Aristotle defines a tragic hero as a character that makes a judgment error that leads to his or her destruction. The idea of the tragic hero was created in ancient Greek tragedy and was perfected throughout their time. The class described a tragic hero as a great character who is destined for defeat, suffering, or downfall. One thing I would add into the definition of a tragic character is that they have a tragic flaw that leads to their downfall. One major tragic play written and preformed during the peak of Ancient Greece was Sophocles ' Oedipus the King. Sophocles wrote Oedipus the King as a self-discovering tragedy that all plays out in one day. In that one day the great King Oedipus realizes all of the problems he has created and suffers
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A common tragic hero is brought down because of their actions or a judgment error like in Aeschylus ' The Oresteia. In The Oresteia, Agamemnon, the first tragic hero of the play, makes the error of killing his oldest daughter, Iphigenia in order to please the gods of war. Him knowingly sacrificing his oldest daughter led to angering his wife Clytaemnestra, and ultimately leading to his own murderous downfall. Unlike the common tragic hero, the class and I found Oedipus more innocent than others such as Agamemnon because he did not entirely have full knowledge of the actions he took. Oedipus ' uninformed actions brought him to his …show more content…
Most tragic heroes are dead by their own hand or by the hand of someone else by the end of the play such as Agamemnon 's murder in Aeschylus ' The Oresteia. Shakespeare’s tragedies also include many deaths such as in Romeo and Juliet almost everyone is killed or commits suicide because of what unravels in the plot. Oedipus is different because he only severely injured himself by gouging out his eyes and exiled himself from the city. I think this creates a more tragic plot because it leave the audience knowing that Oedipus is forced to wander from town to town blind and hating himself for destroying his
A common tragic hero is brought down because of their actions or a judgment error like in Aeschylus ' The Oresteia. In The Oresteia, Agamemnon, the first tragic hero of the play, makes the error of killing his oldest daughter, Iphigenia in order to please the gods of war. Him knowingly sacrificing his oldest daughter led to angering his wife Clytaemnestra, and ultimately leading to his own murderous downfall. Unlike the common tragic hero, the class and I found Oedipus more innocent than others such as Agamemnon because he did not entirely have full knowledge of the actions he took. Oedipus ' uninformed actions brought him to his …show more content…
Most tragic heroes are dead by their own hand or by the hand of someone else by the end of the play such as Agamemnon 's murder in Aeschylus ' The Oresteia. Shakespeare’s tragedies also include many deaths such as in Romeo and Juliet almost everyone is killed or commits suicide because of what unravels in the plot. Oedipus is different because he only severely injured himself by gouging out his eyes and exiled himself from the city. I think this creates a more tragic plot because it leave the audience knowing that Oedipus is forced to wander from town to town blind and hating himself for destroying his