Is the term 'tragedy' overused/misused?

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The original meaning of the term 'tragedy' was to describe a Greek play that was sad in an entertaining way. After a while, it instead meant a situation that was complex and very sad, like say, Hamlet's life or something like that.

Today, the term is pretty much used to describe any death or injury. Personally I think it's annoying how liberally the word is applied to everything. A 90 year old celebrity dying isn't a tragedy, it's natural. I wouldn't even consider an untimely death tragic unless there's some kind of irony or lost hope involved. Or even a mass death isn't necessarily tragic. For example, Vincent Van Gogh's suicide seems more tragic in its nature than the events of September 11 do, even though it was only 1 person who died rather than three thousand, at least to me.

Comparing a single suicide to a national tragedy is asking for a firestorm. I don't know what country you're from, but I'm an American and hearing you say something like that makes my blood boil. I'm not going to flame you, but somebody else probably will.

The thing that makes me angry, is when people call autism a tragedy. I don't see my condition as a tragedy at all. I see it as a gift.

I'd say an insane aristocrat scheming with his fellow cultists to massacre the innocent for the glory of their evil god was classic tragedy, especially given his exile and eventual assassination as a consequence. High status protagonist, check, evil deeds, check, character flaws leading to his own downfall, check.

I think overuse of the word is a tragedy.

Am I the only one with the Bee Gees singing to them right now?

Yes?

*shuffles off*

When I saw this thread I wanted to post:

Tragedy -

When you lose control, and you got no soul.

That's a tragedy.

- The Bee Gees