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  3. There are two theories that have been used to explain ancient and modern tragedy

There are two theories that have been used to explain ancient and modern tragedy

游客2024-01-12  15
问题 There are two theories that have been used to explain ancient and modern tragedy. Neither quite explains the complexity of the tragic process or the tragic hero, but each explains important elements of tragedy, and, because their conclusions are contradictory, they represent extreme views. The first theory states that all tragedy exhibits the workings of external fate. Of course, the overwhelming majority of tragedies do leave us with a sense of the supremacy of impersonal power and of the limitation of human effort. But this theory of tragedy is an oversimplification, primarily because it confuses the tragic condition with the tragic process: the theory does not acknowledge that fate, in a tragedy, normally becomes external to the hero only after the tragic process has been set in motion. Fate, as conceived in ancient Greek tragedy, is the internal balancing condition of life. It appears as external only after it has been violated, just as justice is an internal quality of an honest person, but the external antagonist of the criminal. Secondarily, this theory of tragedy does not distinguish tragedy from irony. Irony does not need an exceptional central figure: as a rule, the more ignoble the hero the sharper the irony, when irony alone is the objective. It is heroism that creates the splendor and exhilaration that is unique to tragedy. The tragic hero normally has an extraordinary, often a nearly divine, destiny almost within grasp, and the glory of that original destiny never quite fades out of the tragedy.
    The second theory of tragedy states that the act that sets the tragic process in motion must be primarily a violation of moral law, whether human or divine; in short, that the tragic hero must have a flaw that has an essential connection with sin. Again it is true that the great majority of tragic heroes do possess hubris, or a proud and passionate mind that seems to make the hero’s downfall morally explicable. But such hubris is only the precipitating agent of catastrophe, just as in comedy the cause of the happy ending is usually some act of humility, often performed by a noble character who is meanly disguised.  [br] The author objects to the theory that all tragedy exhibits the workings of external fate primarily because
选项 A、fate in tragedies is not as important a cause of action as is the violation of a moral law
B、fate in tragedies does not appear to be something that is external to the tragic hero until after the tragic process has begun
C、the theory is based solely on an understanding of ancient Greek tragedy
D、the theory does not seem to be a plausible explanation of tragedy’s ability to exhilarate an audience
E、the theory does not seem applicable to the large number of tragedies in which the hero overcomes fate
答案 B
解析 What is the authors main reason for objecting to the theory that all tragedy exhibits the workings of external fate?
This view is attributed, in the passage’s third sentence, to the first of the two theories considered. The author characterizes this view as an oversimplification, primarily because it confuses the tragic condition with the tragic process. In other words, the tragic hero’s relationship with fate changes as the tragic process continues: fate is used to balance the tragic hero’s life, and becomes an external condition as the hero’s life becomes unbalanced.
The author elaborates that in ancient Greek tragedy fate normally becomes external to the hero only after the tragic process has begun. Therefore, the correct answer will likely mention either the tragic "process" or the tragic "condition."
A    This option mentions neither the tragic condition nor the tragic process.
B    Correct. This option mentions the tragic process and accurately captures the reason presented by the author to support the objection raised.
C    The author invokes ancient Greek tragedy to illustrate and support the objection raised; it is not invoked to indicate a flaw in the theory objected to.
D    The author does not cite tragedy’s ability to exhilarate an audience as a primary reason for the objection raised.
E    The author does not cite the large number of tragedies in which the hero overcomes fate as the primary reason for the objection raised.
The correct answer is B.
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