English Literature A-Level
Classical tragedy
What Classical tragedy means in English Literature A-Level, as defined for AQA.
Definition of Classical tragedy
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Reference: AQA
A type of tragic text about public figures, such as rulers, where the fall can shake a state and bring national suffering.
Topics that use Classical tragedy
- Aspects of tragedy (AQA A-Level)
Related terms
- Ambiguity and unresolved endings
- Audience expectation and response
- Catharsis
- Complication, climax and catastrophe
- Determinism and free will
- Domestic tragedy
- Hamartia
- Order and disorder
Using Classical tragedy in the exam
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