Tragic hero’s can be seen in movies or books that we read in our everyday life. The character of a tragic hero can be traced all the way to the Greek era. As a matter of fact,the person who created this type of hero was the famous Greek philosopher named Aristotle. However, his definition of a tragic hero has been changed over time. Aristotle’s idea of a tragic hero is that they must be from noble birth, has this fatal flaw, a reversal of fortune that the hero will face, a anagnorisis, and most importantly his fate will be greater than what they really deserved. On the other hand, the modern era has changed some of those characteristics. Usually the character will most likely came from the lower parts of society and the character usually doesn
…show more content…
You can see tragic heroes in books and movies in any type of genre. However, some characters have the characteristics of the classic tragic heroes other have that modern day version of a tragic hero. From the movie Gladiator (1999) , the main character Maximus who was once a general of the Roman army became a gladiator which leads to him saving the Roman Empire from the notorious Emperor Commodus. Some believe that Maximus is a classic example of a tragic hero and some believe that he is not. I on the other hand believe that Maximus is a tragic hero because his traits apply more on the modern day definition of a tragic …show more content…
However, he does fit some of those traits. For example, Maximus in the beginning of the movie was the general of the Roman army. He originally came from Spain but own land in that area where his family lives. After years with fighting in the Roman army he gain their respect and loyalty. From this it shows that he may not only came from high stature but also his wisdom which results to the loyalty and respect from the Roman army. Another classic example that Maximus portrays in the movie is that he has a fate that is greater than what he really deserves. Meaning to say that Maximus tragically dies because Commodus, the Emperor, stabbed him with a poisoned dagger before they fought in the arena. These traits just show that Maximus could be a tragic hero. It may not fit all of Aristotle 's characteristics but Maximus does cover the characteristics of a modern day tragic
You can see tragic heroes in books and movies in any type of genre. However, some characters have the characteristics of the classic tragic heroes other have that modern day version of a tragic hero. From the movie Gladiator (1999) , the main character Maximus who was once a general of the Roman army became a gladiator which leads to him saving the Roman Empire from the notorious Emperor Commodus. Some believe that Maximus is a classic example of a tragic hero and some believe that he is not. I on the other hand believe that Maximus is a tragic hero because his traits apply more on the modern day definition of a tragic …show more content…
However, he does fit some of those traits. For example, Maximus in the beginning of the movie was the general of the Roman army. He originally came from Spain but own land in that area where his family lives. After years with fighting in the Roman army he gain their respect and loyalty. From this it shows that he may not only came from high stature but also his wisdom which results to the loyalty and respect from the Roman army. Another classic example that Maximus portrays in the movie is that he has a fate that is greater than what he really deserves. Meaning to say that Maximus tragically dies because Commodus, the Emperor, stabbed him with a poisoned dagger before they fought in the arena. These traits just show that Maximus could be a tragic hero. It may not fit all of Aristotle 's characteristics but Maximus does cover the characteristics of a modern day tragic