A tetralogy (from Ancient Greek τετρα- , "four" and -λογία -logia, "discourse") is a compound work that is made up of four distinct works. The name comes from the Attica theater, in which a tetralogy was a group of three Tragedy followed by a satyr play, all by one author, to be played in one sitting at the Dionysia as part of a competition.[Rush Rehm. Greek Tragic Theater. Routledge, 1994, p. 16.]
Examples
Literature
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Tetrateuch is a sometime name for the first four books of the Bible.
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Tintitives by Antiphon of Rhamnus; the author was an orator, and Tintitives is a kind of textbook for students. Each book consists of four speeches: the prosecutor's opening speech, the first speech for the defense, the prosecutor's reply, and the defendant's conclusion. Three of his tetralogies are known to have survived.
[C. M. Bowra. Landmarks in Greek Literature, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1966, pp. 236–7.]
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The traditional arrangement of the works of Plato into nine tetralogies, including some doubtful works, and the Letters as a single work.
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The Henriad, two tetralogies of history plays of William Shakespeare. The First Tetralogy in order of composition begins with the three Henry VI plays. The Second Tetralogy finishes with the history of Henry V.
Modern
Films
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Airport (1970, 1974, 1977, 1979)
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The Avengers (2012, 2015, 2018, 2019)
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Thor (2011, 2013, 2017, 2022)
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Bad Boys (1995, 2003, 2020, 2024)
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Batman (1989, 1992, 1995, 1997)
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Bridget Jones (2001, 2004, 2016, 2025)
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No Through Road (web series) (2009, 2011, 2012, 2012)
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Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010, 2011, 2012, 2017)
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Insidious (2010, 2013, 2015, 2018)
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Ip Man (2008, 2010, 2015, 2019)
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Jaws (1975, 1978, 1983, 1987)
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John Wick (2014, 2017, 2019, 2023)
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(2013, 2014, 2015, 2016)
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Men in Black (1997, 2002, 2012, 2019)
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Night at the Museum (2006, 2009, 2014, 2022)
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Rebuild of Evangelion (2007, 2009, 2012, 2021)
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Rec (2007, 2009, 2012, 2014)
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The Crow (1994, 1996, 2000, 2005)
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The Hunger Games (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015)
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The Matrix (1999, 2003, 2003, 2021)
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Superman (1978, 1980, 1983, 1987)
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Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007, 2009, 2011, 2015)
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The Expendables (2010, 2012, 2014, 2023)
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Jurassic World (2015, 2018, 2022, 2025)
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Star Trek (2009, 2013, 2016, TBA
[ Star Trek 4 potential release date, cast and everything you need to know])
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Heronics (2024, 2025, 2025, TBA)
Animated franchises
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Hotel Transylvania (2012–2022)
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Kung Fu Panda (2008–2024)
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Despicable Me (2010–2024)
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Lilo & Stitch (2002–2006)
Video games
Other information
In the early modern period of literature,
Shakespeare drafted a pair of tetralogies, the first consisting of the three
Henry VI plays and
Richard III, and the second, what we now call a prequel because it is set earlier, consisting of
Richard II, the two
Henry IV plays, and
Henry V.
[Victor L. Cahn. Shakespeare the playwright: a companion to the complete tragedies, histories, comedies, and romances. Greenwood, 1991.]
As an alternative to "tetralogy", "quartet" is sometimes used, particularly for series of four books. The term "quadrilogy", using the Latin prefix Numeral prefix instead of the Greek, and first recorded in 1865,[Simpson, J.A., and Weiner, E.S.C. (eds.) The Oxford English Dictionary. 2nd ed. 1989. Oxford. Clarendon Press. "quadri-"] has also been used for marketing the Alien movies.
See also
