Preview

Match Point

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1100 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Match Point
Mr. Howard

ENG4U101

July 20th 2012

Point, Set & Match

What defines what a true tragedy is? A tragedy is often referred as a situation in life where someone has suffered severe misfortune and even death. “Match Point” directed by Woody Allen, stars Chris Wilton, Nola Rice and Chloe Hewett. A.C Bradley, one of the renowned literacy authorities on Shakespearean tragedies made a list of points that defines what a Shakespearean tragedy truly is. With that being said, if “Match Point” was to share similar concepts with Shakespearean tragedies, then it would also be considered a tragedy. Match Point satisfies the elements of tragedy through the concept used in Shakespearean tragedies. This is shown through Chris’ sudden reversal in fortune, the fact that most of his life is hinged upon chance and how Chris himself has a tragic flaw; greed. Throughout the film, Chris is put through a sudden reversal of fortune. The movie starts off with Chris working at a tennis court as a tennis instructor. Chris earns just enough to live by and is able to buy himself a very little apartment in which he pays two hundred and fifty pounds a week. His reversal in fortune starts when he begins to teach Tom Hewett. After going to the opera with Tom and his family Chris starts to date Chloe; Tom’s sister. Chloe gets Chris a job at her father’s firm and Chris starts to become wealthy. This sudden change in Chris’ fortune changes his personality which in turn leads to slow downfall as he starts to realize that with money he is able to do and get whatever he wishes. This is shown through the quote “I can buy us lunch. Put it on the expense account” (Woody Allen- writer/director of modern day films). Here the viewer is shown that Chris does not care about money and that he knows he is able to do what he wishes with it. A.C Bradley’s list of concepts that defines a Shakespearean tragedy includes reversal of fortune as the increase in money causes the mind to change in ways that
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    MWD Odeipus rex
    • 2482 Words
    • 7 Pages

    MWD Odeipus rex

    Tragedy is the imitation of an action that is serious and also having magnitude complete in itself. The genre excites the emotions of pity and fear. Catharsis is also seen in this genre. Tragedy touches the “pity and fear” within its audience compared to other emotions drawn in other genres. Hubris, or the tragic flaw, is often seen in this genre too.…

    • 2482 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    How Does Mcginn Use Real Character Flaws In Macbeth
    • 1265 Words
    • 6 Pages

    How Does Mcginn Use Real Character Flaws In Macbeth

    Many people are superstitious, which leads to the belief that “bad luck” is often the cause of tragic circumstances. “Bad luck” can be something as simple as your shoelace breaks to something cataclysmal like a windstorm blows a tree through your living room. McGinn describes tragedy as “a miss match between situation and character” (194) but in Shakespearean literature you need an element of “bad luck” to get a tragedy. McGinn explains that everyone has flaws but there generally is no flaw that will cause a tragedy by itself. McGinn clarifies that you need a flawed character and the right situation in order to have a tragedy. If we have a flawed situation with a good character…

    • 1265 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Lord Capulet To Blame For The Tragedy Of Romeo And Juliet
    • 751 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Lord Capulet To Blame For The Tragedy Of Romeo And Juliet

    Have you ever been caught in a tragedy?- an event causing great suffering, destruction, and distress, such as a serious accident, crime, or natural catastrophe. Have you ever seen a tragedy in love? In the play Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare displays the dedication that Romeo and Juliet have for each other in the name of love. When the ending of this love story is displayed, Many people are seen to share the blame for this tragedy between these two star-crossed lovers.…

    • 751 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Tragedy Paper: Tim Is A Tragic Hero
    • 477 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Tragedy Paper: Tim Is A Tragic Hero

    What is a tragedy? Is it a plot that some old guy made? Or is it more than that? A tragedy is a set of events that goes from order to chaos to order. In every tragedy, there is a tragic hero with a tragic flaw. I believe that the Tragedy Paper is a tragedy.…

    • 477 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Tragedy In Romeo And Juliet
    • 576 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Tragedy In Romeo And Juliet

    The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare shares the archetypal love story between two lovers of opposing households. Aside from the title, Romeo and Juliet, meets the criteria of a tragedy by emphasizing the protagonists’ tragic flaw in the process of their fall. Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet falls best under phase two tragedy due to the tragedy of innocence and confusion in an adult situation.…

    • 576 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    OTHELLO ONE PAGER

    • 834 Words
    • 4 Pages

    OTHELLO ONE PAGER

    A tragedy is a play that revolves around a character who is brought to their demise by their own actions and failure. The plot usually provoke feelings of pity and fear from the audiemce. References to fate and destiny can be found throughout the play. The end usually includes the deaths of many characters.…

    • 834 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Is Macbeth A Tragic Hero
    • 673 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Is Macbeth A Tragic Hero

    A great play has to include many important features in order for it to be classified as a tragedy. For any great tragedy, there must be a tragic hero in the story. Fear and pity are created by and through the conflict. Every tragedy must also end in hope. William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a great tragedy deserving of much more praise.…

    • 673 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Does A Raisin In The Sun Obtain The American Dream
    • 1039 Words
    • 5 Pages

    How Does A Raisin In The Sun Obtain The American Dream

    Throughout the course of the play, the play emphasizes the significance of money, loyalty, and trust. The Youngers who are living in poverty and hardship just want to have their American Dream. However, the family can not…

    • 1039 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    What makes "Romeo and Juliet" a tragedy and who or what is responsible for it?
    • 6853 Words
    • 17 Pages

    What makes "Romeo and Juliet" a tragedy and who or what is responsible for it?

    "Romeo and Juliet" is one of Shakespeare's most famous and classical tragic plays where two young lovers are destined to be together but their families bitter hatred towards one another force them apart. They soon realize that one cannot live without the other and would rather be dead than live apart; so they end up committing suicide under tragic circumstances. Shakespeare wrote the play in 1959 and it was set in Italy.To understand the extent of tragedy in this play, the social and historical context of the play and other factors that may have contributed to the tragedy of the play, are very important. Most people see tragedy as a sudden unfortunate event, which leaves people sad, upset and possibly grieving. In a Shakespeare play tragedy is brought to the audience very differently. The definition of tragedy would be a disastrous event or calamity in which destructive circumstances result in the deaths of the main characters in question. The audience in Shakespeare's play is made to feel fear, pity, emotion and a sense of a waste and loss of life. Shakespeare delivers this play's tragedy through many factors most of which are brought by fate and inevitability and others from those who took part in the events which lead to the end of Romeo and Juliet. His use of language, themes, imagery, motifs and symbols also have a profound effect on how he builds up the tragic circumstances in the play.…

    • 6853 Words
    • 17 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Compare and contrast the ways that the pursuit of wealth is Presented in ‘Top Girls’ and ‘Death of a Salesman’
    • 1404 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Compare and contrast the ways that the pursuit of wealth is Presented in ‘Top Girls’ and ‘Death of a Salesman’

    ‘Top Girls’ and ‘Death of a Salesman’ are plays that both exemplify the importance of money and what it means to people. The plays however differ in how the protagonists, Marlene and Willy, use and make use of the money they have earned. Furthermore the protagonists juxtapose each other as they both come from different walks of life which illustrate to the audience why the pursuit of wealth is important to them.…

    • 1404 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Downfall Of Macbeth Research Paper
    • 647 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Downfall Of Macbeth Research Paper

    The tragedy of Macbeth, by William Shakespeare is considered a tragedy due to the downfall of the main character. His downfall causes many deaths throughout the play and causes dramatic events to take place which in the end leads to his death. Many major events take place in this characters life to lead up to his downfall and death. The downfall of Macbeth is due to his greed for power, witches’ self-fulfilling prophesies, and the pressure from Lady Macbeth.…

    • 647 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Fate Reshapes Hamlet
    • 2046 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Fate Reshapes Hamlet

    What is a tragedy? A tragedy can be defined as a form of drama that depicts the suffering of a heroic individual who is often overcome by the very obstacles he is struggling to remove (Tragedy 1). Shakespeare 's play, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, is considered a tragedy in literature and the character of Hamlet in the play is considered to be a tragic hero. In addition, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is considered to be a type of tragedy called revenge tragedy. Basically, this type of play consists of a murder that has to be avenged by a relative of the victim (DiYanni 1394). Ultimately, the play is about a son that is called upon by the ghost of his father to avenge his death.…

    • 2046 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Comparing Romeo And Juliet And Julius Caesar
    • 502 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Comparing Romeo And Juliet And Julius Caesar

    William Shakespeare was the creative mind behind some of the world's greatest plays and tragedies. Two of his most famous tragedies were Romeo and Juliet and Julius Caesar. One definition of a tragedy is that it depicts serious incidents in which characters undergo a change from happiness to suffering, often involving the death of others, as well as the main characters. This definition proves true in both Romeo and Juliet and Julius Caesar.…

    • 502 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    What Was Macbeth's Downfall
    • 1533 Words
    • 7 Pages

    What Was Macbeth's Downfall

    William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is undoubtedly a tragedy given the circumstances presented in the play. More specifically, Macbeth’s tragic downfall is presented through his high position in society, his similar persona to that of an aristotelian tragic hero, but also the circumstances that separate him from the typical hero. Though Macbeth is not the average typical hero, his story is nonetheless a tragedy. Macbeth is ultimately a tragedy due to the series of events that took place in order for Macbeth’s downfall to occur.…

    • 1533 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Role Of Supernatural In Macbeth
    • 179 Words
    • 1 Page

    Role Of Supernatural In Macbeth

    Aristotle, one of the greatest philosophers of Ancient Greece, defined tragedy as a combination of supernatural power(s), nobility, limitation of knowledge, character flaws, the understanding of why the character fell, acceptance of punishment, and the restoration of order. Because these elements are found in Macbeth, the play is defined as a tragedy.…

    • 179 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics