Undoubtedly, Thomas Hardy's “Tess of the D'Urbervilles” largely recalls the archetype of Greek tragedy; evoking an overwhelming feeling of pity/catharsis for the female protagonist. However, the constituent elements of said “tragedy”; although essentially prevalent throughout, are discordant throughout the majority of Hardy's novel. It is generally stipulated to be defined as a "Greek tragedy"; a number of elements must work in unison: the protagonist, although essential to the plot, must remain emotionally detached – the plot being propelled by the action; regardless of the thoughts and psychology of the central character and, therefore, often omitting the presence of a coherent narrative. Aristotle said that tragedy, at its core, is "an imitation, not of men, but of action and life, of happiness and misery" - a plot in which the characters serve to purge the emotions of spectators and to create a focus of empathy, in a tale constrained by nothing other than the misfortune of fate, the cosmos and the gods. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay However, discrepancies arise when examining the semantics of Hardy's novel: Tess's fate cannot be blamed on the fault of the gods, nor the work of higher beings; Tess possesses no credible form of hamartia, for the faults which seem to denounce her recognition as a "virtuous being" are prevalent in all the other central characters: her "defining" sexual impurity, paralleled almost satirically by the actions of his “spiritually enlightened”. husband. Therefore, it is not through the Victorian prism of purity that Tess is given her hamartia; Tess's one and only fatal flaw is one that ironically coincides with Aristotle's theory of tragedy in that it is beyond her control: she is a woman. It is her gender that serves to condemn her. Hardy seems to invert the concept of tragedy, in that, as opposed to an imitation of the joys and sorrows of life, Tess is used on an individual level to paint a bitter portrait of realism and indict the society that dictates such melancholy . Rather than purging the audience of their inner turmoil through a typically male protagonist; Hardy humanizes Tess's condition: men embodying the authority of God - the figures of Angel (biblically symbolizing the hope of redemption for the fallen woman) and Alec (signifying unholy temptation) dominating the young woman's journey girl. The cosmos and that of God which are responsible for our misfortunes are reduced to a very factual level: it is men who oppress it through ignorance of their own faults and exacerbation of theirs; because it is ultimately judged by the delineation of corporate ethics. In a sense, Hardy reflects the ideology of Greek tragedy, in that, just like the knowledge that God's enduring intervention relieves us of blame for our destinies; the invisible construct of society with its judgments about sexuality, femininity, morality and status are entirely responsible for Tess's disappearance. Hardy propagates this concept of responsibility through the unorthodox addition of narration throughout; often satirically mocking the idea that Tess is vilified by God for her actions – noting that "Providence must have been asleep" at the time the young girl's fate is determined by rape. Rather than being propelled by the action, Hardy speculates on the events that occur, with human testimony punctuating the novel, suggesting that intervention and..