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Catastrophe In The Media Through Time Essay

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Catastrophe in Media Through Time

Aristotelian tragedy originated in ancient Greece and has stood the test of time by illuminating the human experience. The Aristotelian tragedy is the downfall of a hero by their misjudgment or ignorance. A catastrophe or the reversal of fortune is the point where the tragedy comes to light. It follows the scene of suffering but focuses on the hero’s ultimate demise caused by their hubris or hamartia. The tragic hero must understand and be punished for their actions so the catastrophe can impact the audience. In Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, Oedipus’ catastrophe is that he slept with his mother and killed his father. It is a catastrophe because his pride leads him to unknowingly commit these acts. “I say that …show more content…

When Oedipus becomes aware of his demise he willingly punishes himself, remaining a hero. In Inception directed by Christopher Nolan, Dom Cobb’s catastrophe is that he unknowingly trapped himself in a dream. Again, this is due to his hubris and hamartia. Both Cobb and Oedipus are faced with a problem that through solving, ends in their demise. The aristotelian tragedy is timeless, the story of the tragic hero remains today because of the reflection made between the audience and the hero through the catastrophe.

In Oedipus Rex, Sophocles utilizes catastrophe to evoke emotion and to teach the audience that through your hamartia is a catastrophe. “I have touched you with these hands,/these hands that killed your husband” (Sophocles 296-297). Oedipus fulfilled his prophecy but through Jocasta, his agent of demise, he finds refuge. When Oedipus is exposed to being abandoned by his parents, Jocasta admits that Oedipus will be miserable if he keeps searching for answers. Oedipus's tragedy is caused by Jocasta but is made through his ignorance. In Aristotelian tragedy, the hero must go through a peripeteia, a reversal of fortune, instead of dying in order to learn a lesson. “For the king ripped from her gown the golden brooches… raised them, and plunged them …show more content…

Aristotelian tragedy and especially his theory of catastrophe are essential in modern media. Mimesis propels the audience to be aware of the consequences that could happen to them and the catastrophe is crucial in making this point. Guilt and despair prompt the tragic hero to commit acts of self-sabotage. From the reversal of intention to the reversal of fortune, the hero goes through the effects of their own actions. “I had neither sight nor knowledge then--/ Your father engendered you at the fount of his own existence!” (Sophocles 258-270). Oedipus is ashamed of his actions yet he had no control over them since it was his prophecy. Oedipus did not go through this catastrophe by himself even if he was the receptor. He impacted those around him and feels sympathy for them. Tragic heroes must go through hamartia, anagnorisis, peripetia, and catastrophe for the audience to purge their feelings. Catharsis is the desired outcome of tragedies and for the audience to feel cathartic the catastrophe must mirror the audience's life. Therefore, tragedy remains prevalent because of its effects on the emotions of the

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