Tragic Hero In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

Superior Essays
In any tragedy the tragic hero is the protagonist through which the author gives insight on his view of the destructive flaws of humans. Ultimately the tragic hero causes his own downfall because of the flaws of his own human nature, but through the hero’s defeat, humanity is enlightened and shown to have redeeming qualities. Three main theories of the tragic hero are the Aristotelian model, the Shakespearean model, and the modern tragic hero. Each model has five defining characteristics, which are nobility, hamartia, downfall, anagnorisis, and suffering. In the Shakespearean mode of tragedy, the play Romeo and Juliet best models the tragic hero. For instance, nobility is associated with by higher status and elevated character. Romeo satisfies …show more content…
Oscar was born on the 22nd of November, 1986, in the Transvaal province of South Africa to Henke and Shela Pistorius. Oscar seemed to be a normal child but, at 11 months old, that changed because he had a condition known as ‘Fiber Hemimelia’(9). Because of this, his legs were amputated below the knee (4). He began with a disadvantage to the rest of his peers, however he never let it stop him thanks to his mother sheila who Oscar called, “ the driving force behind his success”(Pistorius a lesson).. Nonetheless this wasnt the end of his struggles, for instance when he was six his parents divorced, a fact that largely contributed to the strained relationship between oscar and his father. When Pistorius turned fifteen his mother died due to complications from a hysterectomy. Leaving Pistorius with his father who he viewed as an absent parent and described him and his brother, as “rudderless boats” (Pistorius a lesson). Even without his mother her loved lived on through his determination he became accustomed to sports early on, despite his disabilities. He played a wide range of sports which included boxing, wrestling, and even rugby. Unfortunately injuries aren't completely unavoidable, at sixteen he blew his knee playing rugby, Oscar could no longer play the sport he adored. Pistorius began to run track to rehabilitate his knee, instead it revealed his talent for running …show more content…
Eventually, the things Pistorius achieved as a runner would be forgotten. All that would be left is a shell of a man who committed the worst crime known to man: murder! The shock and pain that the Steenkemp family felt when Pistorius brutally took the life of their daughter overshadowed the fact that Pistorius that what was believed to be a burglar had broken into his home. This scenario of violence towards women and a very lenient sentence on men like Pistorius who kill, beat, or rape women still rings true in South Africa. However, most people aren't open to hearing about this side of the issue because most women are too fearful to seek out help. Furthermore, one can conclude that violence discredits an individual because the unspeakable act draws the attention away from the individual's true purpose, whatever it may be.

Works Cited
Anon, (2017). Oscar Pistorius murder trial love or rage?. [online] Available at: [Accessed 10 Feb. 2017].
Anon, (2017). THE PISTORIUS DEFENSE. [online] Available at: [Accessed 10 Feb. 2017].
“Blade Runner Pistorius sobs in court after murder charge.” Reuters World News Digest. Infobase
Learning, n.d. Web. 8 Feb.2017.
“Pistorius under house arrest one year behind bars for killing girlfriend.” Reuters. World News Digest.
Infobase Learning, n.d. Web. 8 Feb. 2017.
“Pistorius, Oscar.” World Book

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