Dakota Maye Ms.Springer English 10 13 March 2013 The Archetype of a Tragic Hero Sophocles uses the archetype of a tragic hero in Oedipus the King. An archetype is a universal pattern that can be seen from one work to another. Archetypes are used to help the reader identify with and relate to the main character. The tragic hero archetype has the potential for greatness but is doomed to fail. In Oedipus the King, one trait that makes Oedipus a tragic hero is that he is responsible for his own fate.
1) What is Romeo and Juliet’s fatal flaw? How does it lead to their downfall? In the novel “Romeo and Juliet” Romeo and Juliet were the tragic hero’s of the book; this meant that they both had possessed traits that had led to their downfall. Romeo had several fatal flaws: he was an overly emotional person, and he had an impulsive, somewhat unpremeditated and rash demeanor. Another was him falling in love much too quickly and deeply.
102-105). With his sudden spree of violent acts, Macbeth causes inner turmoil for himself by forgetting what he once stood for. He contradicts his previous statement that " Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return / To plague th' inventor" (1. 7. 9-10).The new idea manifests in his mind, pushing him over the edge and morphing him into a completely different character.
Oedipus Argumentative Paragraph Aristotle’s Poetics deeply describes what makes a tragic story, and what makes a tragic hero. With respect to the topics of Reversal of Situation, Scene of Suffering, and a Good Character discussed by Aristotle, Oedipus is an ideal example of a tragic hero. As Aristotle describes, reversal of situation is, “a change by which the action veers round to its opposite, subject always to our rule of probability or necessity.” (Aristotle 199) Here, Aristotle explains how a reversal of situation is an unexpected turn of events, by which the first intention was to clear a situation positively but ending up impacting it in a negative way. An example of this in the play Oedipus would be when the messenger came to Oedipus to tell him about the ‘good’ news about his ‘mother’ whom turned out not to be his mother. This situation led to a reversal of situation in which by the end of it, Oedipus says, “Enough, Enough!
A Tragic Hero, Formed From the Worst Macbeth was once a strong, confident, and self-asserting man. Unfortunately, during his quest for control over the crown, Macbeth took a few drastic turns that led him into a spiraling downfall into despair and failure. His misfortune even ended up killing him. Macbeth had all good intentions. He wanted to rule his country, a perfectly sane and moral goal.
According to Aristotle’s hypothesis of a tragic hero the character must be of some form of nobility, suffer from some form of error in judgment, go through a period of reversed fortune, and finally recognize that the error was actually caused by his own actions. The concept of tragedy is deeply embedded into both plays however
Both people put their life in danger, be it from themselves or guards looking for them; the difference is how they handle it. Macbeth, in the end, cracks and is killed while Philippe triumphs and is a hero. They both learned the same lesson though, that good always triumphs over evil. In both stories good triumphed over evil. Macbeth ended up dying from the results of his tragic flaw, ambition, and Philippe ended up becoming a hero for helping the two lovers.
5) The character's fate must be greater than deserved. Initially, the tragic hero should be neither better nor worse morally than normal people, in order to allow the audience to identify with them. This also introduces pity and catharsis, which is crucial in tragedy. Eventually the Aristotelian tragic hero dies a tragic death, having fallen from great
He alters Aristotle’s model for tragic hero and add his own component to Medea. Underneath all the tragic flaws and immoral actions, Medea truly is a tragic hero. Sometimes, the readers need to overlook people’s negativities to see the real person in
Guilt made him seem more like the common man and likable because of the sheer fact that he was relatable to his old self. Readers can juxtapose his crippling guilt with their own in this sense, while almost feeling sorrowful for the cold-blooded murderer. “And all our yesterdays have lighted fools / the way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle / life’s but a walking shadow” (Shakespeare V.v.22-24). Having realized the loss of his Queen, Macbeth fantasizes his own demise; his conscience wants justice for the sins he has committed, showing his guilt and remorse for what he’s done.