A tragic hero is a person of noble birth that displays heroic traits; however, is fated by supernatural forces to live a life of suffering and in most cases, end with a tragic death. Miloš Forman’s One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Peter Weir’s Dead Poets Society both have characters that display the essential qualities of a tragic hero. In One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, the main character, Randle McMurphy is a patient at a mental institution who cares deeply about his friends that he met there. He tries to help them seize back some power that Nurse Ratched has stolen from them with her rules. In Dead Poets Society, the main character, John Keating is a newly hired English teacher who comes into the lives of these students and changes their…
Since the start of time, people discussed and examined the concept of the tragic hero in stories. A hero is an example of valiancy and intelligence and in times of danger a hero must remain strong, valiant, and fearless. The actions of a hero must be brave and of high caliber. Beowulf and Oedipus are two stories from different times who share similar qualities yet are destined by two different fates. The stories of these characters have been told for centuries and are examples of the respects and values of the cultures in the times they were written.…
Ever wonder what makes William Shakespeare's plays so good? It's the use of gadgets. William Shakespeare's use of gadgets in Romeo and Juliet make the story amazing. Shakespeare uses many gadgets here are three. Heavenly one or more tragic heroes in a story, the use of foils, and use of soliloquies.…
John Proctor, the protagonist of the crucible, he qualifies as a tragic hero because he has a tragic flaw. Tragic hero is a man of noble stature. He is not an ordinary man but a man with outstanding qualities and greatness about him. His own destruction is for a greater cause or principle. Like in the play John Proctor will not give up his name because he believes his name is his pride and joy.…
“The Crucible”; written by Arthur Miller, represents a basic tragedy in literature. A tragedy is a type of structure the author uses that moves the reader with a character that obtains a fatal flaw. Tragic heros’ go through many predicaments throughout the play. One of the main characters in “The Crucible”, John Proctor; symbolizes the tragic hero of this book. Mr. Proctor relates to a tragic hero because of his tragic flaw, his character makes a choice between life and death, and faces his destiny with courage.…
The Epic of Gilgamesh is a riveting tale of friendship, strife, and heroism. It follows Gilgamesh, along with his comrade Enkidu, on his journey to becoming immortal. While there are many things about this tale that would classify it as an epic, there are also quite a few elements in the storytelling that are more than often used in the dramatic genre of tragedy. There are many qualities to Gilgamesh that immediately establishes him as an arrogant and egomaniacal king in the mind of the reader. He is describes as being a fierce warrior, brave and strong.…
The question of what makes American literature American can be simply answered as any piece of writing that was written by someone who is American. While that is just one part, American literature has to reflect American culture as well as what America has been through. To answer this question, there must be a common idea that recurs in many books written by American authors. One of these common ideas that have shown up in many books is the character style of being an anti-hero. An anti-hero is a character that possesses “heroic” characteristics, but at the same time possesses characteristics that most heroes wouldn’t have.…
Heroes, throughout time, intrinsically portray noble stalwarts that selflessly defend commoners from imminent danger by operating with abounding strength and bravery. A steadfast moral compass, that also inherently abides within them, leads heroes to ethical and upright decisions. Conversely, a protagonist who lacks the qualities of a hero is referred to as an antihero; he or she serves as an example of how one should not live. Leo Tolstoy contributes to the hero versus antihero archetype with Ivan Ilych, who, when faced with his own mortality, commits to an internal battle between right and wrong. In The Death of Ivan Ilych by Leo Tolstoy, the protagonist Ivan Ilych overcomes his self-centeredness and cowardice to achieve the status of a hero by bravely confronting the realities of his life.…
hero is made by his good qualities and his/her passion of being a good human being but some of these fine humans had to loose in the storyline world of Shakespeare due to the great and catchy idea called “tragedy”. As known by the modern world, Shakespeare has made tales and stories of tragic heroes which have left a great mark on today’s modern world. . One of these stories is known by the name of ‘Othello’ which is written by William Shakespeare. Othello is supposedly driven by the author to become a tragic hero; understandingly by these points which are that the fallacies and hoaxed stories (Desdemona proclaimingly betrayed Othello in many ways and vice-versa) wee made, there are liers and evil plotters in society like Iago, Othello…
A tragic hero is a literary character who makes a mistake that inevitably leads to his or her downfall. “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald follows narrator, Nick Carraway as he moves next door to protagonist Jay Gatsby. Jay is a mysterious, self invented millionaire, who believes in the American Dream, and confuses it with his love interest, Daisy which leads him to his demise. The play “Othello” is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, about Othello and Desdemona, two interracial lovers who’s marriage is sabotaged by the envious ensign, Iago.…
A tragic hero is a person with heroic potential who is fated by some supernatural force, eventually leading to destruction or to great suffering. F. Scott Fitzgerald, wrote one of his utmost famous novels, The Great Gatsby, that focused on Jay Gatsby, a romantic fantasist who wishes to fulfill his American Dream by flaunting his wealth in hopes of impressing and eventually winning the heart of the love of his life, Daisy. Gatsby’s tragic flaws lie beneath his incapability to view reality, which leads to his downfall. Similarly, in the play Othello by William Shakespeare, Othello, a Christian Moor, is a powerful and respected figure to those around him. Despite this, he is an easy target to approach because of his race, age, and life as…
Shakespeare and Lewis' characters fall into the category of tragic heroes in that they have tragic flaws that eventually lead to their choosing their downfall with a too late realization and ending the death of their loved ones and even themselves. Tragic flaws make the characters who they are, it is what the authors choose to teach through those lessons that matter. Hamlet's tragic flaw, over thinking, caused him to talk himself into a severe depression calling the world “weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable,” Hamlet's bleak outlook on life is slightly justified, in that, his father is recently dead and his mother has remarried to his uncle (I.ii.137). Shakespeare uses Hamlet's tragic flaw of over thinking to teach the reader that focusing…
Throughout the entirety of Henry IV Part 1, by William Shakespeare, there is an emphasis on father-son relationships. The main protagonist, Hal, and the main antagonist, Hotspur, are both young men and as such they are still learning from their respective father figures. In Hal’s case, both Falstaff and his biological father King Henry IV, and for Hotspur, Northumberland. Each relationship has its merits and faults, and its own intricacies not seen in any of the other bonds. Though the the plot centers mainly around Hal and the king, each out these links are integral to understanding what happened and why.…
An anti-hero is the “principal character of a modern literary or dramatic work who lacks the attributes of the traditional protagonist or hero” (Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia). Anti-heroes are flawed heroes who fail to succeed at their ultimate goal. Perfect examples of an anti-hero are Jay Gatsby, in The Great Gatsby and J. Alfred Prufrock, present in the poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, tells the story of Jay Gatsby, a man who grew up in poverty and attempts to remake the past by altering his identity into that of a rich man in order to win back the love of Daisy Buchanan. On the other hand, in “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T. S. Eliot, the main character, J. Alfred Prufrock, fails to gather enough courage to propose to a woman he truly loves because of his indecisiveness and…
“There is such a thing as a good woman and a good slave, even though one of these is perhaps deficient and the other generally speaking inferior.” With this statement, Aristotle, in his Poetics, suggests that unlikely people could appear as characters possessing true heroic goodness. Despite this, when people hear the word “hero,” they usually think of a courageous man who fights for the greater good. Perhaps they think of a soldier in battle, an advocate, or even the fictional Superman. While these personas may seem appropriate for today’s interpretation of “hero,” Aristotle’s hero is a tragic one.…