بوابة الثانوية العامة المصرية

The tragic hero

What is a 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

Common characteristics of a tragic hero

According to Aristotle

1. Usually of noble birth

2. Hamartia - a.k.a. the tragic flaw that eventually leads to his downfall.

3. Peripeteia - a reversal of fortune brought about by the hero's tragic flaw

4. His actions result in an increase of self- awareness and self-knowledge

5. The audience must feel pity and fear for this character

* It should be noted that the hero's downfall is his own fault as a result of his own free choice, but his misfortune is not wholly deserved. Usually his death is seen as a waste of human potential. His death usually is not a pure loss, because it results in greater knowledge and awareness

Modern-day tragic heroes:

In the Modernist era (late 19th and early 20th century), a new kind of tragic hero was created out of a result of this "classical" definition. The modern hero, it seems, does not necessarily have to be of a high estate - but rather an "ordinary person". The story may not result in an epiphany of awareness or even come to a resolution of catharsis. He or she may not even die! The new tragic hero is also known as the "anti-hero