English 10 / Unit 6: Drama and Tragedy
6.5 Shakespearean Tragedy
Notes
Shakespeare's tragedies follow a five-act shape often shown as Freytag's pyramid.
- Act 1 exposition, Act 2 rising action, Act 3 climax or turning point, Act 4 falling action, Act 5 catastrophe (often the hero's death).
- Noble characters usually speak in blank verse; servants and comic characters often speak in prose. A shift between the two can signal madness or a change in status.
- Comic relief briefly lightens the tension, like the drunken porter in Macbeth or the gravediggers in Hamlet.
- Shakespeare's tragic heroes (Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, King Lear) each face a flaw such as indecision, ambition, jealousy or pride.
Practice
In a five-act Shakespearean tragedy, the hero's death usually comes in:
The catastrophe falls in the final act.
Why might Shakespeare include the drunken porter's joking speech right after Duncan's murder in Macbeth?
Comic relief contrasts with and heightens the surrounding horror.
A noble character who usually speaks in verse suddenly speaks in broken prose. This most likely signals:
Shifts from verse to prose often reflect a breakdown or status change.
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