Aristotle once said‚ “A man doesn’t become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall. An Aristotelian tragic hero must possess specific characteristics.” According to the great Greek philosopher‚ a tragic hero must fulfill five characteristics in order to be classified as one. They are the hero must be doomed from the start‚ a reversal of fortune‚ the flaw of error or judgement‚ excessive pride‚ and the discovery that his fate was because of his own doing. Okonkwo‚ the protagonist in the
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Hamlet and Oedipus: The Tragedy Tragedy can be defined as the downfall of a protagonist through some fatal error or misjudgment‚ producing suffering and insight on the part of the main character. No matter how hard someone tries to prevent tragedy‚ it still may occur even if you try and avoid it or ignore it. Oedipus tries to escape tragedy by running from it. Often times in order to forget something or prevent it from happening we try and run away or try something new. We may even carry
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Every story has a hero‚ and every hero has a destiny. This is exemplified in A Separate Peace by main character Phineas. What classifies Finny as a tragic hero‚ instead of just an ordinary hero‚ is his downfall. As defined by Aristotle‚ a tragic hero is a character who faces their own destruction due to fate‚ a mistake‚ or a personal flaw (Literary Devices). Finny fits the noble and heroic characterization naturally‚ and it is without a doubt that his demise was certainly a tragedy. In A Separate
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In his work Nature and Elements of Tragedy‚ Aristotle outlined the characteristics needed in order to create a compelling tragic hero. He states that this particular character must be "better than we are‚" a man who is superior to the average man in some way. At the same time‚ a tragic hero must evoke both pity and fear among the audience‚ causing each member to experience a feeling of catharsis‚ or strong emotion. According to Aristotle‚ the best way to achieve this effect is to accurately portray
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In Shakespeare’s plays Othello and Macbeth the audience is presented with two great heroes who both poses a certain character flaw that inevitably leads to their downfall. This is the idea behind a tragic hero; a person of great importance comes to a tragic end because of a serious flaw in his character. Both Othello and Macbeth find themselves on top of the world one moment and being crushed beneath it the next. The next logical comparison to make between two of Shakespeare’s tragic heroes is who
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"In respect of Character there are four things to be aimed at” for a tragic hero according to Aristotle. Theses four traits include moral goodness‚ propriety‚ realism‚ and consistency. He also says that a tragedy must invoke catharsis‚ the purgation of the emotions pity and fear. A good example of an ancient Greek tragedy is the Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. The story of Oedipus Rex greatly supports Aristotle’s claims about tragedy. It’s obvious that to be a hero one must be good. Aristotle adds that
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Due Date: __________________ Antigone By Sophocles Essay Assignment Select ONE of the following topics to develop fully in a short essay. Be sure to answer the question in its entirety using evidence from the text. The topic is worth 100 points. Be sure to follow the proper essay form including an introductory paragraph with a thesis statement (underline your thesis statement)‚ supporting body paragraphs (at least three)‚ and a concluding paragraph where you restate your purpose and
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Is it power of words‚ which destroy Othello or his own hubris? Othello is one of Shakespeare’s finest plays‚ as it concentrates on a courageous’ general’s demise‚ physically and mentally. It could be argued that Othello bought his destruction on himself‚ by allowing himself to be poisoned by “Honest” Iago’s fluent rhymes of lies. However I will argue that it is infact his hubris‚ his overwhelming pride which infact causes his inevitable demise. Harmatia is a term which was developed by Aristotle
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Antigone Analysis Antigone is a tragic play with many characters differing in morals and behavioral patterns. All of the main characters have different sets of moral principles they adhere to allowing differing interpretations of their behaviors by the reader. From the very beginning of the story‚ the conflict is laid out to the reader between Antigone and Creon. From the outset of the play‚ Antigone knows what she must do‚ shown by this quote made by her early on in the play. “I intend to give
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“[He] did it all [himself]”: Oedipus’ Self-destruction Oedipus is demonstrating a very key component to the play when he says that “the hand that struck [his] eyes was [his] alone.” The metaphor of three fingers pointing back at you when you point a judging finger at someone else is perfect for this situation. In being so quick to judge the situation and assume that he will bring honour to the land‚ uncovering Laius’s murderer‚ Oedipus curses the one responsible and declares that they will be
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