A tragedy is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful events that befall a main character or cast of characters. [1]

The meaning of TRAGEDY is a disastrous event : calamity. How to use tragedy in a sentence.

Dec 4, 2025 · Tragedy, branch of drama that treats in a serious and dignified style the sorrowful or terrible events encountered or caused by a heroic individual. By extension the term may be applied …

Understanding the Context

In his Poetics, the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle defined tragedy as a morally ambiguous genre in which a noble hero goes from good fortune to bad.

TRAGEDY definition: 1. a very sad event or situation, especially one involving death or suffering: 2. a play about…. Learn more.

At its core, tragedy is a genre of literature that depicts the downfall of a noble or admirable character, usually due to a flaw in their character, fate, or a combination of both. It is not simply misfortune; it is …

  1. a lamentable, dreadful, or fatal event or affair; calamity; disaster: a family tragedy. 2. the tragic element of drama, of literature generally, or of life: the tragedy of poverty. 3. a literary composition, as …

Key Insights

Friedrich Nietzsche dedicated his famous early book, The Birth of Tragedy, to a discussion of the origins of Greek tragedy. He traced the evolution of tragedy from early rituals, through the joining of …

A tragedy is an extremely sad event or situation. They have suffered an enormous personal tragedy.

A tragedy (TRA-jud-dee) is a genre of drama focusing on stories of human suffering. The drama typically consists of a human flaw or weakness in one of the work’s central characters, which then triggers a …