once said “A man doesn’t become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall.” These words best describe what a “Tragic Hero” is and both Julius Caesar and Brutus displayed this characteristic‚ so the question is “Who is the real tragic hero in this story?” This paper shall explore the reasons behind why each man is considered a hero in his own right and who the rightful owner to the title of the play truly belongs to. There have been countless tragic heroes in the works of William Shakespeare
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In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible‚ John Proctor plays the role of a tragic hero. During the hysteria in Salem‚ he managed to keep his wits about him despite previous mistakes that he made. Proctor’s affair with Abigail and his strength to keep from blackening the names of his friends make him a tragic hero. Proctor’s affair with Abigail results in trouble for him throughout the play. The affair caused the witch-hunts because Abby did not want anyone to have John if she could not. Miller includes
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Caesar By William Shakespeare is certainly a completely tragic work. Perhaps some of the most evil forces‚ including infidelity‚ greed‚ and corruption‚ are at work throughout the entire play. Each character has a certain role in displaying these harsh realities‚ but the most tragic figure in the play is Marcus Brutus. This man of nobility follows the darkest path for the best and most heroic reasons. Without a doubt‚ Brutus is the tragic hero in Julius Caesar. In the beginning of the play‚ Brutus
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Written by M.A. 3-5-12 Macbeth as a Tragic Hero The character Macbeth‚ in Shakespeare’s Tragedy Macbeth displays several characteristics of a tragic hero. Common traits that tragic heroes possess are they are born of noble birth‚ their actions result in an increase of self-awareness and self-knowledge‚ the audience must feel pity and fear for this character and the most important‚ they have a tragic flaw that eventually leads to his downfall. Tragic heroes also make choices that bring about
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Troy Maxson‚ from the play Fences‚ is an ordinary man. Through ignorance and selfishness he proves this point over and over again throughout the play. As a result‚ he could never amount to a great man; therefore; Troy Maxson is not a tragic hero. A tragic hero is “a literary character who has potential for heroic qualities‚ however‚ he or she makes an error of judgment or has a fatal flaw that‚ combined with fate and external forces brings on a tragedy.” Therefore‚ Troy Maxson does not match those
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Aristotle’s theory of the Tragic Hero: “A man doesn’t become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall” Tragic hero’s who fit under Aristotle’s depiction are known as ‘Aristotelian Tragic Hero’s’ and possess five specific characteristics; 1) A flaw or error of judgment (also known as ‘hamartia’ which is a fatal flaw leading to the downfall of a tragic hero or heroine) 2) A reversal of fortune due to the error of judgment (also known as ‘peripeteia’‚ which is a sudden reversal of fortune
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Maddy Poe Weber Block 4 30 January 2016 Creon The Tragic Hero Creon‚ a character from the Greek tragedy Antigone‚ is described as the tragic hero of the story due to the character’s flaws and the consequences that followed. Creon’s intentions are purely of nationalism for the land he rules‚ Thebbes. He forbids anyone to show respect to a violent betrayer‚ but in the process makes tragic flaws. Creon’s tragic mistakes can all be embodied by the one question he had asked his son Haemon‚
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In the play Oedipus the King we identify the classic tragic hero. The character Oedipus Rex plays the role of the tragic hero perfectly. He shows the three main characteristics being talented and of noble birth‚ possessing a tragic flaw that causes the downfall and pain of everyone‚ and the recognition of responsibility. Oedipus’s first characteristic of being a tragic hero is being talented and of noble birth. Oedipus was talented because during his journey to runaway form his curse‚ the oracle
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the actions they perform are noble actions. • In Death of a Salesman‚ Willy Loman is the proclaimed “hero” of the story‚ a common salesman‚ whose life is slowly unravelling due to his failure at the American dream of commercial success. • Willy Loman is a character who emulates certain features of being a hero‚ but cannot completely fit the archetype. Main Point: The tragic hero is a character of noble stature and has greatness. If the hero’s fall is to arouse in us the emotions of
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as well as allowing them to empathize with the characters‚ particularly the tragic hero. The study noted above regarding tragedy was shaped by the Greek philosopher‚ Aristotle. Aristotle also noted that the tragic flaw is imperative in the characteristic of the protagonist and the proceedings that transpire in the piece are a manifestation of that flaw (“The Poetics by Aristotle: XIII.”). This philosophy of the tragic hero can be located in both Charles Van Doren in Quiz Show and Shakespeare’s character
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