tragedy
(ˈtrædʒɪdɪ)
Forms: 4–6 tragedye, (4–5 tregeedie, tregedie), 4–7 tragedie, 5 -idie, (trajedi), 5–6 tragedi, -ide, 6 tragœdie, (trigide, -idy), 5– tragedy.
[ME. a. OF. tregedie, tragedie (14th c. in Godef.), ad. L. tragœdia, a. Gr. τραγῳδία, app. goat-song, f. τράγος goat + {wlenisisub}δή ode, song.
As to the reason of the name many theories have been offered, some even disputing the connexion with ‘goat’. See L. H. Gray in Classical Quarterly VI. 60, and references there given.]
1. A play or other literary work of a serious or sorrowful character, with a fatal or disastrous conclusion: opp. to comedy1 1. † a. In mediæval use: A tale or narrative poem of this character.
| c 1374 Chaucer Boeth. ii. pr. ii. 23 (Camb. MS.) The cryenges of tragedyes... Tragedye is to seyn, a dite of a prosperite for a tyme þat endith in wrecchydnesse. c 1374 ― Troylus v. 1786 Go litel booke goo litell my tregeedie. c 1386 ― Monk's Prol. 83 (Corpus) Or elles tregedys [v.rr. -ies, -ise] first wol I telle. c 1430 Lydg. Misericordias 65 At funeral feestys men synge tragedies With wooful ditees of lamentacioun. 1531 Elyot Gov. i. x, Than shall he, in redyng tragoedies, execrate and abhorre the intollerable life of tyrantes. 1593 Churchyard (title) The Earle of Mvrtons Tragedie. |
b. Applied to ancient Greek and Latin works: the original (Dorian) being lyric songs, the later (Attic and Latin) dramatic pieces.
| c 1430 Lydg. Min. Poems (Percy Soc.) 25 The tragidés divers and unkouth Of morall Senec. 1484 Caxton Curiall 11 As seyth Seneke in hys tragedyes, Age cometh to late to peple of smale howses. 1546 Langley Pol. Verg. De Invent. i. ix. 17 b, As the Alters were kindled with fyre, and the Goate layed on it, the Quire in honor of Bacchus, songe this Meter called a Tragedie. 1579 Lodge Def. Poetry (Shaks. Soc.) 24 Tragedies and Comedies..wer inuented..to no other purpose, but to yeelde prayse unto God for a happy haruest, or plentiful yeere. a 1637 B. Jonson Horace's Art of Poetry 312 Thespis is said to be the first found out The tragedy, and carried it about, Till then unknown, in carts, wherein did ride Those that did sing, and act. 1789 T. Twining Aristotle's Treat. Poetry ii. §12. 88 Now, the subjects of the best Tragedies are confined to a few families—to Alcmæon, Oedipus,..and others, the sufferers, or the authors, of some terrible calamity. 1873 Symonds Grk. Poets ix. 277 His Chorus were attired like Satyrs in goat⁓skins, to represent the woodland comrades of the god: hence came the name of Tragedy or Goat-song. |
c. Applied to a modern stage-play.
| 1538 Bale Thre Lawes 1465 Companyons I want to begynne thys tragedye. 1597 Shakes. (title) An excellent conceited Tragedie of Romeo and Iuliet. 1611 ― (title) The Tragedie of Cymbeline. 1641 Milton Ch. Govt. ii. Pref., Wks. 1851 III. 146 The Apocalyps of Saint Iohn is the majestick image of a high and stately Tragedy,..intermingling her solemn Scenes and Acts with a sevenfold Chorus of halleluja's and harping symphonies. 1703 Farquhar Inconstant iv. iii, Cry then, handsomely; cry like a queen in a tragedy. 1775 Harris Philos. Arrangem. Wks. (1841) 316 This excellent tragedy [Macbeth]..is not only admirable as a poem, but is perhaps..one of the most moral pieces existing. 1838–9 Hallam Hist. Lit. III. iii. vi. §90. 339 Five of his sixteen plays are tragedies, that is, are concluded in death. |
2. That branch of dramatic art which treats of sorrowful or terrible events, in a serious and dignified style:
opp. to
comedy1 2. (Sometimes
personified.)
| 1412–20 Lydg. Chron. Troy ii. 852 Tragidie, who so list to knowe, It begynneth in prosperite, And endeth euer in aduersite; And it also doth þe conquest trete Of riche kynges and of lordys grete. 1508 Dunbar Lament for Makaris 59 [Death] That scorpioun fell hes done infek Maister Iohne Clerk, and James Afflek, Fra balat making & trigide. 1598 Meres Palladis Tamia 282 Plautus and Seneca are accounted the best for Comedy and Tragedy among the Latines. 1632 Milton Penseroso 97 Som time let Gorgeous Tragedy In Scepter'd Pall com sweeping by. 1757 W. Wilkie Epigon. Pref. 5 In Epic poetry, Tragedy, or any other of the higher kinds of poetical composition. 1861 Paley æschylus, Prometh. (ed. 2) 799 note, This use is common in Homer, but rare in tragedy. 1900 W. L. Courtney Idea of Tragedy 12 Tragedy is always the clash of two powers—necessity without, freedom within. |
3. fig. An unhappy or fatal event or series of events in real life; a dreadful calamity or disaster. (
Cf. comedy1 4.)
| 1509 Hawes Past. Pleas. xii. (Percy Soc.) 49 His chere is dolorus, As in bewaylyng a woful tragedy. 1535 Layton in Lett. Suppress. Monasteries (Camden) 76 To tell yowe all this commodie, but for thabbot a tragedie, hit were to long. 1617 Moryson Itin. i. 207 The warre of Hungarie made all those parts full of tragedies and miserie. 1657 Trapp Comm. Job i. 19 Lately at Witney..a scurrilous blasphemous Comedy was by the fall of the room wherein it was acted, turned into a Tragedy, as ending with the deaths of six. 1871 Freeman Norm. Conq. IV. xx. 572 The turning-point of William's reign, the tragedy of the fate of Waltheof. |
† b. A doleful or dreadful tale; a passionate complaint.
Obs.| 1565 Jewel Def. Apol. ii. xiii. (1611) 255 Iudge thou..how iust causes M. Harding had to mooue these Tragedies. 1594 Spenser Amoretti liv, I waile, and make my woes a Tragedy. 1611 Bible Transl. Pref. 2 Herevpon they raise vp a tragedie, and wish in their heart the Temple had neuer bene built. 1664 H. More Myst. Iniq., Apol. 538 Some would raise such Stirres and Tragedies about. |
† c. With
of or possessive: Sad story, unhappy fate, misery, misfortune;
esp. sorrowful end, violent death.
Obs.| 1513 Douglas æneis iv. Prol. 264 Sen I suld thi [Dido's] trigidy endite. a 1592 Greene Alphonsus i. Wks. (Rtldg.) 227/1 This sword..should the author be To make an end of this my tragedy. 1598–9 [E. Forde] Parismus i. (1661) 68, I fear he is destroyed by the treachery of that wicked homicide.., who is not contented with his tragedy, but also seeketh my destruction. 1617 Moryson Itin. i. 186 He ceased not to bewaile my misery, and to recount my Tragedy as if it had been the burning of Troy. 1678 Marvell Growth Popery Wks. (Grosart) IV. 412 Men sit by, like idle spectators, and still give money towards their own tragedy. 1738 Wesley Psalms xci. iv, Thou..shalt look on and see The Wicked's dismal Tragedy. |
¶ 4. Misused for
tragedian 1.
Obs. rare—1.
| 1460 J. Capgrave Chron. (Rolls) 49 Sophocles and Euripides..were cleped Tragedies. Trajedi is as mech to sey as he that writith eld stories, with ditees hevy and sorowful. |
5. attrib. and
Comb., as
tragedy-actor,
tragedy-air,
tragedy-drum (
drum n.1 3),
tragedy-god,
tragedy-king,
tragedy-player,
tragedy-queen,
tragedy speech,
tragedy strut,
tragedy-victim,
tragedy-writer;
tragedy-man the chief tragic actor at a theatre.
| 1820 W. Tooke tr. Lucian I. 481 Lay aside your proper character and assume that of a *tragedy-actor. |
| 1897 ‘A Hope’ Phroso v, Her *tragedy-air was quite delightful. |
| 1702 Steele Funeral iv. i. 59 He is a *Tragedy-Drum to one of the Play-Houses. |
| 1820 W. Tooke tr. Lucian I. 505 Properties necessary for the equipment of a *tragedy-god. |
| 1900 Macm. Mag. May 50/1 More like a *tragedy-king than a monarch of history. |
| 1821 Blackw. Mag. X. 588 The vacant situation of *tragedyman. |
| 1552 Huloet, *Tragedie player, tragœdus. |
| 1755 C. Charke Life 192 Though it was a valuable Gift, but more proper to ornament the Neck of a Country-Housewife, than a *Tragedy-Queen. 1819 [see sail v.1 5 b]. 1848 Thackeray Van. Fair xlvi, She bowed me out of the room like a tragedy queen. |
| 1773 Goldsm. Stoops to Conq. v. i, A short *tragedy speech. |
| 1791 Paine Rights of Man (ed. 4) 27 A *tragedy-victim expiring in show, and not the real prisoner of misery. |
| 1552 Huloet, *Tragedie wryter, tragicus, Sophocles. c 1740 G. Walmsley in Hawkins Johnson (1787) 39 Johnson is a very good scholar and poet, and, I have great hopes, will turn out a fine tragedy-writer. |