Price Carter English 10 Meredith 5/20/14 The Other Tragic Hero Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero is a main character that is not so virtuous that the reader feels outraged‚ instead a feeling of pity or fear at his downfall. Also‚ the hero cannot be so evil that for the sake of justice we desire his misfortunes. Instead‚ he is someone who is neither outstanding in virtue and righteousness; nor is it through badness or villainy of his own that he falls into misfortune‚ but rather through some
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Macbeth as a Tragic Hero William Shakespeare ’s plays have the reputation of being among the greatest in the English language and in Western literature. Shakespeare produced most of his known work between 1589 and 1613. His early plays were mainly comedies and histories‚ genres he raised to the peak of sophistication and artistry by the end of the 16th century. He then wrote mainly tragedies until about 1608‚ including Hamlet‚ King Lear‚ Othello‚ and Macbeth‚ considered some of the finest
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Katelyn Stoll Professor Hall English 102 11 November 2009 “Tragedy and the Common Man” in Hamlet Arthur Miller notes that‚ “The tragic feeling is evoked in us when we are in the presence of a character who is ready to lay down his life‚ if need be‚ to secure one thing—his sense of personal dignity” (1). This characteristic seen in most tragedies is definitely evident in the character of Prince Hamlet in Shakespeare’s play Hamlet. The moment that Hamlet learns from the ghost that Claudius has
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The genuine tragic hero is Creon‚ as his power‚ actions‚ and flaws are what set the tragedy into a downward position. What Antigone lacks is remorse for her actions. A huge part of being a tragic hero is knowing the wrong-doing and showing remorse for the act weather it be criminal or on an immoral level. Creon is a king‚ a very wealthy and powerful human‚ but he still is a human with flaws nonetheless. His people follow him loyally; this loyalty is shown when they follow his order about Polyneices’
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life is called a hero. In reality‚ the people we look up to have flaws just like we do. In Shakespeare’s play “The Tragedy of Julius Caesar”‚ we are introduced to Brutus. Brutus is portrayed as a tragic hero. A tragic hero is the protagonist of a tragedy. Brutus is a leader and citizen of Rome who leads in the killing of Julius Caesar. Brutus is considered to be a tragic hero because of his strong qualities yet he had many flaws. Brutus is considered to be a tragic hero because of the
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“The common man is as apt a subject for tragedy in his highest sense as kings were.” Arthur Miller believed that any man or woman could be a tragic hero. People come to the conclusion that a tragic hero is a king or a queen‚ or some person of noble stature. The common man fits the role of a tragic hero in that the character wants to secure his sense of personal dignity and the individual struggles to gain his “rightful” position in his society. Miller also says that the flaw of the character is
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b) What are the criteria for Aristotle’s definition of the tragic hero? The tragic hero is a man of noble stature. He is not an ordinary man‚ but a man with outstanding quality and greatness about him. His own destruction is for a greater cause or principle. -Usually of noble birth -Hamartia – a.k.a. the tragic flaw that eventually leads to his downfall. -Peripeteia – a reversal of fortune brought about by the hero’s tragic flaw -His actions result in an increase of self- awareness and
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guidelines in order to be effective tragic drama. Many of Oedipus’ character traits ultimately justify his place as a perfect specimen of Aristotle’s tragic hero. According to Aristotle’s Poetics‚ Oedipus Tyrannous is tragic hero due to his hamartia and peripeteia. In Greek tragedy every hero eventually shows signs of weakness and flaw. Though a character like Achilles‚ in Homer’s epic poem‚ the Iliad‚ was brought
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is a tragic hero in many ways. He’s a tragic hero because he has a tragic flaw; he’s extremely superior‚ but not perfect. He is faced with choosing between two lines of action as he struggles to find peace with himself in the midst of lies and chaos. John Proctor possesses a secret tragic flaw which ultimately brought him to his downfall. His affair with Abigail Williams causes him great guilt and anger as he carries on a strained relationship with Elizabeth. Another reason why he’s a tragic hero
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different. It is a great tragedy with a difference. In later part of my answer I’ll try to evaluate the play as a modern tragedy. A modern tragedy is a term used in literature to often describe a playwright that depicts ordinary people in tragic situations. The hero is usually a victim of social forces‚ and is faced with difficult situations. Normally‚ all the central characters in modern tragedies die‚ or are destroyed in the end. Elements of modern tragedy are status‚ society and audience. Modern
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