The correct option for the question regarding the tragic character is D. sympathy. Let's break down the reasoning behind this answer and why the other options are less appropriate. Explanation of the Correct Answer (D. Sympathy)

1. Definition of a Tragic Character: A tragic character is typically a protagonist in a tragedy who experiences significant suffering, often due to a personal flaw (hamartia) or fate. This character's journey usually leads to a downfall that evokes strong emotional responses from the audience.
2. Emotional Response: The key emotional response that a tragic character elicits is sympathy. Sympathy involves feelings of compassion and understanding for the character's plight. When audiences witness the struggles and misfortunes of a tragic character, they often feel a deep sense of empathy for their situation, which is a hallmark of tragic literature.
3. Connection to the Audience: The tragic character's experiences often reflect universal themes of human suffering, loss, and moral dilemmas. This connection allows the audience to relate to the character's emotions and circumstances, fostering a sense of sympathy. For example, in Shakespeare's "Hamlet," the audience feels sympathy for Hamlet as he grapples with his father's death and his quest for revenge, which ultimately leads to his tragic end.

Why the Other Options Are Incorrect

• A. Frustration: While frustration can be a part of a tragic character's experience, it is not the primary emotional response that the audience feels. Frustration is more about the character's internal struggle and does not encompass the broader emotional connection that sympathy provides. The audience may feel frustrated with the character's decisions, but this does not evoke the same depth of emotional engagement as sympathy.
• B. Terror: Terror is an intense fear that can be associated with horror genres or situations of extreme danger. While some tragic characters may face terrifying circumstances, the primary emotional response is not terror but rather sympathy for their suffering. The audience is more likely to feel compassion for the character's plight than to be terrified by it.
• C. Horror: Similar to terror, horror involves a sense of dread or revulsion. While tragic characters may encounter horrific events, the essence of tragedy lies in the emotional connection and understanding of the character's suffering. Horror does not capture the empathetic response that is central to the experience of tragedy.

Summary of Key Points

• A tragic character evokes sympathy due to their suffering and moral dilemmas.
• Sympathy allows the audience to connect emotionally with the character's experiences.
• Other options like frustration, terror, and horror do not encapsulate the primary emotional response associated with tragic characters.
• Understanding the nature of tragedy helps in recognizing the emotional depth and complexity of characters in literature.

Revision Summary

• Tragic characters elicit sympathy from the audience due to their suffering.
• Sympathy fosters a deep emotional connection, making the audience relate to the character's plight.
• Other emotional responses like frustration, terror, and horror do not capture the essence of tragedy.
• Recognizing these emotional dynamics is crucial for analyzing tragic literature effectively.