The Glass Menagerie
The six elements and principles of tragedy as defined by Aristotle can be applied to the play The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams. According to Aristotle, every play should have six elements - plot, character, thought, diction, melody and spectacle. These elements are present in Tennessee Williams play and the play can be analyzed by drawing relevant parallels to Aristotle's terms. These principles of tragedy and analysis of the ideal form of the tragic play became a guideline for later playwrights in Western civilization. Aristotle defines tragedy as "the imitation of an action that is serious and also, as having magnitude, complete in itself; in appropriate and pleasurable language;...in a dramatic rather than narrative form; with incidents arousing pity and fear, wherewith to accomplish a catharsis of these emotions." What Aristotle means by this statement is that a good tragedy deals with one issue that is very serious and is not trivial, using language that is easy to listen to and has good rhythm. The story must be dramatized or acted out and the events or episodes in the play should lead the audience to feel very sorry for the main character - the tragic hero. The audience should also feel afraid for the hero a
Character is the second most important element of tragedy. Each character has an essential quality or nature that is revealed in the plot. The moral purpose of each character must be clear to the audience and the character should have four main qualities. According to Aristotle, no matter who they are, the characters must be good in some way. The characters should act appropriately for their gender and station in life. The characters should have believable personalities and finally each character must act consistently throughout the play. In other words, nothing should be done or said that could be perceived as "acting out of character." The four main characters, Tom, Laura, Amanda and Jim O'Connor, all fit these criteria that Aristotle has laid down. Tom is sometimes juvenile, selfish, and full of contradictions but this is what makes him such a real character. He also acts cruelly to his sister but at the end of the play conveys his strong feelings for her. Laura is physically and emotionally crippled but is the only character who demonstrates pure compassion. There are many symbols that represent her such as the blue rose and unicorn which are very unique and different to the world. Amanda is a vivacious and strong woman who clings to her memories of her vanished, refined past. Although Amanda is constantly nagging Tom and does not see Laura as an individual she also has a great willingness to sacrifice for her family which is admirable. She is a good person but like all the other characters, is tragically flawed in some way. Jim went to high school with both Tom and Laura and during this time Laura developed a crush on him. He is outgoing, enthusiastic, and believes in self-improvement - a complete contrast to Tom, Laura, and
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1184
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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