Poetics

A hero is often described as a brave person who does everything in his power to save the lives of those around him. A tragic hero, then, can be defined as someone who is killed because of a fatal flaw, according to Greek philosopher Aristotle. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, John Proctor is a tragic hero because he fits Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero having goodness, superiority, a tragic flaw, and a realization that his decisions alone brought his death. To be considered an…

Virtues as described by Aristotle in book II falls between two extremes or Vices. One side represents the deficits where a cowardice decision is taking place the other side represents the excess of passion where recklessness is. There’s also a middle, the perfect midpoint between the two extremes otherwise known as the golden mean. The golden mean is when a person has access to the right action and achieves equilibrium. Aristotle divides the human brain into parts one part governs and reasons…

Throughout Shakespeare's play, Hamlet, multiple characters descend into a state of madness. Many hindrances and traumatic experiences cause Hamlet to reach this state of unbalanced psyche. This inner turmoil drives Hamlet to action and lets him make sense of his emotions. No longer caring to maintain the social norms, Hamlet is able to follow his true desires and enact them. Therefore, he becomes progressively outspoken as the story continues. Emily Dickinson stated “Much madness is divinest…

Sae Koyama Ms. Holdsworth J3 Language Arts Macbeth Literary Analysis In the play Macbeth, Macduff and Macbeth are portrayed as conflicting characters, although both are referred to as “heroes”. These two men are both qualified to be tragic heroes, when following Aristotle’s six principles regarding the qualities a tragic hero needs. This is because both have a fatal flaw, but ultimately the real tragic hero in Macbeth is Macbeth, as there is no reversal of fortune nor nemesis in Macduff.…

How Othello’s Fatal Flaw Led to His Demise In Shakespeare’s Othello, Othello displays many different weaknesses throughout the play. Based on a series of dreadful and appalling actions, it is proven that Othello’s fatal flaw is jealousy. In the beginning of the play, we see Othello and Desdemona as two, lovestruck adults. Desdemona was an innocent, faithful woman who left her father for Othello, an African general that Brabantio respected until Desdemona revealed that she loved Othello.…

What you sow is what you reap; Macbeth, the main character in this play killed a major person in Scotland, He will therefore be punished later for his actions. This play The Tragedy of Macbeth is written by William Shakespeare, and is a tragedy describing a man believing the 3 witches’ prophecy, and goes insane to become and stay as a king. The many characters within this wreck reside in the Dark Middle Ages in mostly Scotland, but the two who relate, but also differ most are Macbeth and Macduff…

The Over-Thinking Actions that Led to a Fatal Outcome There are many assumptions conducted by different people that observe Hamlet’s fatal flaw, but according to Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Hamlet’s delay, and ultimately his downfall, is caused by too much thinking. His overthinking of every action causes the death of himself and others. This is why this is a theory can be supported from watching the scenes from the movie. His inability to kill Claudius and his hesitation in trusting the ghostly…

Redemption, is the action, regaining or gaining possession of something in exchange for payment, or clearing debt. In William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, redemption is a common focus for the protagonist Hamlet, followed by Old King Fortinbras’ son, Fortinbras, and Laertes. These ambitious men embark on a quest for truth and redemption because of the loss of their father’s. In spite of the fluctuations in their quest, their journey for truth and redemption is successful because Fortinbras, Laertes…

Othello and Macbeth are two of Shakespeare’s most well known works, and often two of the first to come to mind when someone mentions Shakespearean tragedies. Both men start as an ideal for every other character in the play, only to become their own worst enemy. While both Othello and Macbeth start as noble characters in Shakespeare’s plays, the cause of their downfall differs. Othello is introduced as one of the best military officers in Venice in both character and strategy. Othello thinks of…

Hamlet is a world lacking in absolutes. Shakespeare places his characters into situations that reveal the gray areas of their moralities and force them to reevaluate what they consider right and wrong, while never providing a satisfactory answer himself. But Shakespeare always has something final to say about human nature, and in this play full of duality, one of the many binaries reveals a theme: although Shakespeare emphasizes Hamlet’s desire to uphold tradition in the face of corruption, he…