ENDINGS IN RENAISSANCE TRAGEDY Among the various definitions of tragedy the one most commonly proffered is a play that treats at the most uncompromising level human suffering or pathos with death being the usual conclusion According to Aristotles Poetics the purpose of tragedy is to show how humans are at the mercy of fate and to cleanse the audience by provoking extreme emotions of pity and terror The tragic actions on the dramatic stage cause the audience to experience these extreme feelings