Here I am putting My view regarding :-
Tragic
Hero & Hamartia
According to Aristotle, a
hero of tragedy must arouse in audience a sense of pity or fear the change of
fortune should be not from bad to good but, reverely from good to bad.
In My opinion... Tragic Hero is a person or a character who
is designed for the tragic flow and
sufferings. Ex. Othello in Shakespeare’s Othello. As Aristotle said "A man
cannot become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall."
The tragic hero is a man of noble
stature. He is not an ordinary man, but a man with outstanding quality and
greatness about him. His own destruction is for a greater cause or principle.
It should be noted that the hero's
downfall is his own fault as a result of his own free choice, but his
misfortune is not wholly deserved. Usually his death is seen as a waste of
human potential. His death usually is not a pure loss, because it results in
greater knowledge and awareness.
The Common
charactiistic of a Tragic Hero
According to Aristotal
·
Usually of noble birth
·
Hamartia
- a.k.a. the tragic flaw that eventually leads to his downfall.
Hamartia
- a.k.a. the tragic flaw that eventually leads to his downfall.
·
Peripeteia
- a reversal of fortune brought about by the hero's tragic flaw
Peripeteia
- a reversal of fortune brought about by the hero's tragic flaw
·
His actions result in an increase of
self- awareness and self-knowledge
The audience must feel pity and fear
for this character.
Hamlet as a tragic hero
Hamlet as a tragic hero
Aristotle wrote down
these characteristics of a tragic hero for classical Greek tragedy plays. However,
Shakespeare plays are often noted for their excellent portrayals of tragic
heroes.
Here's an example of a principal Shakespeare character who is regarded as a tragic hero. Hamlet's fatal flaw, as seen by Aristotle, would be his failure to act immediately to kill Claudius. Unlike classical tragic heroes, however, Hamlet is well aware of his fatal flaw from the beginning - he constantly questions himself on why he continues to delay the fulfillment of his duty. His continuous awareness and doubt delays him from acting. (This is slightly different from the Aristotliean classical tragedies such as Oedipus Rex where Oedipus is not aware of his flaw until the very end.)
Here's an example of a principal Shakespeare character who is regarded as a tragic hero. Hamlet's fatal flaw, as seen by Aristotle, would be his failure to act immediately to kill Claudius. Unlike classical tragic heroes, however, Hamlet is well aware of his fatal flaw from the beginning - he constantly questions himself on why he continues to delay the fulfillment of his duty. His continuous awareness and doubt delays him from acting. (This is slightly different from the Aristotliean classical tragedies such as Oedipus Rex where Oedipus is not aware of his flaw until the very end.)
