According to William Ridgeway's theory, where did tragedy originate from?

William Ridgeway's theory posits that tragedy originated from the worship of the dead. This perspective emphasizes the importance of rituals and ceremonies associated with death and the afterlife in ancient cultures. Tragedy is seen as a form of reverence that evolved from these practices, highlighting themes of loss, mortality, and the human condition often explored in tragic narratives.

This aligns with the notion that early dramatic forms were deeply intertwined with rituals that honored ancestors or significant figures, serving as a way to process grief and understand mortality through performance. In this context, the rehearsal of tragic stories in theatre can be viewed as a continuation of those ancient rituals celebrating and reflecting upon the lives and deaths of individuals, thereby suggesting that tragedy grew from this foundational aspect of human experience.