"A man cannot become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall”‚ a wise quote from Aristotle himself. Aristotle defines a tragic hero as one who is born of a noble status‚ one who contains a tragic flaw‚ one who has a reversal of fortune‚ one who has an increase of self-awareness‚ and one who evokes pity or fear from the audience. Considering these particular characteristics‚ Brutus fits the bill as the tragic hero of William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. William Shakespeare
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Antigone: Not the Tragic Hero Sophocles‚ a great tragedian‚ was the one who gave Greek tragedies their traditional form. An important part of traditional Greek tragedies is the presence of a tragic hero. All tragic heroes should have the characteristics of rank‚ a tragic flaw‚ a downfall‚ and a recognition of mistakes. The seemingly tragic hero is Antigone. She wants to bury her brother Polyneices even though this would be going against Creon‚ who is her uncle and the king. When Antigone buries
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literary definition of a “tragic hero” is someone who is destined to set something right‚ but has a fatal flaw the causes his/her death. One of the most famous people who often use a tragic hero in their plays is Shakespeare. Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet is about the revenge of King Hamlet’s death in Denmark. King Hamlet’s son Hamlet hesitates on multiple occasions to take revenge. This hesitation causes tragic events for himself and other characters. Although Shakespeare’s tragic play Hamlet was based
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The modern definition of a tragedy is any serious accident‚ crime‚ disaster‚ or great misfortune (“tragedy‚ 2009). However in order to classify a play as a tragedy‚ the more formal definition constructed by Aristotle in the 4th century B.C. must be used. Aristotle defined a tragedy as “an imitation of an action of high importance‚ complete and of some amplitude; in language enhanced by distinct and varying beauties; acted not narrated; by means of pity and fear effecting its purgation of these
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than those who are least deserving of longevity‚ even those we refer to as saints‚ or heroes. The world does not care who lives or dies‚ it will take that person‚ chew them up‚ and spit them out regardless of their past‚ merits‚ or achievements‚ good or evil‚ precious or worthless. Humans have labeled the good that have fallen with titles such as martyrs‚ or more notably‚ tragic heroes. A tragic hero is someone that has performed outstanding tasks or done an incredible deed‚ but still suffered a terrible
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in a success-driven society and shows the tragic path which eventually leads to his suicide. Willy Loman believes in what he considers the promise of the American Dream wholeheartedly‚ which is based on the Declaration of Independence stated by Thomas Jefferson in 1776: "We believe that all men are born with these inalienable rights - life‚ liberty and the pursuit of happiness."(Malone‚ 28) However‚ Willy is too caught up in this masculine dream and it does not succeed as he wishes. He tries to live
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moment where the hero comes face to face with his true identity”- Aristotle. The character Okonkwo from the book ‘Things Fall Apart’ by Chinua Achebe demonstrates the role of a tragic hero. He starts off in the book as a well known and respected warrior in the clan of Umuofia. His father (now deceased) however was known for being irresponsible and cowardly. Okonkwo vowed to never be anything like his father. Okonkwo captures the role of a tragic hero according to the attributes Aristotle gives us because
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Othello as tragic hero. He exposes his tragic flaw‚ which consequently leads to his downfall. Othello conforms to the Aristotelian principles of tragedy‚ of the noble protagonist who undergoes ceaseless manipulation and endures suffering‚ resulting in his ultimate downfall due to hamartia. All of these techniques combine to provide a different perception of the protagonist‚ as more of an atypical victim‚ exposed to the harsh reality of the society he longs to fit into‚ rather than a typical hero. A tragic
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the people of Rome until he killed his best friend‚ Caesar‚ thinking it was for the good of Rome. Brutus is the perfect example of a Shakespearean tragic hero. William Shakespeare’s definition of a tragic hero includes traditional elements. These elements are a person usually of noble birth‚ one who suffers a catastrophe‚ and one who has a tragic flaw. In act I‚ Cassius talks about Brutus’s nobility “You and I have heard our fathers talk of another Brutus-your ancestor-who would’ve let the devil
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In a sense‚ Hamlet’s own character traits and his personality are the tragic flaws in Hamlet. Hamlet portrays obsessive behavior throughout the book‚ and this trait assisted in his destruction by causing his blindness to all other reality. Hamlet also is unableto control his fierce emotions‚ which leads to his misperception of people. Although at times Hamlet behaves rashly and impulsively‚ it is his philosophical and contemplative thoughts that ultimately destroy him. In numerous
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