When analyzing the use of tragedy - the wisdom that comes from pain or sorrow - as a form of character development, mention must be made of the play Sophocles' Oedipus the King and, more emblematically, Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Although traditionally overlooked, Isak Dinesen, whom Thomas R. Wissen considered an author whose “tales will not disappoint” must be included among the elite of tragic story writers (“The Ring” 237). Many know his best-known plays such as Out of Africa or Babbete's Feast; however, his most skillful use of tragedy is found in the short story The Ring (230). Dinesen captures the essence of his own personal experiences and translates it perfectly into a tragic short story. The events of Isak Dinesen's youth helped shape his writing career and gave him a deeper understanding of how tragedy affects life. Isak Dinesen, born Karen Christenze Blixen, in the small Danish town of Rungsted in 1885, was the daughter of a bourgeois aristocrat and a hardworking trader. (“Isak” 1). With her obsession with her father's aristocracy after his death, she associated "resistance to convention and risk-taking" with the redefinition of nobility (Yiannopoulou 1). The tragedy of her father's death led her to act against the social norms of the time, thus contributing to her own development. She entered the Royal Academy of Arts in Copenhagen in 1903 to study painting, but left shortly thereafter to begin writing ("The Ring" 230). It is important to understand that although Dinesen did not complete a traditional education, she was passionate about her art, a key element of tragic writing. Dinesen's debut served as a small example of how tragedy transformed his character. Dinesen was also shocked by many cases of personality...... middle of paper ...... Editing. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2012. Web. February 20, 2012. “Søren Kierkegaard.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Online academic edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2012. Web. February 19, 2012. “The Ring.” Short stories for students. Ed. Tim Akers. Flight. 6. Detroit: Gale Group, 1999. 229-246. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Internet. February 19, 2012. Yiannopoulou, Effie. “Dinesen, Isak.” In Sollars, Michael D., ed. The facts in the file Companion to the world novel, from 1900 to the present day. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2008. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts about File, Inc. Web. February 19. 2012..