Tragic Hero

“Ismene, dear sister, You think that we had suffered enough For the curse on Oedipus I cannot imagine any grief That you and I have not gone through” (693,1-5) A tragic hero is a literary character who makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to his/her own destruction. The characteristics that displays a tragic hero according to Aristotle are nobility, reversal of fortune (Peripeteia), and suffering. The tragic hero is a man of noble stature. He is not an ordinary man, but a man with outstanding quality and greatness about him. A tragic hero has a sudden change of events or reversal of circumstances. His life may go high to low or vice versa. A tragic hero undergoes or feels pain or distress. He suffers more than he deserves. The play…

Within the world of storytelling, one character that has stood out since the beginning is identified as the tragic hero. Philosopher Aristotle created the tragic hero in his book Poetics; Aristotle characterized a tragic hero as a tragic flaw, excessive pride, a reversal of fate, punishment that cannot be avoided, and the pity and fear felt from the audience (Aristotle 39). Shakespeare used the tragic hero guideline in many of his plays; not all those tragic heroes are true tragic heroes as…

A hero is someone who is admired, or looked up to for courage, achievements, or noble qualities. Yet, if one hears the word hero it patently seems as if it is someone who does well and has no flaws. However, a tragic hero is someone with heroic qualities but has flaws or imperfections which leads to their death or at least their downfall. In play the Crucible written by Arthur Miller, an allegory of the communist witch hunts, tragic hero is born. John Proctor is the tragic hero in the Crucible,…

The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare is a classic representation of a Shakespearean masterpiece. An Aristotelian tragic hero is someone of noble status who has a tragic flaw and his (or her) personality suffers a fall from grace due to that tragic flaw, only to redeem a small measure of that lost nobility through self-awareness. In this drama Macbeth is given the main role. He is a noble war hero who experiences a tragic flaw. Macbeth undoubtedly fits the definition of a tragic hero…

When one wants to talk about writing, a variety of tropes or motifs come to mind. When referring to early works or classic literature, one of the tropes that comes out the most is tragedy; the tragic hero trope more specifically. It seems that humans find enjoyment in writing or reading about the magnificent hero, a character that possesses incredible and noble qualities, a figure to admire. However, more often than not, said hero ends up experiencing a falling off, either disgrace or demise,…

In William Shakespeare’s play, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, he uses a complex character, Marcus Brutus to demonstrate the idea of a tragic hero. A tragic hero is a person of noble birth who suffers a catastrophe. Shakespeare displays the idea of a tragic hero by including his traditional elements, adding complexity to Brutus, and presenting him with an internal conflict. In this case, Shakespeare uses the concept of a tragic flaw to establish his interpretation of a tragic hero. An ancestor of…

Since the works of Aristotle, an evolution of the tragic hero occurred. Once upon a time, only men received the title of ‘tragic hero”. In modern times, female characters also possess the capability of receiving that title. Aristotle placed emphasis on nobility as a characteristic for tragic heroes. However, he also stated that characters depicted as tragic heroes also possess the characteristic of relatability. Arthur Miller pointed out that nobility prevents characters from obtaining…

Okonkwo A Tragic Hero in Things Fall Apart According to Aristotle " a tragic hero is a character who is noble in nature, has a tragic flaw and discovers his fate by his own actions". By definition Okonkwo meets all the criteria of a tragic hero and although written thousands of years apart and in a different culture Okonkwo is comparatively similar to Oedipus in Sophocles’ “Oedipus the King”. Oedipus Rex is the ideal tragic hero of Aristotle (Barstow,1912). Additional criteria are provided by…

Oedipus perfectly fits Aristotle’s idea of a tragic hero. He possesses many positive traits, such intelligence and being a caring leader. However, he also possesses negative traits, such as hubris, that eventually leads to his downfall. Oedipus teaches the reader important life lessons that are applicable to today’s time period. Oedipus represents the common flaws in society today such as: arrogance, temper, and self denial. These flaws ultimately lead to Oedipus 's demise. He learns he…

The Tragedy Of A Hero What exactly is considered to be a “tragic hero?” A tragic hero according to Greek philosopher, Aristotle, is a “literary character who makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to his/her own destruction.” In the Greek tragedy, Antigone, written by Sophocles, all the makings of a tragic hero point to the character, King Creon. Creon took the throne of Thebes after Oedipus’ two sons killed each other over who would rule Thebes after the passing of Oedipus. When the play…