Tragedy and the Tragic Hero

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Tragedy and the Tragic Hero
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Aristotle, the ancient Greek philosopher,
identified the main characteristics of tragedy.
He explained that tragedy is a representation of
serious actions that turn out disastrously for
the main character or characters.
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Aristotle wrote that all true tragedies arouse
pity and fear in an audience.
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Pity- the audience feels sorry for the tragic
character and hates to see him suffer. The viewer
has sympathy for the character. Fear- the viewer
realizes that, if circumstances were different,
they would also be caught up in a web of tragic
events. The viewer empathizes with the character.
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According to Aristotle a tragedy purges or
cleanses an audience of fear and pity- a process
that he called catharsisAristotle cited Oedipus
Rex as a paradigm, or perfect example, of tragedy.
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Aristotle taught that every tragedy involves a
central character or characters called
protagonist(s), with whom the audience
identifies.
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This tragic hero, or protagonist, generally has
four main qualities 1. Of high character,
superior, noble, or good only characters who
have these qualities can arouse pity
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2. Suffers a downfall brought from happiness to
misery, power and prestige to defeat
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3. Tragic Flaw (hamartia) makes fatal errors in
judgment that contributes to his downfall, often
the flaw is a traditionally admirable quality
carried to excess example pride (hubris),
arrogance, lust for power, lack of insight,
inability to see circumstances as they really
are, or to understand ones own nature
properly
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4. Tragic realization perceives before his fall
how he has contributed to his own
destructionTragedy leaves the audience and the
tragic hero (protagonist) with greater insight
and understanding of life, although sadly he/she
never gets to use this wisdom as it comes too
late.
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