Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, widely recognized by his stage name Molière, was a prolific French playwright and actor. He is considered one of the greatest writers in the French language and is famous for his mastery of comedy, satire, and farce, which significantly influenced European theatrical traditions.

F.L. Lucas, a prominent British literary critic and scholar, famously stated that 'theatre is not a hospital'. This remark serves as a critique of the tendency to treat literature or drama primarily as a therapeutic tool, arguing instead for its aesthetic and intellectual autonomy.

This quote is attributed to the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It appears in his seminal play 'A Doll's House' (1879), spoken by the character Torvald Helmer. The line underscores the play's central themes regarding the social and moral consequences of financial deception and the rigid expectations placed upon domestic life during the Victorian era.

A tragic hero is traditionally defined as a character of noble stature or high social standing who possesses a 'hamartia,' or tragic flaw. This flaw, often combined with an error in judgment, leads to their inevitable downfall. The hero is neither purely virtuous nor purely villainous, making their suffering evoke both pity and fear in the audience. This definition highlights the intersection of nobility and the catastrophic consequences of a critical mistake.

In classical Greek drama, the distinction between tragedy and comedy is primarily structural. While tragedy involves a reversal of fortune leading to a downfall, comedy is defined by a movement from confusion or conflict toward a resolution, often involving a reversal of fortune that results in a happy ending or the restoration of social order.

The Licensing Act of 1737 restricted the performance of 'legitimate' drama to specific theaters. Legitimate drama was defined as plays consisting of spoken dialogue. Performances that included music, dance, or pantomime were often relegated to 'illegitimate' theaters, as the law sought to control the content and nature of theatrical productions in London.

In classical and traditional theatrical terms, a tragedy is a serious drama that depicts the downfall of a protagonist, often of high social status or noble character. This downfall is typically brought about by a 'hamartia' or tragic flaw, leading to a reversal of fortune. The genre aims to evoke pity and fear in the audience, ultimately resulting in catharsis, or emotional purging.

Joseph Addison, in his periodical 'The Spectator', expressed strong disapproval of the mixing of tragic and comic elements in English drama. He viewed this generic hybridity as a violation of classical decorum and artistic purity, labeling it a 'monstrous' invention that undermined the serious impact of tragedy.

In literary tradition, the hero is typically defined by virtues such as courage, loyalty, and self-sacrifice. Jealousy is categorized as a vice or a destructive emotion that often serves as a tragic flaw (hamartia) in characters, rather than a defining trait of the heroic ideal itself.

A closet drama is a play intended to be read rather than performed on stage. The term 'closet' refers to a private room or study. Milton's 'Samson Agonistes' is a classic example of this form, as it follows the structure of Greek tragedy but lacks the practical staging requirements for a theatrical production, focusing instead on internal reflection and philosophical discourse.