Tragic Hero

as a tragic hero with an unavoidable fate. This tragedy explores Oedipus’ quest for his true identity. His search for Laius’ murderer leads him on a search for the truth regarding his birth. Eventually, Oedipus discovers he has committed murder and incest, resulting in his exile from Thebes and his ultimate downfall. According to Aristotle’s view on tragedies and tragic heroes, a tragic hero must possess a tragic flaw that leads to his downfall. As a tragic hero, Oedipus possesses the tragic…

creates the possibility of accepting new ideas, but refusing to listen to others can do more harm than good. In Things Fall Apart, Antigone, and Titus Andronicus, stubbornness of the protagonist is the main conflict that leads the tragic hero to their downfall. All three tragic heroes, Okonkwo, Antigone, and Titus believe their own beliefs are the correct ones to be followed and that there's nothing wrong with it, however as the stories progress it's clear to see that this is why the character…

The Complexity within Tragic Heroes In an era filled with multifarious heroes, we usually refer to people, who cope with challenges undauntedly and eventually overcome those adversities on their paths, as heroes. Speaking of tragic heroes, however, while they embrace the same kind of virtues as heroes do, miserable destinies are always await ahead for them. As it was suggested by Aristotle, a hero of a tragedy usually evokes audiences pity or fear, through his "underserved misfortune".…

In Shakespeare plays, the tragic hero is what makes the entire story. A tragic hero is described as protagonist with a high standard, someone who undergoes meaningful suffering, learns from his/her mistake somehow, creates some kind of pity or fear for the audience, and has a flaw in their personality that leads to their downfall (otherwise known as a tragic flaw). In the play Macbeth, our central character, Macbeth, becomes our tragic hero. Throughout the play Macbeth, traits in Macbeth’s…

the word “hero,” they usually think of a courageous man who fights for the greater good. Perhaps they think of a soldier in battle, an advocate, or even the fictional Superman. While these personas may seem appropriate for today’s interpretation of “hero,” Aristotle’s hero is a tragic one. Heroes, as defined by Aristotle, can come in many perhaps improbable forms, and the hero in John Milton’s Paradise Lost is no exception. Milton’s…

The Uphill Ride on the Hills of Scotland Macbeth, a character in Macbeth by William Shakespeare, possesses many aspects for a tragic hero. The standard characteristics of a tragic hero reflect that they must be a person of noble stature, they must have greatness, because they are not perfect, their downfall is often attributed with a tragic flaw of their own; however, their imminent downfall is not a complete loss as there is some increase in awareness or personal gain in that flaw. At the…

Aristotle was a greek philosopher who proposed a set of characteristics or traits which are to be used as criteria when evaluating characters and their status as tragic heroes. Put in a condensed manner, they are as follows: a tragic hero must have noble stature, be a victim of hamartia, be responsible for his own downfall, be admirable and pitiable, gain wisdom and repent before death, and conjure a cathartic release of emotions from the reader. These traits will be used to evaluate, by form of…

All tragic plays consist of a tragic hero who is destined for negativity and an eventual downfall. Oedipus in Sophocles’ Oedipus the King does not believe in the infallibility of the gods and has all the characteristics of a classic, tragic hero. He displays these characteristics throughout the course of the entire play. As a result, his downfall is inevitable. Hubris is the most well known trait among the palette of a tragic hero’s characteristics. Hubris is defined as being overtly pompous.…

that he makes. In his plays, William Shakespeare has set up an intricate model of a “tragic hero”. A tragic hero is a person who is usually of noble birth that suffers a catastrophe. William Shakespeare uses traditional elements to portray these tragic heroes, and he uses new ideas as well to make his more complex. To contribute to the catastrophe that he suffers, Brutus makes his own choices. He also has a tragic flaw, which influences the choices that he makes. Brutus makes his decisions based…

characteristics processed by a tragic hero in a tragedy are morality, leadership, a tragic flaw, and the eventual realization that their decisions have caused his downfall after which they face death or suffering with honor. One example of a tragedy is the 1693 witch hunt. Arthur Miller wrote on this event, and he included his personification of a tragic hero. Within Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, the character of John Proctor stands out, exemplifying the traits of a tragic hero. Both leadership…