Aristotle and the Tragic Hero - 1067 Words

Aristotle and the Tragic Hero The traditional hero stresses courage and nobility as essential traits of heroism. He lived by a code of honor and valued certain things as more important than others, so that he is willing to take risks and endure hardships for their sake. He is often a leader and protector of a community. The fact that the hero not only performs great deeds but performs them out of worthy principles renders his deed even more admirable. On the other hand, the Greek tragic hero is best defined by Aristotle with his theory of tragedy in Poetics. He claims, â€Å"Tragedy, then, is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude; in language embellished with each kind of artistic ornament, the†¦show more content†¦He truly possessed the unquenchable thirst for glory. Achilles was provoked to achieve prominence so his name would be remembered. His rage, which many consider to be his tragic flaw, greatly influenced his actions. After receiving word of Patroclus’ death, Achilles immediately seeks revenge. Also, Achilles desecrated the body of King Prium’s son. Hector’s warrior status should have meant proper burial rites but Achilles completely ignored this tradition. The fact that Achilles ignored this common practice tarnished his reputation. Due to his excessive pride and ego he acted not accordingly to your traditional hero. Achilles rage and quest for glory flooded his ability to think rationally. This is an anti-hero like quality and his pursuit of merit got him closer to his final destiny, which he knew he could never escape. He thrived off the sense of adventure and accepted the outcome which he later faced. Greek society considered many works to be tragic in the sense that they instilled mixed emotions. The audience may have felt depressed or they might have felt uplifted or enlightened with tragic pleasure. Based on their emotion, one could conclude whether or not they saw justification in the heroes’ actions or whether they viewed the work as a criticism. In Poetics, these emotions are communicated through the aspects of tragedy which include: the crisis, the catharthis, and the reversal (anagnorisis). For example inShow MoreRelatedAristotle s The Tragic Hero1561 Words   |  7 PagesPoetics, Aristotle claims four requirements for the tragic hero. The hero must be good. The hero must have appropriate quality of his or her gender and class. The hero must be true to life. Lastly, the hero must be consistent. These four characteristics are present in many tragic heroes. However, there are so many different authors with different interpretations of the tragic hero, that to define the tragic hero with merely four traits is not plausible. Aristotle defines the tragic hero in a wayRead MoreAristotle And Homers Tragic Hero1878 Words   |  8 Pagesparts of the tragic anthology, Iliad, the author Homer allows the reader to distinguish the various types of heroes presented and the characters that each one of them shares. He succeeds in implementing stages of Aristotle’s poetic definitions of tragedy while shifting his characters to his own Epic Tragedy. The author also prepares the reader in comprehending the differences between his and Aristotle’s definition of the Tragic Hero. In this paper, principles in Aristotle and Homer’s Tragic Heroes willRead MoreAristotle s theory of the Tragic Hero1888 Words   |  8 Pagesï » ¿Aristotle’s theory of the Tragic Hero: â€Å"A man doesn’t become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall† Tragic hero’s who fit under Aristotle’s depiction are known as ‘Aristotelian Tragic Hero’s’ and possess five specific characteristics; 1) A flaw or error of judgment (also known as ‘hamartia’ which is a fatal flaw leading to the downfall of a tragic hero or heroine) 2) A reversal of fortune due to the error of judgment (also known as ‘peripeteia’, which is a sudden reversal of fortuneRead MoreOedipus And Aristotle s Definition Of A Tragic Hero1466 Words   |  6 Pagesrefutes Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero. Thesis Statement: Oedipus is the personification of Aristotle’s characterization of a tragic hero through his ability to maintain and keep his virtue and wisdom, despite his shortcomings and situation in life. Introduction I. Tragic Hero A. Definition of a tragic hero B. Oedipus’ Character II. Tragedy A. Language of Tragedy B. Tragedy and its affects on audience III. Plot A. Aristotle’s idea of a tragic plot B. Meaning of plot IV. VirtueRead MoreOedipus As A Great Representation Of Aristotle s Characterization Of The Tragic Hero1703 Words   |  7 Pages Oedipus is regarded as a great representation of Aristotle’s characterization of the tragic hero. He is able to accomplish this task because of his ability to demonstrate virtue of wisdom regardless of the flaws and the challenges he endures. Introduction Aristotle demonstrated the creation of a plot in literature. The method Aristotle adopted to create a plot involved the use of tight nexus of ignorance whereby the word Harmatia was mistranslated. The technique of plot creationRead MoreOedipus As A Tragic Hero1094 Words   |  5 Pagesthe King, Oedipus struggles to accept the truth and lets his temper over power him. He can be displayed as a tragic hero. His refusal to accept the truth led to Oedipus’ down fall. A tragic hero, as defined by Aristotle, â€Å"is a literary character who makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to his/her own destruction.† Sophocles’ Oedipus exemplifies Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero. In the play, Oedipus unknowingly has cursed the entire town of Thebes. He was cursed to kill his father andRead MoreAristotle s Aristotle On Greek Tragedy1405 Words   |  6 PagesAristotle on Greek Tragedy The drama for Aristotle was the replication of an action that is complete, severe, and of a particular magnitude. Besides, tragedy refers to the fall of noble individuals considered heroes or heroines. A tragic hero for Aristotle was a person that has some powerful wishes to attain a specific goal but encounters specific limits common to human flaws, nature, or the gods. Going through certain circumstances in life making the wrong decisions that change his life is a tragedy;Read MoreThe Tragic Hero Of Oedipus The King1156 Words   |  5 Pages The topic I chose is the tragic hero topic. There exists a number of parameters that describe a tragic hero and thus it was my desire to get to understand these parameters. It was also my desire to be in position to give the difference between normal heroes and a tragic hero and give see the main dimensions of the two figures. I preferred to work with the book by Sophocles Oedipus, the king, in order to portray the attributes of a tragic hero. The book contains adequate information concerning theRead MoreThe Tragic Hero Of Sophocles Oedipus The King1518 Words   |  7 Pagesis why they seem to enthrall their audiences so well. A tragic hero plays the most essential role in this. Tragic heroes can be defined differently for whoever is trying to force a character into the tragic hero mold. However Aristotle, the great Greek philosopher, established an outline of the requirements a tragic hero has to meet in order to be considered one. These requirements include a downfall, a hamartia , and recognition of said tragic hero’s condition. Oedipus, the protagonist of Sophocles’Read MoreTragic Hero1598 Words   |  7 PagesTragic Hero From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia A tragic hero is a protagonist with a tragic flaw, also known as fatal flaw, which eventually leads to his demise. The concept of the tragic hero was created in ancient Greek tragedy and defined by Aristotle. Usually, the realization of fatal flaw results in catharsis or epiphany. The tragic flaw is sometimes referred to as an Achilles heel after the single fatal flaw of the Greek warrior Achilles. [citation needed] Aristotelian tragic