Tragic Hero Essay
OVERVIEW: In writing, describe a time that you got in trouble. Tell us how you (a good person) ended up making a stupid choice and then got caught and then got punished. When you finish writing it, you will have written a Tragedy.
You must have six paragraphs. The paragraphs must include what is written below. The paragraphs must go in the order listed below.
- Tragic Hero: Show how you are a good person. Write about how you are these things: (1) a good person (2) is better than others (3) can solve most any problem. You must show, give examples of, how you are a tragic hero. Do not write, “I am a good person.” You must let the reader decide for herself that you are a good person. Describe things you did that show and prove that you are “a good person” and “better than others” and can solve most any problem. Also, if you are good, these descriptions or stories will also come back into the story later on, near the end.
- Tragic Flaw: It's your weakness, like getting mad or holding a grudge, taking dares or pushing boundaries. Describe it. Maybe your bad habit is "not sharing with your little brother." Let the reader share in your happiness of "not sharing with my little brother." Describe how you always don't share when you think you can get away with it.
- Problem/conflict: In every tragedy, the hero (you) is confronted with a problem Describe how you did not create the problem. Describe how you were stuck with it. Describe how you tried to ignore it or avoid it or refuse it but it stayed around anyway and only seemed to get worse or more annoying.
- Choice—With every problem the hero has at least two ways to solve the problem: (1) Do the right thing--boring! (2) Do your tragic flaw--fun! Describe the two choices you had. Describe what you thought would be the result of each choice. Describe how you knowingly went with the bad choice. Yes—you did not or may not have known the full range of negative consequences that your bad choice could lead to, but you did know that it was a “bad” choice.
- Reversal of Fortune—The bad choice is made and instantly things began to go bad, but you didn’t know it. Describe what little things started to go bad. Think of it as dominos: your choice knocked the first one over, each domino that falls gets bigger, and the last domino falls on you. BUT--at first, you were happy! You got to do your bad habit, your flaw! And THAT was satisfying! HOWEVER, something unsettling happened. It gave you a clue that maybe you might get caught. It took away that happiness. Describe those things.
- Recognition—Ultimately you got caught and punished. Eventually you realized that your choice lead to catastrophe (bad things in your life, punishment, trouble, getting caught, facing your choice). Put in writing that you acknowledged (realized) that you, yourself, were the reason that the bad thing happened to you. In other words, at the end of your essay, you tell the reader, “I was to blame!” In doing this, you become a round character—one who changes, one who has grown up, one who is older, one who is wiser.
Each item above must be in (at minimum) its own paragraph. In other words, this essay will have a six paragraphs (one for "tragic hero," one for "tragic flaw," etc.) and probably should have more.
A paragraph must have five sentences, here are some examples of what the different sentences can do:
- a short topic-sentence
- a long version of the topic-sentence
- an example of what you are talking about
- elaboration on what you are talking about
- describe your topic in emotional words and terms
- describe your topic in logical words and terms
- a transition into the next paragraph
Research Questions
- Describe a few things about the ancient Greeks
- Describe a few things about the city of Athens
- Who or what was Dionysus?
- What is Theater and how did it begin?
- How did the ancient Greeks perform plays?
- What is tragedy according to the ancient Greeks?
- What is comedy according to the ancient Greeks?
- Who was Sophocles?
- Who was Aristotle?
- Who was Aristophanes?
- Who was Homer?
Use this website: Ancient Greece History
Countless books have been written on the above items. Your job is to find information that is (1) new to you, (2) interesting to you, and (3) that no one else has yet shared with the class.
You need the most basic of information.
The information MUST be in your own words.
You, yourself, must understand anything that you present to the class.
Your group's presentation should be around six minutes.