Poetics

Question 1 Oedipus is a tragic hero because he has a tragic flaw, of arrogance, and he was in a high position in society. Then, due to his own decisions, had a great fall from his place. Oedipus’s downfall was caused by his decisions, his tragic flaw, his unwillingness to accept his fate, and his pride. Oedipus thought he had free will, but all of his actions were predetermined by the gods. Oedipus was extremely smart, but he was too arrogant, which was his downfall. Sometimes our destinies are…

Aristotle’s view of a tragic hero is not very different from today’s tragic protagonist. The themes are still similar in that there is always a fatal flaw of the hero. Elizabeth Keen is a tragic hero in the show, Blacklist, because of her past, job that revolves around Raymond Reddington, and for her always forgiving Reddington. If either of those elements were different, she would most likely not be a tragic hero. Elizabeth Keen, known as Liz, had an unusual childhood, and her upbringing…

The main character of “Things Fall Apart”, Okonkwo is a tragic hero. A tragic hero holds power , chooses his course of action, possesses a tragic flaw, and it will lead to his fall. Okonkwo's tragic flaw is his fear of weakness and failure. I think that Okonkwo is a better hero than Odysseus because he had help with the gods along his journey, and Okonkwo had to work for everything, not even from his father. One reason why Okonkwo is a tragic hero, and also a better hero than Odysseus. Okonkwo…

Willy Loman Willy Loman was a tragic hero, he was a man trapped in a state of perpetual delusion. Although Willy was a failure, his future was not always bleak and his failure to recognize the error of his ways was ultimately his greatest shortcoming. Conversely, his intentions were of a good nature despite being in a contradictory and an obsessive state most of the time. As the play progresses, Willy becomes unpredictable and obsessive to a point of psychosis. Willy decides to end his life in…

Aristotle, an ancient Greek philosopher, once said that “a man doesn’t become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall.” Aristotle defines tragic hero as someone who has tragic flaw that would lead to his downfall. “Oedipus The King” is a well-known greek tragedy written by Sophocles. The protagonist of the play, Oedipus, is a perfect example of an Aristotelian tragic hero because his hamartia ultimately becomes the cause of his downfall as he tries to escape from his fate and…

In his essay “Tragedy and the Common Man” Arthur Miller redefines the genre of tragedy and the tragic hero. Miller defines a tragedy as a person struggling against an injustice in the world around him to which he responds forcefully. Miller states that the “wound from which the inevitable events spiral is the wound of indignity, and its dominant force is indignation” (). The wound is described as originating from an environment, but it gets registered by the character as an “indignation” or…

If asked about Greek literature, many works come to mind, yet most of them are a tragedy. Literary tragedy is well known in classic Greek plays and literature as well as the trademark of many famous Greek play righters. Though tragedy is a literary element, other elements contribute to the tragedy found in Greek works such as Oedipus the King. Three common elements that support tragedy specifically in Oedipus the King are hubris, dramatic irony, and theme. One common literary element found in…

The role of a tragic hero was a commonplace in many of Shakespeare’s works. The character of Macbeth is a classic example of a Shakespearean tragic hero. There are a multitude of these factors that was contribute to Macbeth was being labelled as a tragic hero. But my opinion I think Macbeth was a really outstanding hero but Macbeth really put his self on the line to save and protect King Duncan’s life. Before we discuss all these factors, it is important to understand what workings make up to…

“Great words of the over-proud balanced by great falls taught us knowledge in our great age.” (Antigone 1351) This quote from the end of the Greek play Antigone shows us the value of seeing tragedy. For the modern reader, to understand tragedy he must understand that tragedy is greatness leading to a fall. Once that is comprehended he can better understand the true path of tragedy. The modern reader can learn that greatness leads to power and a desire to use it, situations force quick thinking…

There are many characters throughout literature who can be described as tragic heroes. Some memorable tragic heroes and characters throughout history are King Kong, Romeo and Juliet, and even Batman. Each tragic hero or character is normally a good person or thing, who is normally troubled or put against almost all odds. Batman is troubled and consistently in danger of being killed, Romeo and Juliet were forced to be torn apart from each other because of their last names and families. They are…