Tragic hero, a Tragic hero is a not so perfect person of high social status. That then has a downfall from his from his high title in society and pays for all of his wrong doing. During or after his downfall he has a moment of clarity finally realizing what he has done. In the book “Oedipus The King” Oedipus shows to be a true tragic hero. Using Oedipus as an ideal model, Aristotle says that a tragic hero must be an important or influential man who makes an error in judgment, and who must then suffer the consequences of his actions.
Their own son (who has not been born yet) will grow up, and he will kill his father (King Laois) and marry his mother (Queen Jocaste). In an attempt to not let this prophecy come true the king and queen ordered a peasant to leave Oedipus on the side of a mountain, and this is when the prophecy beings to take its path. The peasant does not leave it on the mountain side, for he would feel guilty to kill an infant. He handed it off to another peasant to bring to his town. One simple trip to an oracle sets the outline of a great ancient Greek tragedy.
The Tragic Hero in the Tragedy of Julius Caesar In most stories, there is often a hero that sacrifices to achieve their goal, but in Shakespearean tragedies, there is always a tragic hero. A tragic hero is the protagonist of a tragedy, which is fated to suffer by his or her own flaws or weaknesses. Some people believe that Brutus is the tragic hero in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, while others believe that Julius Caesar is the tragic hero in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. The tragic hero in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar is Brutus because he experiences suffering, has a tragic flaw of honor, while other believe that Julius Caesar more of a tragic hero. A hero suffers an extreme reversal of fortune, from great success to abysmal failure, which causes immense suffering.
He states, “A son of sin and sorrows.” This shows that he knows the mistakes he have committed during his life and reign as king. His decision-making resulted in him losing his family and doing wrong in Apollo’s design. He also states, “ A prince of evil.” This means that the moment he took throne he was brought down from a fatal flaw, his flaw was hubris, he thought that he could get away from fate and in the Greek and Roman tragedies and in their life they believed strongly in fate. He also utilizes empathy to make others feel what he feels. He states, “For whom I should be hanged.” This shows that e is unhappy of the truth and how sick it makes him feel.
In the play Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, Oedipus character is a perfect example of the classic tragic hero. According to Aristotle's definition, Oedipus is a tragic hero because he comes from a family with royal blood, he has a tragic flaw which is the main factor to his downfall and his life is completely changed when he learns his fate. Oedipus is neither completely good nor evil; he is merely a man who is blinded by his pride, and arrogance to realize the situations he is in. Overall, Oedipus displays many characteristics that label him a tragic hero, but it is his mere thought-less actions that lead to this label. Oedipus, like many men, has his flaws.
The hero in a Greek tragedy is usually the main character who is known to do great deeds throughout the story, but the sad truth is that a flaw such as fervor or arrogance is what leads to his disgrace. For example, the main character either dies or becomes banished in the stories. Greek dramas are mostly centered around the rise and downfall of the "hero". Usually the tragic hero or heroine in a story is of noble birth and displays a
The death of one’s father and a ghostly visitation thereafter are events that would challenge the sanity of anyone. The circumstances of King Hamlet’s death render it especially traumatic. The late King seemed to be an idol to his son; Hamlet looked up to him and aspired to have the same qualities. Hamlet doesn't like King Claudius and sees him as a swindling usurper who has stolen not only the dead King’s throne, but Hamlet’s as well(2.4). Hamlet shows Gertrude that she has lowered her standards by marrying Claudius, When he refers to old Hamlet as, “A combination and a form indeed / Where every god did seem to set his seal” (3.4.55-61).
They later heard of an oracle that later in their lives Oedipus would kill Laius and marry Jocasta. Shortly after they heard this, they abandoned him on a mountainside with a shepherd. Laius and Jocasta wanted the servant to kill Oedipus. The poor shepherd didn’t have the guts to kill a little baby. The shepherd gave Oedipus to an old man; the old man knew the king and queen of Corinth.
Hamlet also knew that he could not go around telling people that Claudius killed his father just because a ghost told him so. Therefore, instead Hamlet masterminded a plan that made the King, Claudius, show his guilt and then he would have proof that Claudius did in fact kill his father. Hamlet's obsession with his mother's remarriage to his uncle contributes to his insanity. In numerous occasions, Hamlet will make a comment about the little time that it took for his mother to move into his uncle's bed. Sarcastically, Hamlet states, "What should a man do but be merry?
Ah never, never! Nor this town with its high walls, Nor the holy images of the gods” (Sophocles 71). It seems that Oedipus meant to make an example of himself by gouging his own eyes out. He is, in a way, martyring himself via this extreme and painful punishment. The self-mutilation and subsequent blindness are supposed to be a punishment for killing his father, marrying his mother, and thus bringing a curse upon Thebes.