Maria Juvakka XIB

An Introduction to Shakespeare’s Tragedies Shakespeare wrote tragedies from the beginning of his career. All of them were written during the pessimistic period of his literary work . The most famous Shakespearean tragedies include Othello, Macbeth, Romeo & Juliet and Hamlet.

The Hero of a Shakespearean tragedy Posesses a tragic flaw Ambition, egoism, arrogance, stupidity... The character never realizes ones flaws All tragic heroes are from a very noble class

The “Heart” and “Head” tragedies Shakespeare’s tragedies can be divided into two distinct groups. The love, or “heart” tragedies of Romeo and Juliet, Antony and Cleopatra and Othello, involve a pair of lovers torn apart by fate and society. “Head” tragedies feature a protagonist fully capable of free will, who unfortunately has his good traits overcome by ego. Othello and Troilus and Cressida are considered by some experts to be borderline heart/head tragedies, as they combine elements of both genres. 

Romeo and Juliet

Hamlet

Antony and Cleopatra