Definition of Tragedy in Literature: Are Sure You’re Really Writing One?
How to figure out what kind of story you’re writing, and why it matters.
Tragedy in Literature: a story wherein the main character is either dead at the end or would be better off dead.
That’s the definition. Not a sad story. Not even a very sad story.
When ever I teach a class about story arc or plotting, I always ask my students if they’re writing a tragedy. Usually, in a class of adults, most people (actually usually none) believe they are writing tragic stories. And they’re right.
Modern stories are rarely truly tragic.
If I’m teaching teenagers, usually about half of them raise their hands. Kids love a good tragedy. Or at least, they think they do. What they mean is that they’re writing an intense story, which is what they really love. Because of course they do — they’re going through an intense period of ife.
Intensity isn’t the same thing as tragedy.
Here’s that definition again: A tragic story is one where the main character is either dead at the end, or would be better off dead. You can have a very sad story, but if at the end the main character has learned something and will soldier on and be better for it, the…
