play is set in the 1940s and follows the life of Willy Loman, a failing salesmanperson who becomes unable to handle the fact that he is no longer able to provide for his family as he once did. Willy's life is filled with missed opportunities and shattered dreams, and he becomes increasingly unable to distinguish between reality and the fantasies he creates in his mind to escape from the pain of his failures. As the play progresses, Willy's mental state deteriorates and he becomes more and more isolated from those around him.
The play explores themes of success and failure, the American Dream, and the effects of capitalism on individuals and families. Willy's struggles highlight the way in which the pursuit of success and material wealth can consume and ultimately destroy individuals who are unable to achieve those goals. Despite Willy's efforts to be a good husband and father, his obsessions and delusions prevent him from truly connecting with his loved ones, and he ultimately dies alone and unfulfilled.
Death of a Salesman has been widely praised for its exploration of the human condition and has been hailed as a masterpiece of American theater. It has been adapted into numerous film and stage productions, and continues to be performed around the world.