The ancient Greeks evidently seemed to be fascinated by the concept of tragic heroes as seen by the Sophocles plays Oedipus Rex and Antigone. The latter is a play that expands upon the tragic hero Oedipus’ children‚ specifically his daughter Antigone. Antigone apprises the reader of the hostility of the two sons of Oedipus‚ Polyneices and Eteocles; the sons that fought for control of Thebes eventually murdered one another‚ leaving Antigone and her sister Ismene the only surviving offspring. The
Premium Sophocles Oedipus Tragedy
Faust as a Tragic Hero In the story of Faust‚ written by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe‚ Faust is whirled into an adventure of sin and deceit. The further Faust follows the devil the closer he comes to his own demise‚ taking down with him the innocent Gretchen. As Faust goes on he embodies the characteristics of a tragic hero in a sense that he is borderline good and evil‚ constantly battling his conscience. The one major flaw that initiates his self-destruction is the fact that he feels he is extremely
Premium Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Tragedy
The Characteristics of an Archetypal Tragic Hero 1. Noble stature Tragedy involves the “fall” of a tragic hero. One theory suggests that the tragic hero must have a desirable/higher/lofty position to fall on‚ or else there is no tragedy (just pathos). Another explanation of this characteristic is that tragedies involving people of stature affect the lives of others. For example‚ in the case of a king‚ the tragedy would not only involve the individual and his family‚ but it would involve the whole
Premium Poetics Tragedy Emotion
Brutus is a tragic hero because he was able to put Rome first. A tragic hero is fated to his or her own suffering or death. Tragic heroes are somewhat fated to doom by the Gods or some other force. By Brutus’s love of
Premium Roman Republic Julius Caesar Augustus
Beowulf‚ the Tragic Hero In the epic poem “Beowulf” the protagonist‚ Beowulf‚ portrays a tragic hero in a variety of ways. Although Beowulf was not a perfect being‚ he embraces many characteristics of a tragic hero. Beowulf’s ego put him into many difficult situations. For example the battles he fought against Grendel‚ Grendels Mother‚ and the dragon. Other then his enormous ego along with his cockiness that put him into bad situations‚ he also embraced the characteristics of a great leader that
Premium Beowulf Grendel's mother Grendel
Macbeth-Tragic Hero The main character‚ Macbeth is a classic example of a Shakespearean tragic hero. At the beginning of the play‚ Shakespeare defines Macbeth as a hero very clearly to the reader. However‚ as the play progresses‚ Shakespeare gradually indicates that Macbeth is a tragic hero. There are many factors that contribute to Macbeth¡¦s degeneration. First‚ Macbeth is shown to be a man of exceptional nature as well as high position. However‚ he errs in listening and trusting too much
Premium Macbeth
Fall Apart: Okonkwo as a Tragic Hero In Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart‚ Okonkwo is a tragic hero. Okonkwo meets all of the required criteria of a tragic hero according to Aristotle’s definition. A tragic hero must have a flaw or error of judgment‚ reversal of fortune‚ recognition that the reversal was the result of his own actions‚ excessive pride‚ and fate greater than deserved. Okonkwo is a hard working leader and committed member of the Ibo community whose tragic flaw is his great fear
Premium Things Fall Apart Chinua Achebe Okonkwo
Oedipus and Romeo tragic heroes? According to literature a tragedy is a series of mis-unforutuante events in the lives of the main characters brought on by the tragic hero’s flaws. Many would consider Oedipus and Romeo not to be tragic heroes‚ but just main characters. Based on literature’s definition‚ Romeo and Oedipus would most likely fit the position to be a tragic hero. The idea of a tragic hero was created in ancient Greek tragedy and defined by Aristotle. A tragic hero is the protagonist
Premium Tragic hero Tragedy Poetics
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
Premium Macbeth
Antigone Essay Tragic heroes have certain requirements they need to fulfill in order to be considered a tragic hero. For example‚ they need to have stature or greatness‚ but also have a tragic flaw that leads to a tragic mistake. In the tragedy Antigone‚ by Sophocles‚ Creon does not want people to bury a traitor named Polyneices‚ and when he is buried by Antigone‚ Creon sentences her to death. In the story Antigone‚ there is some debate about whether Creon or Antigone is the real tragic hero of the play
Premium Oedipus Sophocles Haemon