Everyone loves a hero to swoop in and save the people‚ but what if the hero is not really a hero? What if they are a tragic hero? In Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible (1952)‚ John Proctor shows characteristics of being a tragic hero‚ through his actions throughout the play. Let us start with a simple question. What is a tragic hero? According to Arthur Miller in Tragedy and the Common Man‚ he says that all tragic heroes have one thing in common‚ "[a] tragic flaw‚" (paragraph 6). This tragic flaw is the
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A tragic hero‚ as defined by the Greek philosopher Aristotle‚ is a character who makes an irrevocable mistake because of due to an undesirable character trait that leads them to their potential downfall called a tragic flaw. Examples of tragic heroes include Macbeth of The Tragedy of Macbeth‚ whose ambition leads to his demise‚ and Oedipus of Sophocles’ play Oedipus Rex‚ whose ignorance and hubris leads to eternal humiliation. In Shakespeare’s tragedy‚ The Tragedy of Julius Caesar‚ the tragic hero
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In his work Nature and Elements of Tragedy‚ Aristotle outlined the characteristics needed in order to create a compelling tragic hero. He states that this particular character must be "better than we are‚" a man who is superior to the average man in some way. At the same time‚ a tragic hero must evoke both pity and fear among the audience‚ causing each member to experience a feeling of catharsis‚ or strong emotion. According to Aristotle‚ the best way to achieve this effect is to accurately portray
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John Proctor conform to the ideal tragic hero in “The Crucible”? The most well known definition of a tragic hero comes from the philosopher‚ Aristotle. When explaining a tragic hero‚ Aristotle states "The change in the hero’s fortunes be not from misery to happiness‚ but on the contrary‚ from happiness to misery‚ and the cause of it must not lie in any depravity but in some great error on his part." Also‚ he explains the four essential qualities that a tragic hero should possess‚ which are goodness
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is seen to be a true tragic hero. Othello initially displays admirable characteristics that a true renaissance man portrays however‚ contradicts them when his character deteriorates and fits the stereotypes of The typical Moor. Iago is manipulative and has an evil demeanour. Iago’s character does not change throughout the play. The play also emphasizes the impact of Iago’s vharacter however‚ Othello’s shift in character is far more promonent. Othello is an accomplished man of great pride who “is
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is a hero? A man of unusual bravery‚ nobility of action‚ moral and intellectual qualities‚ or contributions either to the improvement of man’s lot or to a given society. The hero stands out from ordinary men by superiority in one or more spheres and is held as the embodiment of certain ideas/ideals or values of the society or group that honors him. Shakespear’s Julius Caesar is a tragedy. What makes it a tragedy? -The central character‚ known as the tragic hero‚ meets a tragic end. -The tragic hero
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Aristotle once said “A man doesn’t become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall.” These words best describe what a “Tragic Hero” is and both Julius Caesar and Brutus displayed this characteristic‚ so the question is “Who is the real tragic hero in this story?” This paper shall explore the reasons behind why each man is considered a hero in his own right and who the rightful owner to the title of the play truly belongs to. There have been countless tragic heroes in the works of
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The Fate of the Tragic Hero A tragic hero is a character who is well liked by the audience‚ but nevertheless‚ presents a major flaw that leads to his or her eventual downfall. The concept of the tragic hero is used throughout literature to add to a story’s complexity and depth. In John Steinbeck’s The Pearl‚ Kino is a clear example of a tragic hero. At the beginning of the story‚ Kino is extremely well liked by the reader. Although he is poor‚ he is an honest‚ hardworking man who provides for his
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According to Shakespeare‚ a tragic hero is not an ordinary man; he is a man at the zenith of society with greatness upon him. Concurring with this idea‚ critic Northrop Frye defines tragic heroes as someone that acquires inevitable power; however‚ catastrophes are more likely to occur to great trees‚ people with great power‚ than a clump of grass‚ common people. But when tragic heroes abuse their power‚ they become the cause of their own downfall‚ leading them to misfortune. In “Death of a Salesman
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to blame someone else for what happened. This is the basis of the concept of a tragic hero‚ introduced by the Greek philosopher‚ Aristotle. In Antigone by the Greek playwright Sophocles‚ it is established that Creon is not a tragic hero of the play. Creon was shown to blame others for the outcome of his own mistakes‚
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