The Tragic Hero How is the tragic hero defined?. The Tragic Hero is the PROTAGONIST ▪ He will make...

The Tragic Hero

How is the tragic hero defined?

The Tragic Hero is the PROTAGONIST

▪ He will make a mistake – knowingly or unknowingly

▪ The mistake will involve a fundamental (basic) mistake about his place in the universe (destiny)

▪ This is known as his TRAGIC FLAW

The Tragic Flaw

▪ Often times this flaw comes from his arrogance

▪ He feels superior to any moral law (HUBRIS)

▪ By committing HUBRIS, the protagonist experiences “the TRAGIC FALL”

▪ The tragic fall is from confidence and happiness to misery.

FATE

▪ No matter what he does, the tragic hero protagonist is bound to commit his tragic mistake.

▪ He may try hard not to make the mistake, but will anyway.

▪ The sense of inevitability is what makes the hero so tragic.

SUFFERING

The protagonist brings intense suffering.• On self.• On family.• On society.• On the army.• On his men.The suffering will be overkill. It won’t seem to match the mistake.

SUDDEN RECOGNITION

▪ The Protagonist will accept his suffering!–Justified–Meaningful

▪ Often only the reader will understand the suffering.–Sometimes the protagonist will not have learned from it

BRING ABOUT ORDER

• Once the protagonist recognizes/understands his suffering, he admits that an external force orders the universe/judges him/punishes him

• Then, he will seek physical and moral rightness/order

TRANSCEND: RISE ABOVE

• He will now rise above his suffering• He is heroic because he deals with

his mistake with dignity (FINALLY!)• This may include death• This will represent that the human

experience is not about destiny – the hero is indeed in control.