Match Point Aristotelian Tragedy

A tragedy literary work in which an unfortunate even is caused by an individual. An Aristotelian tragedy is a tragedy that revolves around the main character’s tragic flaws and involves a reverse in fortune. Match Point is an insightful film written and directed by Woody Allen that touches on the inevitable consequences of greed and lust. Chris’s avarice and sexual desires result in him cheating on his wife and committing murder. Match Point represents an Aristotelian tragedy due to Chris’s tragic flaws, irrational decisions, peripeteia, and denial which eventually lead to his sudden change in fortune and downfall. This unfavorable reversal of his fortune demonstrates the tragic consequences of overwhelming desire and lack of judgement. One of the major tragic flaws leading to one’s downfall in a tragedy is overwhelming desire or greed. At first, Chris’s desire for money causes him to deceive Chloe, a wealthy, girl, into falling in love with him as he admires her parents’ wealth. Chloe, who is a naïve and sweet, helps Chris get a job as an executive at her father’s company
and improved Chris’s social status. With their marriage, Chris penetrates into a wealthy family with many connections to the upper class society. But wealth, power, and a high social position are not enough to fulfill his needs. His lust causes him to have an affair with his brother-in-law’s girlfriend, Nola. Nola is reluctant about the affair at first as and refuses to continue their relationship but Chris tells her to “stop rationalizing” (Match Point). His interest in an engaged woman while dating Chloe serves as an example of his greed and sensuality. Subsequently, when Nola breaks up with her boyfriend, Tom, she and Chris start secretly seeing each other again despite Chris’s marriage to Chloe. The fact that Chris has numerous affairs with Nola while they were both in relationships influenced his eventual downfall. He wants to continue his sexual relationship with Nola while remaining married to a wealthy woman in order to maintain his current social status and position. Conclusively, the tragic flaw that Chris, who is greedy and lecherous, possesses leads him to later on tragically kill Nola and initiates his downfall which provides evidence that Match Point is an Aristotelian tragedy. Lack of judgement is also another tragic flaw of Chris’s that lead to his change in fortune.
As previously mentioned, Chris had multiple affairs with Nola while being married to Chloe. But it is evident that his attraction to Nola is not driven by love, but lust as he does not agree to give up his wealth and social position when she tells him she’s pregnant. He chooses to stay with Chloe despite his lack of love towards her and asks Nola to have an abortion. In addition, peripeteia also leads to Chris’s change in fortune. Chris’s impulsive decision to commit two murders in order to protect his own social position initiated this sudden change. Chris finds himself torn between living a wealthy, prosperous life with Chloe and living in poverty with Nola and a baby. As a result of this, he made an impetuous decision to murder Nola, the child, and an innocent old lady in order to conceal his
trail. Another reason for Chris’s internal conflict and therefore downfall is the fact that he is never condemned for his actions. He feels guilty and remorseful for the murders he committed but as he doesn’t pay for his crimes, he cannot live in peace or forgive himself. Therefore, at the end of the story, he says that he would like to be “apprehended and punished” (Match Point). He has the opportunity to come clean and confess to his actions when the detectives suspect he may be a criminal but he chooses not to and has to live the rest of his life with the guilt of murdering two people. As a consequence, he suffers both mentally and emotionally. This feeling of guilt and remorse creates an internal conflict which leads to his eventual downfall, which is a characteristic of an Aristotelian tragedy. In conclusion, Match Point is considered to be a tragedy due to the characters’ remarkable sufferings that are caused by the protagonist’s tragic flaws. Chris’s moral flaws, irrational decisions, peripeteia, and denial lead to his change in fortune and downfall, which provides evidence that Match Point is an Aristotelian tragedy. As a consequence, he has to live the rest of his life knowing he is a murderer and will never be able to fully forgive himself.