Which is a characteristic of a tragedy?

Answer 1

A tragedy has a main protagonist who has a harmartia (a fatal flaw) which causes their downfall. The act of the tragedy has to be fast, usually ending with one or more sudden deaths. The main character should also have a huburis, or an inflated sense of self.

A tragedy needs a father figure, a mother figure a hero and an antagonist. For example, in Hamlet the father figure would be the ghost of Hamlet's father, the mother figure would be his mother, the antagonist would be Claudius and the Hero would be Hamlet.

All of that hokum was put forward by Aristotle, who had seen Sophocles's play Oedipus Rex, and proceeded to define tragedy based on it. In fact, a tragedy only needs to be story of someone which ends in a way that we feel sad or regretful, so that we say, "What a waste!" or "I wish that had turned out differently". No hamartia, hubris, mother or father figures are required. An antagonist is not even required.

Answer 2

A characteristic of a tragedy is the downfall or destruction of the main character, often caused by a tragic flaw or fate. Tragedies also typically evoke feelings of pity and fear in the audience, and often explore serious and profound themes related to human nature and the human experience.

Answer 3

The audience is moved to feel pity and fear

Answer 4

It must be about a universal topic.