Comedies and Tragedies a Contrast in Protagonists
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The relationship between the audience and the protagonist differ in a tragedy and comedy because the audience has different feelings for each protagonist. Comedies are meant to make the audience feel happy overall, but there is little emotion the audience feels from the protagonist. For example, after a Greek trilogy was played, a comedy was played, so people wouldnt feel so downhearted. Tragedies tend to emotionally move people because the audience can identify with and relate to the protagonist.
In a tragedy the audience has to identify with the protagonist. The audience either relates to the virtues the protagonist possesses, or the audience relates to the drama or plot the protagonist is involved in. Virtues draw the audience into the play because the audience sees virtues they would like to posses. Aristotle stated the protagonist must be virtuous but not innocent. He also said the protagonist can not be perfect. This make the audience connect to the protagonist because they themselves are not perfect. The protagonist must have flaws, so the audience does not feel inferior to him.
The protagonist draws the audience in because dramatic events follow one another throughout the plot. These dramatic events tend to be disastrous, and one disaster leads to another. The audiences feelings become more intense as the plot thickens and eventually leads to catastrophe. The audience suffers with the protagonist because the protagonist in a tragedy usually starts out in the play well off, and the disastrous events break him down. The audience does not want to see their hero suffer. Other members of the audience like to see the protagonist suffer because they themselves have suffered a great deal in their lives, and they want to see somebody else suffer as much as they have. In either case the audience shares feelings with the protagonist.
Tragedies offer themes or messages that show a tragic view of life that most people must deal with, and audiences can relate to these messages and use them in their lives. The audience takes point of the protagonists problems, and let that problem teach them a lesson in real life on what not to do.
There have been tragedies played throughout history. Tragedies in the times of Greek and Shakespearean eras tended to deal with the rich and powerful people. The protagonist was usually rich or powerful. The audiences who attended plays in this time also tended to be on the wealthy side of the economy, so the audience could relate better to the plot and protagonist. The audience feels sorrow as the rich or powerful protagonist is broken down. In the recognition state when the protagonist realizes what brought about the disasters, the audience feels even deeper sorrow, and even would help the protagonist if they could.
In modern tragedies the protagonist tend to be ordinary people. For example, Frodo, in the Lord