Which term denotes the turning point or reversal of fortune in a tragedy?

Which term denotes the turning point or reversal of fortune in a tragedy?

• A. Peripeteia
• B. Anagnorisis
• C. Hamartia
• D. Nemesis

Answer: (A)

The turning point in a tragedy is called peripeteia—the moment when the hero’s fortunes reverse from good to bad, shifting the direction of the entire narrative. This sudden change in circumstances is what drives the plot toward its eventual outcome and often sets the hero on a path to downfall. Peripeteia captures the structural twist that redefines the protagonist’s situation, rather than explaining how the awareness of reality comes about or what personal flaw caused the fall. Anagnorisis, by contrast, is the moment of recognition or discovery—when the truth about the hero’s own identity or the true nature of events comes to light. Hamartia refers to the tragic flaw or error in judgment that contributes to the downfall, not the reversal itself. Nemesis denotes the punishment or inevitable retribution faced by the character, the force that enacts consequences after the reversal. So the best term for the turning point that alters the hero’s fortune is peripeteia.

The turning point in a tragedy is called peripeteia—the moment when the hero’s fortunes reverse from good to bad, shifting the direction of the entire narrative. This sudden change in circumstances is what drives the plot toward its eventual outcome and often sets the hero on a path to downfall. Peripeteia captures the structural twist that redefines the protagonist’s situation, rather than explaining how the awareness of reality comes about or what personal flaw caused the fall.

Anagnorisis, by contrast, is the moment of recognition or discovery—when the truth about the hero’s own identity or the true nature of events comes to light. Hamartia refers to the tragic flaw or error in judgment that contributes to the downfall, not the reversal itself. Nemesis denotes the punishment or inevitable retribution faced by the character, the force that enacts consequences after the reversal.

So the best term for the turning point that alters the hero’s fortune is peripeteia.