Though all men to a certain extent share the same qualities, some are more pronounced than in the others. It is important to see how these qualities are central to their respective stories and how it helps (or hinders) them in their journeys. The greatest value of Beowulf is his bravery, some may say bravado. There is no doubt that he is a great warrior. Beowulf's heroism belongs to a different time than that of King Arthur or Sir Gawain.
According to Aristotle a tragic hero must be a noble person and also hold a “high” status in society. Firstly, the character must also have an error in judgement (hamartia). Often the character’s ‘hamartia’ involves hubris (excessive pride). The character must have these in order to be considered a tragic hero. The hero must have a reversal of fortune brought by the hero’s tragic flaw although the downfall will not be a complete loss.
Othello: A Tragic Hero and an Aristotelian Tragedy I. Othello, the Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare is one of his most acclaimed tragedies. “Othello’s story is a tragedy, and not just a very sad story, because it is a story of the destruction of a noble, deeply admirable man brought about through his own weaknesses, systematically exploited by a malicious enemy” (Porter, 2005, pg. 27). However, it has long been debated whether Othello satisfies the requirements of an Aristotelian tragedy. A.
He says ‘just then I had an odd idea. Like Vulich, I decided to put fate to the test’, here he risks his own life in order to test the boundaries of fate and to satiate his reckless tendencies, this in more associated with a Byronic hero than a traditional one who does things for the greater good. A Byronic hero can be conceptualized as an extreme variation of the Romantic hero archetype. Traditional Byronic heroes tend to be defined by their rejection or questioning of standard social conventions and norms of behaviour, their alienation from larger society, their focus on the self as the centre of existence, and their ability to inspire others to commit acts of good and kindness. Byronic heroes are not idealized
A Hapless Hero Arthur Miller demonstrated in Death of a Salesman that tragic heroism still possible in the modern world, but the tragic hero or tragic heroine should be of noble birth or hold an important social position, be basically virtuous, and desire to do good. However, Wily Loman is not a tragic hero because he is hapless rather than heroic, his personal tragedy that comes from his lack in ability to admit his errors and learn from them. Instead, he fits Miller's description of the pathetic character, one who "by virtue of his witlessness, his insensitivity, or the very air he gives off, is incapable of grappling with a much superior force," (Miller1). The definition of a tragic hero is a condition of life that allows an individual to find the route of self-realization and discover to the fullest extent of his or her capabilities. This insight only occurs when an individual bravely endure the "total examination of the 'unchangeable' environment" (Miller1).
Oedipus is undoubtedly a righteous hero. Oedipus also embodies the second part of the definition of a tragic hero. Oedipus is by no means perfect and contains the key element belonging to a tragic hero, a tragic flaw. Oedipus’ tragic flaw is his self-righteousness, excessive pride, and ignorance. Oedipus expresses immediate
Every society/culture since the creation of man has created this type of hero to embody the values and mores of that time period. To be thought of as an epic hero the character must be endowed with specific traits. A few of these traits are: having great stature, always larger than life, have traits most valued by that society (i.e. tremendous courage, humility, super human strength.) a quick wit accompanied by extraordinary intelligence and a perspicacity for the journeys he must endure and the adversaries that he will have to thwart.
A tragedy is a story of a person’s demise brought on them by the specific flaws in their character. The “Tragedy of Othello” by William Shakespeare tells a story of deceit and revenge. Othello, the central figure of the play, is a man noble to his country and people. He is an amazing character, a tragic hero, who has befallen to undeserved misfortune and folly. While it may seem, that the tragedy of Othello was caused by the evil villain Iago, I believe that he was not the only one to blame.
According to Aristotle, a tragic hero must be a character of noble stature and greatness while embodying nobility as an inner virtue. Next, while tragic heroes are great, they are never perfect and always posses character flaws to make them more relatable to the masses. Continuing, a tragic hero’s fall from power is the fault of the hero; the result of free choice usually attributed to the heroes imperfection. Next, A hero’s actions result in an increase of self- awareness and self-knowledge. Finally, the fate of a tragic hero does not leave the audience in a state of depression, but draws solemn emotions of pity and sympathy.
When I hear the word hero, I think of someone who is idealized for their courage and bravery, having outstanding achievements, and having noble qualities. Policemen and firefighters are heroes to me. Heroes can come in all different shapes and sizes and that’s important for some people to understand, just because they aren’t super tall and lusty doesn’t mean that they can’t be a hero. In the earliest English epic poem, “Beowulf”, the hero is Beowulf. As a hero, the Anglo-Saxons made Beowulf have certain hero characteristics.