Aristotle's definition of a tragic hero includes the following five characteristics hamartia, which is in an error in judgement or a big mistake, hubris, which is violence that is offensive to the gods or disregard to others, peripeteia, which is a reversal of fortune, anagnorisis, which is when the tragic hero realizes the reversal of fortune, and then the fate should be too cruel to the hero. Agamemnon fits this description of tragic hero. Agamemnon destroys shrine while he is fighting the war at Troy. The Herald tells us, “The altars and shrines to her gods have been destroyed” (527). This act could count as both hamartia and hubris because destroying a god’s shrine could definitely be offensive to that god. Another example of both hamartia
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Agamemnon says “Only the gods should be treated this way” (920) when talking about stepping on the cloths. This could be offensive to the gods because he is a mere mortal. Agamemnon’s reversal of fortune is soon after his return from victory at war. He is on a high note after a victory, only to be soon killed by his own wife Clytemnestra. I do not notice a specific point in time when he realizes this reversal though. His death is also too cruel for what he did. Agamemnon was in the bathtub when Clytemnestra threw a net on him and hit him with an axe three times. With these examples, it is completely possible to consider Agamemnon a tragic hero.
A catharsis has three separate parts to it. The first part of it is the purification phase, where every emotion other than pity and fear are removed. The the next phase, distillation, is when the emotions of pity and fear are strengthened. Finally, the last phase of the catharsis process is purging, when the emotions of pity and fear are forcefully removed. According to Aristotle, as he wrote in the Poetics, the purpose of a catharsis is to purge people of their emotions. The first vision that Cassandra sees is that of Agamemnon’s death. Cassandra says, “You
Agamemnon says “Only the gods should be treated this way” (920) when talking about stepping on the cloths. This could be offensive to the gods because he is a mere mortal. Agamemnon’s reversal of fortune is soon after his return from victory at war. He is on a high note after a victory, only to be soon killed by his own wife Clytemnestra. I do not notice a specific point in time when he realizes this reversal though. His death is also too cruel for what he did. Agamemnon was in the bathtub when Clytemnestra threw a net on him and hit him with an axe three times. With these examples, it is completely possible to consider Agamemnon a tragic hero.
A catharsis has three separate parts to it. The first part of it is the purification phase, where every emotion other than pity and fear are removed. The the next phase, distillation, is when the emotions of pity and fear are strengthened. Finally, the last phase of the catharsis process is purging, when the emotions of pity and fear are forcefully removed. According to Aristotle, as he wrote in the Poetics, the purpose of a catharsis is to purge people of their emotions. The first vision that Cassandra sees is that of Agamemnon’s death. Cassandra says, “You