Classical Tragedy
The form of tragedy described as best by Aristotle and exemplified by Oedipus the King is, properly, concerned more with the tragic operations of fate than with a thematized conflict between good and evil. Nevertheless, the conflict between the good and the flawed aspects of the tragic hero form an important part of tragic catharsis in Aristotle's theory. There is, moreover, the form of tragedy with a happy ending that, although denigrated from Aristotle, was quite common in antiquity. This form, perhaps best exemplified by the Alcestis of Euripides, ends with a hero or god decisively beating an evil character. Northrop Frye has suggested that this form of "tragedy" is, in fact, the basic template for melodrama.
Read more about this topic: Conflict Between Good And Evil
Famous quotes containing the words classical and/or tragedy:
“Against classical philosophy: thinking about eternity or the immensity of the universe does not lessen my unhappiness.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)
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