Aristotle’s tragic hero must possess these four characteristics: goodness; superiority; a tragic flaw; and the realisation of both that flaw and the inevitable downfall (Literary Connections‚ 2008). In Macbeth‚ William Shakespeare’s representation of the tragic hero can be seen through the character Macbeth. “For Brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name” (Act I‚ Scene II line 16) Shakespeare further constructs this representation through the second characteristic‚ superiority. The first prophecy
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of Denmark can be described as a tragic hero using Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero. Hamlet‚ the prince of Denmark‚ has several chances to kill King Claudius but keeps second guessing himself‚ causing to procrastinate killing the king. Eventually‚ Hamlet devises a plan to get revenge on his uncle‚ but kept waiting for the right time and caused many other people to die because he waits so long. Hamlet has many personality traits that make him a tragic hero‚ but one in particular brings about
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In Shakespeare’s Macbeth‚ Macbeth portrays many qualities of a tragic hero. One particular quality Macbeth portrays is hamartia. The witches address Macbeth as Thane of Cawdor and “All hail Macbeth! That shalt be king hereafter” (1.3.53)‚ both of which he is not. With Macbeth’s new title as Thane of Cawdor‚ Macbeth starts wondering if he will likewise become king. Macbeth‚ being a noble‚ is not in a position to rise up to the rank of a king however; he is very ambitious. Macbeth’s ambition leads
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Miller‚ John Proctor is seen as a tragic hero because he is able to overcome his tragic flaw of hubris‚ but still the circumstances led to his death. A tragic hero is a person who has sacrificed their lives for a principle. It is shown in the play that ordinary people can be tragic heroes. They believed so passionately in an idea that they were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice‚ their lives‚ for it. There are four main aspects that represent a tragic hero. They are hubris‚ hamartia‚ catharsis
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The Shakespearean Tragic heroes Aristotle defines a tragic hero "as good but flawed‚ must be aristocratic‚ must be believable‚ and must behave consistently." -Aristotle. The Muslim leader Malcolm X can be compared to such tragic heroes such as Othello and Hamlet. Malcolm’s life and his personality have similar traits from both of the famous Shakespearean heroes. In this paper we will look deeper into the life of Malcolm X and find the similarities between him and the tragic heroes‚ also we will
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Different situations are experienced in different points in a person’s life. Some situations involve great outcomes while others are tragic. It is very common to have converses occur as seemingly good results turn into a person’s worst nightmare. Stephen Kumalo‚ the main character in Alan Paton’s Cry‚ the Beloved Country‚ is a tragic hero because of the reversal in Stephen’s fortunes in his search for his son‚ Absalom. Kumalo passes from happiness to misery from the point when he finds Gertrude to
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Othello is not the hero in the play Othello Shakespeare’s Othello gives the resounding idea that Othello is the protagonist. Critics such as A.C Bradley and F.R Leavis are divided on considering Othello a “tragic hero” ‚ whereas my opinion is that he is not. F.R Leavis makes the argument that‚ “Othello is overly aware of his nobility‚ and thus lacking in the requirements of a true tragic hero” reasoning that Othello isn’t the hero or the protagonist in the play. He goes on to say that “Othello’s
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power. His goal is to kill Julius Caesar and have Marcus Brutus rule Rome. Although some believe that Julius Caesar is the tragic hero‚ an extensive reading of Julius Caesar displays that Marcus Brutus is the tragic hero of the drama. To start‚ it is noticeable that Brutus was of high rank in society. Moreover‚ Brutus seems to us as a worthwhile person. Finally‚ Brutus has a tragic flaw that leads to his downfall. In the beginning of the drama‚ it is clear that Marcus Brutus is of high rank society
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Critic Northrop Frye once commented that "Tragic heroes are so much the highest points in their human landscapes" (Frye 1). Few characters illustrate this characteristic of a tragic hero better than that of Victors Frankenstein‚ the protagonist of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. His story is one of a brilliant man whose revolutionary ideas brought suffering to himself‚ his family and friends‚ and his creation. Victor is an instrument as well as a victim to this suffering throughout his story. From
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16 October 2013 Writing Assignment 3 Biff Loman: Son‚ brother‚ tragic hero. Biff Loman can be considered to be Arthur Miller’s best candidate for a tragic hero in the play Death of a Salesman. He fits the criteria more than his father Willy and his brother Hap. Biff starts off in a rut‚ but by the end of the story he evolves. He not only realizes who he is‚ he becomes at peace with it. Things that make Biff a tragic hero are that he is noble‚ possess a flaw‚ and he experiences a realization of
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