Philosophical reflections on Greek tragedy : Plato, Aristotle, Hegel, Nietzsche

Abstract

In pondering over tragedy, one may find oneself lost within the maze of what such a broad and inclusive term represents. Moreover, the word itself has come a long way from its enigmatic origins in ancient Greece. Establishing itself as the term employed for a kind of particular dramatic performance by the fifth century B.C., 'tragedy' is the word used for a genre whose best instances have stood the test of time and survived to reach audiences in this present day and age. Yet throughout this span of time, the word has been used in different contexts, in different languages and has come to convey various notions. Amid others, one finds the word being used to refer to given experiences in real life as opposed to their representations in art, a world view characterized by such events, a body of literature, and also an academic problem giving rise to innumerable disputes. Indeed, nowadays the word 'tragedy' is often employed to describe incidents or experiences which arouse an upsurge of feelings such as shock, horror, distress and sympathy. Consequently, tragedy has often been portrayed as revolving solely around death and suffering; yet philosophical insights foreground only particular events and kinds of responses as genuinely tragic. Sustained by references of its historical development, my attempt throughout this long essay will be that of delving into tragedy as a body of literature, with a focus on Greek tragedy. While expounding the reason for such a choice, I will proceed to elucidate some of the philosophical insights which have shed light upon its incomparable value and import by philosophers like Plato, Aristotle, Hegel and Nietzsche. [...]