What is tragedy? Is it when a king realizes he is his wife's son and husband? Is it when a fair maiden is murdered for doing what she believed was right? Or is it when a young women and men can't be together due to hatred so strong between their families? All of the theses events are perfect examples of Aristotle's definition of tragedy. Aristotle’s definition of tragedy is when the main hero, or the protagonist has a great fall from a high position to great misfortune due to a mistake, they committed. This hero often makes the audience feel pity for them, and often has a fatal flaw, or tragic flaws that allow them to fall. All of the theses aspects then lead up to a fatal ending for the protagonist and a lot of conflict during the play itself. In plays like "Oedipus the King" written by Sophocles, "Antigone" also written by Sophocles, and "Romeo and Juliet" written by William Shakespeare you clearly can see Aristotle's definition of tragedy put at work, by not only tragic events, but the protagonist's  personality.

Predominately, in the play "Oedipus the King" written by Sophocles you can see many aspects that express Aristotle's definition of tragedy. Oedipus’s pride and rage are seen as his fatal flaws in this play, these flaws leading to a tragic ending for him and also making you, the audience feel pity towards Oedipus during the play. For example, in the text it states "Damnation Take you! Out of this place! Out of my sight!" This quote towards Teirasis, the great article of Thebes shows the anger of Oedipus. This rage and his pride fullness previously made him commit the tragic mistake of killing his very father Lauis, and marring his mother Jocasta. These two flaws once again take charge in this part of the play, leading to a great confrontation between theses two characters. In Aristotle's definition of tragedy, the main character must have a tragic flaw or flaws that lead, or help the character fall, for Oedipus it was theses two flaws that helped him find out his truth and fall with it. Another example of Aristotle's definition of tragedy in this play is when the truth of Oedipus is now known. Oedipus experience a fall from great fortune to great misfortune then leading to his tragic end. For example, in the text it states "I would not have come to kill my father, and men would not see in me the husband of the woman who gave birth to me. Now I am abandoned by the gods, the son of a corrupted mother, conceiving children with a woman who gave me my miserable own life. If there is some suffering more serious than all the rest, then it too belong in the fate of Oedipus. “This quote describes the fall of Oedipus from his point of view; he was allowed to have the greatest happiness in Thebes but he was able to lose it all due all these events in his life. In Aristotle's definition of tragedy you must have a great protagonist that has everything in the world, but due to his mistakes and his flaws he can fall into great misfortune, and this is exactly what happens to Oedipus in the play of "Oedipus the King."

Furthermore, in the play "Antigone" also by Sophocles you can see Aristotle's definition of tragedy by her tragic flaw, her stubbornness, and by her tragic death at the end of this story. We can easily see Antigone's stubbornness in her conversation with her sister, is mine, when she rejects her sister’s practical advice and chooses to listen to her reasons and beliefs and let those be her motives at this particular moment in her life. For example in the text, it states “I’ll still bury him. It would be fine to die while doing that. I'll lie there with him, with a man I love, pure and innocent, for all my crime. My honours for the dead must last much longer than for those up here. I'll lie down there forever. As for you, well, if you wish, you can show contempt for those laws the gods all hold in honour."This quote shows Antigones stubborn answer to her sister, Is mine when she tried to help Antigone understand that this could be dangerous and can lead her to a bad situation. In Aristotle's definition of tragedy, the main character must always have someone that warns them, but the main character, like Antigone, also always has a strong trait that doesn't let them listen. In Aris..totles's definition of tragedy you must also have a part when the audience feels bad for the main character, this part can be when Antigone is sentenced to death for doing what she believes is best. Antigones stands strong, but this scene is an emotional part for the play, making the audience get angry at Creon and feel bad for the tough women, whose sister is willing to die with her then live without her. For instance in the text, it states "ISEMEN: I feel so wretched leaving you to die. ANTIGONE: But you chose life-it was my choice to die. ISMENE: But not before I'd said those words just now. ANTIGONE: Some people may approve of how you think-others will believe my judgment’s good. ISMENE: But the mistake's the same for both of us. ANTIGONE: Be brave. You're alive. But my spirit died some time ago so I might help the dead. "This quote shows a part of the play that makes the reader or audience feel bad for Antigone and her sister; you would feel pity due to their love for eachother and how strong Antigone is, even in this situation. Aristotle's definition of tragedy includes a strong lead with someone there to remind them to have caution, but a trait that doesn't let the main character take this warning seriously. This makes a part of the play an emotional part for the audience, and this is why "Antigone" is a perfect example of Aristotle's definition.

In addition, Aristotle's definition of tragedy is also well presented in the play "Romeo and Juliet" written by William Shakespeare. In this play, you can see this definition well through, its harsh turning point and ending, and the fall from life to death the two lovers had during the course of the play. Also, The audience is captivated and feels great sadness at the end of this play, due to its tragic ending. In Aristotle's definition of tragedy a protagonist must have a fatal flaw, if we seek Romeo as the protagonist, or one of them, we can see that a fatal flaw for him would be his recklessness or rashness. This meaning the fact that he acts before he thinks and doesn't think of all the consequences one action can lead him to. For instance in the text, it states "JULIET: How earnest thou hither, tell me, and wherefore? The orchard walls are high and hard to climb, And the place death, considering who thou art, If any of my kinsmen find thee here. ROMEO: With love's light wings did I o'erperch these walls, For stony limits cannot hold love out, And what love can do, that dares love attempt. Therefore, thy kinsmen are no stop to me. JULIET: If they do see thee they will murder thee. ROMEO: Alack, there lies more peril in thin eye than twenty of their swords. Look thou but sweet, And I am proof against their enmity. JULIET: would not for the world they saw thee here. ROMEO:! have night's cloak to hide me from their eyes, And but thou love me, let them find me here. My life was better-ended by their hate. Than death prorogued, wanting of thy love. "This quote shows Romeo's recklessness; this not only helping him make the decision of killing himself at the end of the play moment before Juliet wakes up, but risky decisions that could cost him his life. Adding on, in Aristotle's definition of tragedy, also there’s a tragic ending for the protagonist, or in this case protagonists in the play. In this play, Romeo and Juliet find themselves risking their lives for love, so much that one ends up believing that one is dead and killing themselves for the other. For example in the text, it states"O my love, my wife! Death, that hath sucked the honey of thy breath; Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty. Ah, dear Juliet, Why art thou yet so fair? Shall I believe? That unsubstantial death is amorous, and that the lean abhorred monster keeps Thee here in dark to be his paramour? The doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss. A dateless bargain to engrossing death.(kisses JULIET takes out the poison)Here's to my love! (drinks the poison) 0 true apothecary, Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die. "This quote shows the tragic ending for Romeo and Juliet in Romeos point of view. These two lovers die in order to be with eachother in death, they rather die than live without each other. Through this story, we see great obstacles, a great fall from life and death, and two main characters that are so in love they don't care about consequences, but due to this they suffer, and tragically die, this making "Romeo and Juliet" a perfect example of a tragedy.

In conclusion, Aristotle's definition of tragedy is used in many early plays and is still used today. This definition is about a great character, a tragic trait, and tragic path that leads to their misfortune. In these plays, we have seen love, family, and faith come into play, and these themes make these tragedies a perfect example of this definition. All these plays have one thing in common, and that is the feeling of destiny, or fate. In each one of these plays the protagonist has destiny; they have a destiny they try to run away from, wanting for free will, and this is what makes them great characters. In life you have to be willing to stand up for you believe in, to find yourself no matter what the consequences, or to even fight for love no matter what the obstacles are. These are the things these pieces of literature teach us and the lessons that as a reader should stay with us all our life. In order to love your fate, you must decide what it'll be, don't let someone decided for you.