EN 313 INTRODUCTION TO DRAMA
NOTES ON "TOP GIRLS"Heroism: the ability to triumph over obstacles to achieve extraordinary thingsthis accomplishment is active, not passive
Tragedy: the downfall of a heroic character in the pursuit of an admirable goal through the excess of some virtue that becomes a flaw
Tragic hero[ine]: a person who seems to pay too high a price for his/her accomplishments
| CHARACTER | OBSTACLE | ACHIEVEMENT | PRICE |
| Isabella Bird | Ill health brought on by thankless domestic labor | Adult education, exploration, nursing | |
| Nijo | Cast off by the Emperor | Embraced "nothingness" of Buddhism, becoming a nun | Lost love |
| Pope Joan | Women were not to be educated | Made cardinal and Pope because of her erudition | Stoned to death |
| Dull Gret | War victim—half starved, children killed | Leads a mother’s charge against the devil | |
| Patient Griselda | Impossibly demanding husband | Becomes queen, has "dead" children restored |
Hetty is tragic but not heroic—all price, no achievement
Griselda’s achievement is too passive to be considered heroic