tragedy

• the reign of James I was the most prolific period of English dramatic writing
• Jacobean tragedies revolve around an obsession with sin and sexuality
• the tragic hero has to be played by someone with some kind of power and they make a mistake or have a misfortune
• the tragic plot must have a clear sense of plot and then a change in the heroes fortune from happiness to misery
• anagnorisis is when the hero has a moment of realisation but can't do anything about it
• the audience experience catharsis through the hero's suffering and death
• shakespeare plays with convention - othello could be seen as a comedy as well as a tragedy