The difference between being a tragic character and a tragic hero depends on the role of the main character in the play. In Death of a Salesman and Oedipus‚ the main characters undergo a tragedy at the end of the story when they overcome a self realization. The arrogance that is seen through the storyline of these plays‚ allows the two characters to relate to one another. Willy‚ the main character in the play Death of a Salesman written by Arthur Miller is an average man in the city that lies to
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Introduction Death of a Salesman reveals the story of an American man confronting failure in a success-driven society and shows the tragic path which eventually leads to his suicide. Willy Loman believes in what he considers the promise of the American Dream wholeheartedly‚ which is based on the Declaration of Independence stated by Thomas Jefferson in 1776: "We believe that all men are born with these inalienable rights - life‚ liberty and the pursuit of happiness."(Malone‚ 28) However‚ Willy
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Sophocles‚ contains a very prominent tragic hero: Oedipus. A tragic hero‚ by Aristotle’s definition of one‚ must possess six traits. One of them is that the tragic hero must be of noble stature. Another trait of a tragic hero is a tragic flaw. A third trait defined by Aristotle is that a tragic hero must have a period of recognition of his crimes. Oedipus strongly displays each of the three aforementioned‚ necessary traits; and he is‚ then‚ an obvious tragic hero. Oedipus’ noble stature is immediately
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Oedipus; The Tragic Hero In the Fourth Century BC‚ a famous philosopher named Aristotle wrote about the qualities that a tragic hero must possess. Ever since that time‚ there have been many examples of tragic heroes in literature. None of those characters‚ however‚ display the tragic hero traits quite as well as Oedipus‚ the main character from the play Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. Oedipus is‚ without a doubt‚ the absolute quintessence of a tragic hero. His example shines as clear as a sunny summer
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Hamlet as a Tragic Hero By‚ Kassidy Neudorf What is a tragic hero? Well‚ according to most critiques on the Internet‚ it is simply a “protagonist of a tragedy”. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet‚ Hamlet is the Tragic Hero. Most tragic heroes contain a tragic flaw‚ so what tragic flaw of Hamlet makes him the tragic hero of this story? It may be his lack of motivation to take action; in other words‚ procrastination. Or how he does not have a concept of balance between reality itself and contemplation over
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culture certain people are cursed from birth. In ancient Greece‚ these people were known as tragic heroes. The stories of these tragic heroes are known as tragedies‚ some of the earliest known tragedies are Medea and Oedipus the King. As stated in The Vocabulary of Ancient Greek Tragedy in Modern English by Francis Blessington the Greeks believed‚ “a hero must explicitly accept his fate. But in Greek tragedy‚ the hero or heroine or the play itself questions fate” (Blessington). The greatest example of this
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Nearly every story in Greek mythology revolves around a character with a certain outstanding attribute‚ be it strength‚ intellect‚ or even musical talent. Heroes such as this might spend their lives questing for kleos‚ or the myth might simply be a tale in which the hero was trying to accomplish a certain task‚ such as returning home or rescuing a lover from Hades. In every case‚ these heroic tales would always end with tragedy; the hero would be killed by a jealous lover‚ go mad‚ or have a loved
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Hamlet The Tragic Hero The playwright William Shakespeare reveals a tragic hero in his greatest tragedy "Hamlet". This hero is the young prince Hamlet. He fulfills all of Aristotle’s requirements for a tragic hero. Three key events in the play demonstrate these requirements: First‚ when Hamlet does not murder Claudius at his first opportunity after being asked by his father’s ghost‚ Secondly‚ his confrontation with Ophelia regarding her returning his gifts‚ and lastly his reaction to Claudius’s
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Macbeth – Tragic Hero Macbeth was a true Shakespearean tragic hero. He had many noble qualities as well as several tragic flaws. He was a courageous‚ brave and good nobleman who was haunted by superstition‚ moral cowardice and an overwhelming ambition. He is a brave warrior‚ hailed as a hero and treats his wife like an equal. He is a nobleman who is aware of the natural order and his role within that natural order. Lady Macbeths influence and manipulation of Macbeth’s judgment‚ and Macbeth’s long
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Characteristics of a Tragic Hero He must be; better than we are; a man who is superior to the average man in some way. In Oedipus case‚ he is superior not only because of social standing‚ but also because he is smart he is the only person who could solve the Sphinx riddle. At the same time‚ a tragic hero must evoke both pity and fear‚ and Aristotle claims that the best way to do this is if he is imperfect. A character with a mixture of good and evil is more compelling that a character who is merely
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