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  3. There are two theories that have been used to explain ancient and modern tragedy. Neither quite explains the complexity of the t

There are two theories that have been used to explain ancient and modern tragedy. Neither quite explains the complexity of the t

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问题 There are two theories that have been used to explain ancient and modern tragedy. Neither quite explains the complexity of the tragic process or the tragic hero, but each explains important elements of tragedy, and, because their conclusions are contradictory, they represent extreme views. The first theory states that all tragedy exhibits the workings of external fate. Of course, the overwhelming majority of tragedies do leave us with a sense of the supremacy of impersonal power and of the limitation of human effort. But this theory of tragedy is an oversimplification, primarily because it confuses the tragic condition with the tragic process: the theory does not acknowledge that fate, in a tragedy, normally becomes external to the hero only after the tragic process has been set in motion. Fate, as conceived in ancient Greek tragedy, is the internal balancing condition of life. It appears as external only after it has been violated, just as justice is an internal quality of an honest person, but the external antagonist of the criminal. Secondarily, this theory of tragedy does not distinguish tragedy from irony. Irony does not need an exceptional central figure: as a rule, the more ignoble the hero the sharper the irony, when irony alone is the objective. It is heroism that creates the splendor and exhilaration that is unique to tragedy. The tragic hero normally has an extraordinary, often a nearly divine, destiny almost within grasp, and the glory of that original destiny never quite fades out of the tragedy.
    The second theory of tragedy states that the act that sets the tragic process in motion must be primarily a violation of moral law, whether human or divine; in short, that the tragic hero must have a flaw that has an essential connection with sin. Again it is true that the great majority of tragic heroes do possess hubris, or a proud and passionate mind that seems to make the hero’s downfall morally explicable. But such hubris is only the precipitating agent of catastrophe, just as in comedy the cause of the happy ending is usually some act of humility, often performed by a noble character who is meanly disguised.  
The primary purpose of the passage is to
选项 A、compare and criticize two theories of tragedy
B、develop a new theory of tragedy
C、summarize the thematic content of tragedy
D、reject one theory of tragedy and offer another theory in its place
E、distinguish between tragedy and irony
答案A
解析 What is the primary purpose of the passaged? The hypothesis that the primary purpose of the passage is to compare and criticize two theories of tragedy is attractive. After all, the substance of the passage consists mainly of a discussion of the two theories.
To confirm that answer choice A is the best choice, however, we need to quickly review the other options. Does the passage develop a new theory of tragedy? No. Does it summarize the thematic content of tragedy? This would be clear if so; it is not clear. Does it offer a theory of tragedy to replace a theory it rejects? Definitely not. Does it distinguish between tragedy and irony? This is discussed, but only in a manner incidental to the main idea of the passage. Given the unsuitability of the other answer choices, we are left with answer choice A: that the main purpose of the passage is to compare and criticize two theories of tragedy.
A    Correct. This best describes the main purpose of the passage, based on the analysis above.
B    The passage does not develop a new theory of tragedy.
C    While the passage summarizes the thematic content of tragedy in a very general way, it does so only as a means to providing a critical analysis of the two theories of tragedy discussed.
D    The passage does not advance a new theory of tragedy; it simply considers two existing theories.
E    The passage distinguishes between tragedy and irony; it does so only in service of the larger analysis that is the main focus of the passage.
The correct answer is A.
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