* To explore the human condition: Tragedies often deal with universal themes such as love, loss, betrayal, and revenge. By exploring these themes, tragedies can help us to understand ourselves and our place in the world.
* To provide catharsis: Watching a tragedy can help us to experience emotions such as pity and fear in a safe and controlled environment. This can be a cathartic experience, allowing us to purge these emotions and come to terms with them.
* To teach moral lessons: Many tragedies have a moral message or lesson, such as the importance of virtue, the dangers of hubris, or the inevitability of fate.
* To entertain: Tragedies can also be simply entertaining. The plot and characters of a tragedy can be thrilling and suspenseful, and the ending can be shocking or unexpected.
Of course, these are just some of the reasons why tragedies were written. There are many other reasons, and each tragedy is unique in its own way.