Q9

[gplaya123]

Can someone explain why A is wrong?

I mean I guess D is right for sure...

Hm....well

Is A wrong because of the word "deluded?"

[tommywallach]

Hey Gplaya,

The key on a question like that is to locate the part of the Rivier's view of tragic dramas that best encapsulates what he sees as the tragedy. I think it's best stated here in the final sentence: "the protagonist does not so much 'choose' between two possibilities as 'recognize' that there is only one real option."

(A) Notice the problem here. The protagonist does NOT think he is free. In fact, the real tragedy is the recognition that he is NOT free (i.e. "there is only one real option"). So the issue isn't the "deluded" part.

(B) This isn't really about heroism, per se, but tragic heroes. The protagonist is not struggling for any kind of heroism.

(C) There's nothing wrong with trying to take responsibility for your actions (not according to the passage, anyway). Even if you CANNOT, because the Gods are ultimately responsible, it isn't wrong to try.

(D) This is the same as the sentence quoted above. If "there is only one real option," then the protagonist is not actually making a choice that is free of divine compulsion (read: intervention).

(E) This is way off base. The tragic protagonist is not necessarily punished, according to Rivier, and makes no attempt to evade responsibility. Quite the opposite, actually.

Hope that helps!

-t