Read the passage.

All tragedies have a tragic hero, or protagonist. This character is usually of high or noble birth. The protagonist finds himself in a difficult situation for one of two reasons: Either he creates the situation because of a flaw in is character, or the situation is fated. The tragic hero ultimately experiences disaster. Sometimes the situation involves a combination of the two. For example, Oedipus is doomed by fate but makes his situation worse.

Tragedies are timeless. The protagonist is a character with whom audiences will sympathize because they can identify with the hero’s feelings of helplessness as he tries to fix his mistakes.

If you were to write a summary of this passage, which of the following details could be left out?

A.
Oedipus makes his situation worse by trying to make it better.

B.
The protagonist is a character for whom audiences feel sympathy.

C.
The tragic hero ultimately experiences disaster.

D.
Audiences can identify with the main character’s feelings of helplessness.

1 answer

A. Oedipus makes his situation worse by trying to make it better.