6 « Back to Glossary Index
(Greek: περιπέτεια) The sudden reversal of fortune that follows from the tragic action — typically from prosperity to ruin. Oedipus moves from king of Thebes, hunter of truth, to blind exile in a single scene. Macbeth falls from the iron throne he bled to claim into a siege where even his soldiers have deserted. Aristotle described peripeteia as the pivot of great tragedy.
« Back to Glossary Directory
