The Tragic Hero

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The Tragic Hero
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The Hero

• honorable protagonist with a tragic flaw
• fatal flaw eventually leads to his demise

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Where did it come from?

• defined by Aristotle (ancient Greeks)

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Tragic Flaw

• fatal flaw results in catharsis or epiphany
• Achilles Heel

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Aristotelian tragic hero

• Goodness
• Superiority - in terms of politics, reputation,
  or perceived wisdom
• A tragic flaw
• A realization of both his flaw and his inevitable
  demise

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More Characteristics

• He/she must suffer.
• He/she must be doomed from the start.
• He/she must be fundamentally noble in nature.
• His/her story should arouse fear and empathy.
• "Star-crossed" to meet a particular fate.
• Physically or spiritually wounded by his
  experiences

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Shakespeares Twist

• Shakespeare helped extend the idea of the tragic
  hero beyond a flaw of making an error in judgment
  (as in Oedipus trying to escape his fate only to
  fulfill it)
• It becomes an internal conflict of moral argument

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Your Task

• Using at least three examples of Macbeths
  personality and/or actions and three quotes from
  the text of Macbeth write a 3 to 4 page paper
  either proving or refuting that Macbeth is a
  tragic hero. Use the qualities and
  characteristics of a tragic hero to prove your
  point. Develop a strong opening paragraph and a
  well defined thesis.