A tragedy is a play or movie that has a sad ending.

The first tragedies were written and performed by the ancient Athenians in Greece. In these early tragedies, the hero, also called the protaganist, is faced with a conflict that must be resolved. The hero’s choices, and sometimes bad luck, lead to suffering, unhappiness, and death.

In ancient Athens, the most famous writers of tragedies were Aeschylus, Euripides, and Sophocles.

Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and Othello are some of Shakespeare's tragedies.

Copyright © ProjectExplorer 2003-2009
Text: Jenny M. Buccos
Image: Ralph Richardson as Othello at the Old Vic, 1978.