Characteristics of a Shakespearean Tragedy

Show me a hero and I will write you a tragedy ~ F. Scott Fitzgerald

I think the above quote applies very well to William Shakespeare's works, for he has created such beautiful pieces of literature in the form of tragedies. However, the attempt of categorizing his works under a category is quite difficult because every work of art created by him is an experiment to create something different from the previous one, and he achieved success each time. However, there are certain aspects that he has followed consistently in each of his tragedies and we shall be looking at those aspects. There are some other elements that make the play a complete form of Shakespearean tragedy, which are dealt in detail in further sections.

Shakespearean tragedies are highly influenced by Greek drama and Aristotle's notion of tragedy. It was Aristotle who had first described the genre of tragedy in his Poetics which is followed even today to analyze modern drama. Take a look at the following characteristics shared by most Shakespearean plays.

Characteristics of a Shakespearean Tragedy

Most of the tragedies written by Shakespeare are revenge and ambition tragedies. For instance, Othello, Hamlet, King Lear and Macbeth are the dark tragedies showing revenge and ambition. However, there is an exception to this in the form of a romantic tragedy, rather the only romantic tragedy written by Shakespeare and that is Romeo and Juliet. Unlike the revenge/ambition tragedy, there are two tragic characters in Romeo and Juliet. Romeo becomes impulsive and acts without thinking about consequences, which causes the separation and ultimately the death of the two lovers. Coming back to revenge/ambition tragedies, there are some noticeable features which are dealt with, in the following part.

Tragic/Fatal Flaw

O farewell,
Farewell the neighing steed, and the shrill trump,
The spirit-stirring drum, th' ear-piercing fife;
The royal banner, and all quality,
Pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war!
And O you mortal engines, whose rude throats
Th' immortal Jove's dread clamors counterfeit,
Farewell! Othello's occupation's gone. - Othello

A 'tragic flaw', by definition, is a personality trait that leads to the downfall of the protagonist. It can also be a wrong action performed by the protagonist that results in his own ruin. It is the most important element in the tragedy and almost every hero/heroine of a Shakespearean tragedy possesses a tragic flaw. Examples of tragic flaw in Shakespearean tragedy are: Macbeth's obsession with power, Othello's jealousy and Hamlet's indecisiveness.

Supernatural Elements

By the pricking of my thumbs,
Something wicked this way comes. [Knocking]
Open locks,
Whoever knocks! - Macbeth

Use of super-natural elements is a common characteristic of the Elizabethan drama, to which Shakespeare's plays are no exception. Supernatural powers contribute to the fate of the protagonist. However, they are not solely responsible for the downfall of the hero, it still lies in the deeds/actions of the hero. Usually, these actions are the outcome of the protagonist's over-ambitious nature (as in Macbeth where he wants to become the king) or the feeling of revenge. Furthermore, they are not illusions in the mind of the hero because they contribute to the action of the play with their presence in more than one or two scenes. The effective use of witches in Shakespeare's plays reflect the ancient social beliefs in the evil powers who practice evil rites to affect the central character(s). For instance, in Macbeth, when Macbeth encounters the three witches, he starts believing whatever they say without questioning their existence. This is what the ancient social belief in the evil spirits reflected in Shakespeare's tragedy.

Internal and External Conflict

I' th' last night's storm I such a fellow saw,
Which made me think a man a worm. My son
Came then into my mind, and yet my mind
Was then scarce friends with him. I have heard more
since. As flies to wanton boys are we to th' gods,
They kill us for their sport. - King Lear

The external conflict, as we can easily make out, is the conflict between two people, the tragic hero and another main character of the story. It can also be the conflict between two parties one which is led by the tragic hero. The result of the external conflict is always in favor of the other party as it is the good party. When talking about the inward struggle of the hero, the conflict represents the struggle of thoughts in his mind. The result of this struggle, many a time is that the hero goes insane (as in King Lear, the king becomes mentally ill). The inward struggle also includes the action of spiritual forces which work against the hero.

Fate/Fortune

How now, my lord, why do you keep alone,
Of sorriest fancies your companions making,
Using those thoughts which should indeed have died
With them they think on? Things without all remedy
Should be without regard: what's done, is done. - Macbeth

As the tragic hero/heroine is of high estate and is a public figure, his/her downfall produces a contrast which affects not only his/her personal life, but the fate and welfare of the entire nation or the empire. It reflects the powerlessness of human beings and the omnipotence of fate that a personal story of a peasant or a worker cannot produce. The adverse effects of fate on the empire are evident in Macbeth, when Duncan's sons Malcolm and Macduff are planning to defeat Macbeth and at the same time trying to support the collapsing kingdom. Macduff suggests that Malcolm take the throne, but Malcolm is not mature enough to hold the falling empire.

The Theme of Foul and Revenge

I have no spur
To prick the sides of my intent, but only
Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself,
And falls on th'other. . . . - Macbeth

As it is a tragedy, foul has to counterfeit fair; an unwritten rule of a Shakespearean tragedy. In fact, "fair is foul and foul is fair" is the refrain of the play. The entire play revolves around the theme of foul turning fair. The very first line of the first scene of the play spoken by the three witches shows the intensity of the theme. Similarly, in Hamlet, revenge is the theme built cleverly right from the beginning of the play and making it the driving force behind the character of Hamlet.

Paradox of Life

Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing. - Macbeth

Shakespeare's tragedies reflect the paradox of life, in the sense that the calamity and suffering experienced by the tragic hero are contrasted with the previous happiness and glory. This paradox is very clear in the play Macbeth. Initially, Macbeth is portrayed as the most brave and loyal soldier of the nation and is rewarded by king Duncan for his bravery and love for the nation. However, Macbeth is not satisfied with whatever he gets and desires more. This desire or over-ambitious nature leads him to think evilly and act on it which is an extreme end of his real personality.

Catharsis

Any piece of literature, or any art form for that matter, is successful when it evokes pity, fear, and other such emotions in the audience. It is known as catharsis, where the audience feels sympathy for the character and empathize with his/her sufferings. If the play has the capacity to move the audience by its plot, people who are reading the play or watching it in the theater can identify with the characters and feel that they have similar experiences in their life.

Tragic Structure

A tragic story (Shakespearean) can be divided into four parts and they are as follows:

1. Exposition: Exposition is the beginning of the play where the reader/audience gets to know the characters and their traits, the general setting of the story, the major conflict in the story and most importantly, the tragic flaw of the hero. Normally, exposition begins and ends in the first act itself, however, sometimes there are some characters who enter late into the story.
2. Rising Action: Rising action develops through the second act and extends up to the third and the fourth act. This is the time when the plot gathers momentum and the action increases. The plot eventually reaches the crisis where the hero makes a decision that changes the course of the play, sealing his own fate. For example, Macbeth kills Duncan in act II whereas Lear's foolish decision to divide the kingdom occurs in act I. This is how the location of the crisis differs from play to play. By the end of the rising action, the hero is left alone for the rest of the story.
3. Falling Action: From the beginning of the fourth act, the opposite forces become active and start an open resist. They also start 3. plotting the removal of the tragic hero as a result of which the power of the tragic hero starts declining.
4. Resolution: In the last and final act, the opposite forces reach the full power and defeat the isolated tragic hero. This is the time when the hero recognizes his faults, yet, cannot do anything about it.

Shakespeare wrote 10 tragedies in all namely, Antony and Cleopatra, Coriolanus, Hamlet, Julius Caesar, King Lear, Macbeth, Othello, Romeo and Juliet, Timon of Athens and Titus Andronicus, out of which the four dark tragedies, Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and King Lear are the most admired. Apart from tragedies, important works of Shakespeare include romantic comedies, historical plays and 154 love sonnets.

Life of New Beginnings

My body shook as I watched Antonio's agonized shuffle to his room. He looked at me and the pain in his eyes increased. I could tell he didn't blame me or have me the guilty party of Macon's death although he could've done without. He walked up to his room and his door closed with a sense of finality.

I have no idea how long I sat there until suddenly Damien, Cedrica, and Rain stood before me. They looked to me and lifted their eyes to the ceiling. I couldn't help my overwhelming feeling of guilt. Cedrica and Rain darted upstairs and Damien slowly sat by my side.

He looked at me with his dark eyes of his and I couldn't meet his gaze. If I did I would surely burst into tears. His came up and stroked my cheek, telling me it was okay to not speak. To speak when I was ready.

The Art of Anthologies

If you have ever thought about making an anthology of essays or stories on a similar theme for potential publication, perhaps you thought it might be easier than writing your own book on a topic. If you have attempted to put together an anthology, you know it is much more difficult than it looks. Either way, if you think you might want to publish an anthology, there are a few things you should know before you get started.

Selecting a Theme

The first thing you need to do if you think you want to compile an anthology is select a theme. Your theme should be interesting enough that you will grab readers and writers without too much work. Think of things going on in your life or in the lives of others about which people have interesting things to say. Think of something, also, that hasn’t been overdone, or that has a new twist. You should also be sure to make your topic narrow enough, so that you know what types of essays you will get, but broad enough that every essay doesn’t sound the same.

Finding Writers

The first thing you want to do, before writing a proposal, is to find about ten or so writers who are on board with your project. This can be difficult, as they will not necessarily be paid or published as your project hasn’t been bought yet. However, ask around; you may be surprised. Once you find those writers, make a deadline for their essays so you can be sure to get them in your proposal.

Writing a Proposal

When you write your proposal, you’ll need to be sure to include a sample introduction. The essays you’ve collected and edited so far, as well as a marketing strategy and some research as to what books are out there on your topic, and what makes your book different or more interesting. It never hurts to also include any media outlets to which you already have connections, as well. A quick internet search can yield many results for sample proposal templates.

Submitting a Proposal

Once your proposal is written and refined, you have a choice. You can send it to potential agents, or you can send it to publishers. In the nonfiction world, it’s possible to do it either way, but in the fiction world, you probably want an agent to shop your work around for you. Regardless of whether you are submitting the proposal to agents or publishers, be upfront about whether you are submitting it to multiple places or not. Many publishing companies will not look at a manuscript if it has been submitted elsewhere.

Finding More Writers

Once your proposal has been accepted and your project has been bought, you’ll need to find more writers. In a collection of essays, 35-40 writers would be ideal. Depending on your publisher, the writers may not be paid, but you can sell your project to them by enticing up and coming writers with the promise of having their names in print. It is also possible for contributors to make money off of speaking engagements and press releases if their work is quoted or used. No matter what, be upfront with your writers, and have firm deadlines.

Editing and Ordering Works

Once the writers have submitted their work, you must make edits to the pieces. This is standard. Be sure to edit for content and style, and make sure you also check with the writers for acceptance of your edits. After everything is edited, selecting an order for the works is crucial. You want the pieces to flow from one to the other, so readers will go from cover to cover without stopping.

How to Draw a Cartoon Dog

Dogs are one of the most common pets around the world. They are faithful animals who give us company and never fail to bring a smile to our lips with their funny antics. This is the reason they are commonly depicted in cartoons or caricatured. Don't you feel like drawing your own cartoon dog as a tribute to your pet dog? Or perhaps you are a budding sketch artist and want to try your hand at canine sketches. Whatever be the reason, we shall learn how to draw cartoon dog step-by-step in this Buzzle article.



Steps to Draw a Cartoon Dog

Drawing cartoon dogs is very simple and can be a fun activity when bored. All you need to know is the trick and create your own funny canine friend. The animation given above will give you a quick idea regarding the steps to be covered in our task to draw a cartoon dog. The steps given below is like a puzzle which helps you to draw a cartoon dog in few easy steps where kids can easily draw them by just looking at the illustration.

Before you start drawing a sketch of a cartoon dog, you will need a pencil, paper, an eraser and colored pencils to color the sketch. To begin with, you need to first draw a freehand sketch by following the steps as given below.

Step 1: Body and Head

Let us begin with the head of a dog. Draw two overlapping ovals that will form the head and snout as shown in the figure 1.1. Next, draw two similar-sized adjacent circles to form the body. Figure: 1.1

Step 2: Connect the Shapes

You need to give a definable shape to the body and head. First, complete the body by connecting the two big circles with curved lines. Next, connect the head to the body in a similar fashion, as shown in the figure 1.2. Figure: 1.2

Step 3: Legs

To draw the legs, make two elongated shapes for front legs and another two slightly behind them for the hind legs. At the end of these elongated shapes for legs, draw four little ovals for the paws. Now, give the front legs a slender shape and the hind legs a slightly broad shape at the top to define the thighs. Figure: 1.3

Step 4: Other Detailing

Draw curved shapes for the ears and bushy shaped tail. You can make your ears standing or droopy and tail narrow or slender. Now draw oval-shaped eyes and nose. Add more detailing like the mouth, tongue and hair. Refer figure 1.4. Figure: 1.4

Step 5: Final Step

Erase the unwanted lines on the sketch. Fill up other details, like adding patches on the body of your dog or drawing a belt on its neck. Make your dog look more attractive by coloring it with your favorite color shades as shown in figure 1.5 and figure 1.5.1. Figure: 1.5

Adding Color to Your Cartoon Dog

You can add any color your want to your picture. Color your dog black and white, brown and yellow, or any other color combination. Have fun by adding beautiful colors to your dog's coat. Figure: 1.5.1

Moreover, here is an additional activity for kids. You can use the sketch below, for your kids coloring activity. To get a print of the dog sketch, all you need is to just click on it!

Figure: 1.5.2

Voila! There you are, ready with your cartoon dog. Do not get disappointed if your sketch does not turn out to be the way you hoped. Keep practicing, and follow these sketching tips and tricks, soon you will master the art of how to draw a cartoon dog step-by-step. Have fun creating a caricature of your Rover! Bow, bow...

Teaching The Odyssey

The Odyssey is a spectacular piece by Homer that recounts the trials and tribulations of Odysseus as he makes his way home to his wife, Penelope, after the Trojan War. It takes him twenty years to get home, and he encounters many monsters and vixens on his way, making it a delightful read for students of all ages. Whether they are reading it as a translation or in the original Greek as students of classical languages, or whether they have a toned-down version that is friendly for younger students, they will love the stories from the Cyclops, to Scylla and Charybdis, to Circe, to the suitors begging for Penelope’s hand in marriage. While the story is captivating in and of itself, having the right teaching tools makes all the difference.

Other Books Based on The Odyssey
Epic journeys have always been a popular theme in literature, and many of them have been based on The Odyssey without the audience even knowing about it. Using these as teaching tools can help spark interest in students. Perhaps the most popular adaptation of the famous Greek poem is Ulyssesby James Joyce. This novel follows Leopold Bloom on an epic, one day long journey through Dublin, Ireland on June 16, 1904. The chapter names are characters in The Odyssey, and each chapter contains a monster-like encounter similar to that of the epic poem. Another popular adaptation of Odysseus’ journey is Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier. This is a Civil War novel, but the epic journey and hero’s quest is very similar to that of The Odyssey. In this novel, W.P. Inman is the Odysseus character, and he is a deserter from the Confederate Army. He is wounded and trying to return to his love, Ada Monroe. This novel has also been made into a film. Among many other adaptations of The Odyssey, there is The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood. In true, feminist, Atwood fashion, this novel is told from the perspective of Penelope and her maids. It gives a very interesting perspective we do not get from the poem itself.

Possible Projects
With higher-level students, a great project would be to pair The Odyssey with one of these other novels and have the students compare the two in some way. They could create a presentation for the class. Each student could take on a different novel, which would give all the students in the class an idea of what these other novels were about. With lower-level classes, the teacher can have the students analyze the hero’s quest and compare it with quests of other heroes in literature. With very young students, an idea for a project would be to create a theme park based on The Odyssey. Divide the students into groups and have each group tackle a specific monster from the epic poem. Each group should come up with a ride that represents the monster, characters that will walk around the park, and menu items for the food court. Once all the groups put their ideas together, you will have a class theme park that represents the entire story.

Illustrations
There are many famous illustrations of The Odyssey out there, and a quick internet search will yield many results to study. However, teachers can also have students create their own graphic representations of the poem. This works especially well with students who are artistically talented. They can create these representations and then share them with the class to see if they have similar ideas about what the poem looks like when visualized

The Best Sci-Fi Books of All Time

Science fiction is the most important literature in the history of the world, because it's the history of ideas, the history of our civilization birthing itself... Science fiction is central to everything we've ever done, and people who make fun of science fiction writers don't know what they're talking about.
- Ray Bradbury, author of Fahrenheit 451

Well, I have never come across anything closer to the truth about the essence of science fiction than Ray Bradbury's quote above. Science fiction is, indeed, the history of ideas - ideas that, when they were conceived, were considered impossible, impractical, fantastical and even, at times, blasphemous! However, the history of civilization stands witness to the fact that a lot of those "fantastical" ideas and concepts have, indeed, seen the light of the day in the form of creative inventions and path-breaking discoveries that have paved the way for lofty advancements in the field of science and technology. There is no accounting for how many ingenious scientists and inventors have drawn inspirations for their inventions and discoveries from the so-called bizarre ideas of sci-fi literature. Therefore, science fiction is not just a colorful ruse for occupying oneself on a leisurely summer afternoon - it often hides more sense and potential inspiration in its narrative folds than it is given credit for.

How to Write a Good Book Review

Book reviews can be a great foot in the door if you are looking to get your writing published somewhere. Most magazines, whether online or print, will include book reviews about books that tackle the topics the magazine discusses. Also, most editors and staff writers are usually too busy to read books and review them themselves (unless they are specifically assigned to a book review column). Therefore, writing book reviews can be a great way to get started with a writing career. How do you write a great book review that will be sure to be noticed? Follow these tips to write a really interesting and unique book review.

Start with a Description of the Book

Many people that are reading your review may not know anything about the book you’re reviewing. Instead of making them go find information on their own by searching for the book title, start out with a little description of the book. Make sure you avoid too long of a summary, though, because if too much of your article is a summary of the book, it won’t be interesting. Start with a short paragraph or so that hits all the major points but doesn't give too much away. You don’t want to tell your reader everything about the book, because then they won’t have to read it at all. Just give enough information so your reader is interested in reading the book.

Objective Vs. Subjective

Some magazines like to publish book reviews that are completely objective. This means that they want a review of the book that doesn't share your opinion and that in which your opinion isn't obvious from reading what you wrote. If you hated a book, it might not be a great book to review. You probably want to review books that you enjoyed. This will give your review a positive spin. Avoid gushing about how much you loved the book, however. You should not include your personal reaction to the book until the very end, where you include a sentence or two about whether or not you would recommend a book and to whom you would recommend it.

Look through a Lens

A great way to get your review noticed is to look at a book through a specific lens. Read the book as a feminist would, for example, and talk about what a feminist might say to applaud or criticize the book. You can choose any number of lenses, and feminism is just one option. An economic lens, a family lens, the lens of a different nationality, or the lens of a child could all be interesting ways to look at a book. If you look at a book in this way, instead of just reading it and forming your own opinion, it will be much more interesting and marketable. This is especially the case if you look at a lens that relates to the subject of the magazine to which you are submitting. Feminist magazines love book reviews about books read through a feminist lens, for example, because it pertains to their readership.

Talk about the Writer’s Style

Another great way to write a book review is to talk about the writer’s style. Anyone can pick up a book and read for the plot, but it takes an experienced writer to note interesting things about another writer’s style and write about them intelligently. Furthermore, most people want to know if a book is easy or fun to read over whether or not the subject matter will interest them.

Arts & Literature

Creating and expressing ones' self through various media, such as art and literature, has been a desire of mankind since the beginning of time. Also an art form, literature has been used to express mankind's deepest observations, most profound thinking and firmest beliefs; it encompasses many genres such as drama, poetry and novels. While both the physical arts and literature are a form of self-expression, each also represents a profession. Explore the world of arts and literature and discover mankind's fascination with self-expression.

Crazy Cars

Description: Crazy Cars
You have to drive back up the one way road to pick up all the money.

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UFO Recording

Description: UFO Recording
Chase all the UFO's and record your sightings through your video camera. You'll get money by just merely recording it so good luck and have fun!

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Joker Poker

Description: Joker Poker
The object of Joker Poker is to start with five cards, and through discarding some of the cards and drawing others build a hand which contains one of a number of different winning combinations similar to those in the traditional table game of Five Card Dr
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