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Essays on Tragic Hero

Hook examples for tragic hero essays, anecdotal hook.

Tragic heroes have been a part of storytelling for centuries, captivating our hearts and minds with their flaws and virtues. Join me on a journey through the world of tragic heroes, where we explore their complex characters and fateful destinies.

Quotation Hook

"The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places." These profound words from Ernest Hemingway offer insight into the essence of a tragic hero, a character who emerges stronger in the face of adversity.

The Tragic Flaw Hook

Every tragic hero possesses a fatal flaw, a character trait that leads to their downfall. Dive into the concept of the tragic flaw and how it drives the narrative of some of literature's most memorable characters.

Classical Tragedy Hook

Explore the roots of tragic heroes in classical literature, from the Greek plays of Sophocles and Euripides to Shakespearean dramas. These timeless stories continue to resonate with audiences across generations.

Modern Tragic Figures Hook

Tragic heroes aren't limited to ancient tales; they exist in contemporary literature and cinema as well. Analyze how the concept of the tragic hero has evolved in modern storytelling.

Moral Lessons Hook

Tragic heroes often serve as vehicles for profound moral lessons. Delve into the ethical dilemmas and lessons we can glean from their experiences, offering valuable insights into the human condition.

The Redemption Hook

Not all tragic heroes meet a tragic end. Some find redemption, while others continue down a path of destruction. Explore the variations in the fates of tragic heroes and what they reveal about the human spirit.

Juliet's Strengths and Weaknesses in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

Creon's pride in sophocles' antigone, made-to-order essay as fast as you need it.

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Examples of John Proctor a Tragic Hero in The Crucible

John proctor - a tragic hero in the crucible, the tragic hero in shakespeare's play, analysis of tragic heroes: macbeth and gatsby, let us write you an essay from scratch.

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Tragic Hero in "Things Fall Apart": Triumph and Consequences

Analysis of okonkwo as a tragic hero, analysis of a tragic hero in macbeth, peter pan, and a good man is hard to find, a tragic hero: john proctor , get a personalized essay in under 3 hours.

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Analysis of Whether Willy Loman is a Tragic Hero in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman

Willy loman – a tragic hero in the death of a salesman by arthur miller, psychological analysis of macbeth's character, tragedies of the main characters in doctor faustus by christopher marlowe, hamlet's intelligence is the factor of his procrastination nature, tragic hero: john proctor , the analysis of othello as tragic hero, a tragic hero in the crucible, satan as a tragic hero in paradise lost, a study of a secondary tragic hero in king lear, elisen as an aristotelian tragic hero, how the common man can be a tragic hero, heracles - a hero and a victim ath the same time, how pride is willy's tragic flaw in death of a salesman and how it is the central theme of the play, tragic flaws of shakespeare’s macbeth, the revelation of mr. stevens as modern tragic hero, an analysis of a tragic hero in othello and macbeth, the tragic hero and the process of life's destruction of the protagonists in dr. faustus by christopher marlowe and breaking bad by vince gilligan, tragic hero in much ado about nothing, arthur miller's depiction of willy loman, relevant topics.

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Tragic Hero

Definition of tragic hero.

Tragic hero is a literary device utilized to create a protagonist for a tragic work of literature. A tragic hero is a character that represents the consequences that come from possessing one or more personal flaws or being doomed by a particular fate. Traditionally, the purpose of tragic hero as a literary device is to evoke pity and/or fear in an audience through the protagonist’s flaw and consequential downfall.

Aristotle categorized the characteristics of classic tragic hero in Greek drama as, in general, a male character of noble birth who experiences a reversal of fortune due to a tragic flaw . In addition, the realization of this flaw evokes sympathy from an audience. For example, Oedipus Rex, the title character of Sophocles’ tragedy , is considered a classic tragic hero. Oedipus experiences a terrible downfall due to hubris as his tragic flaw. As a result, the audience is left to sympathize with his tragic fate.

Familiar or Well-Known Examples of Tragic Hero

In contemporary society, examples of tragic heroes are often found among politicians, celebrities, athletes, and other famous public figures. Of course, actual people are far more complex in their motives and experiences than literary characters. Therefore, they can’t literally be considered tragic heroes. However, what we know of their stories can be similar to that of a modern tragic hero. Here are some examples:

• Lori Loughlin (“Aunt Becky”)
• Anthony Weiner
• Lance Armstrong
• Michael Richards
• Richard Nixon
• Michael Vick
• Tonya Harding
• Woody Allen
• Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker
• Paul Reubens (“Pee Wee Herman”)
• Martha Stewart
• Jimmy Swaggart
• Tiger Woods
• J.K. Rowling
• Roseanne Barr
• Charlie Sheen
• Lindsay Lohan

Classic Examples of Tragic Hero in Shakespeare

William Shakespeare made great use of tragic hero as a literary device in his Shakespearean tragedies. Shakespeare’s tragic heroes demonstrate the presence of fatal flaws within the powerful. Yet, the protagonists in his tragedies often experience moments of realization or redemption that result in compassion from the audience. Here are some classic examples of Shakespearean tragic heroes:

• Romeo Montague
• Richard III

Modern Examples of Tragic Hero in Fiction

The modern usage of tragic hero as a literary device has evolved from the classical characteristics established by Aristotle. For example, most modern tragic heroes are not limited by class or background, and they are not exclusively male protagonists. Here are some modern examples of tragic hero in works of fiction :

• Scarlett O’Hara ( Gone with the Wind )
• Don Draper ( Mad Men )
• Captain Ahab ( moby dick )
• Detective Sergeant Alonzo Harris ( Training Day )
• Kurtz ( Heart of Darkness )
• Blanche DuBois ( A Streetcar Named Desire )
• Andy Dufresne ( Shawshank Redemption )
• Bigger Thomas ( Native Son )
• Emma Bovary ( Madame Bovary )
• Jay Gatsby ( The Great Gatsby )

Difference Between Tragic Hero and Anti-Hero

It can be difficult to distinguish between tragic hero and anti-hero in literary works. Essentially, for a character to be a tragic hero, they must have some initial virtue that makes them powerful, charismatic, or heroic in the minds of the audience. In addition, tragic heroes must possess some sort of tragic flaw as part of their internal make-up or nature that makes them at least partially responsible for their own destruction. Finally, a tragic hero should suffer a reversal of fortune from good to bad, often leading to death or punishment that appears to be greater than deserved. As a result, these elements work together to generate a sympathetic response from the audience for tragic heroes.

An anti-hero is also a protagonist in fiction. However, unlike a tragic hero, an anti-hero is lacking in virtues associated with heroism. The anti-hero may be deficient in characteristics such as courage or integrity. However, as a character, the anti-hero still has an audience’s sympathy. Though anti-heroes may do good things for wrong reasons, they are fundamentally flawed and their actions serve only themselves. Therefore, their downfall is deserved and due entirely to their choices and devices.

Writing Tragic Hero

Overall, as a literary device, the tragic hero functions as the main character or protagonist of a tragedy. The characteristics of the tragic hero have evolved since Aristotle’s time in the sense that they are not limited to nobility or the male gender. In addition, a modern tragic hero may not necessarily possess typical or conventional heroic qualities. They may even be somewhat villainous in nature.

However, all tragic heroes must have sympathy from the audience for their circumstances. Additionally, all tragic heroes must experience a downfall leading to some form of ruin as a result of a tragic flaw in their character.

Here are some ways that writers carefully incorporate tragic hero into their work:

Hamartia , sometimes known as tragic flaw, is a fault or failing withing a character that leads to their downfall. For example, hubris is a common tragic flaw in that its nature is excessive pride and even defiance of the gods in Greek tragedy. Overall, a tragic hero must possess hamartia .

Peripeteia refers to a sudden turning point , as in a reversal of fortune or negative change of circumstances. Therefore, a tragic hero must experience peripeteia for their downfall.

Catharsis is the necessary pity and fear that the audience feels for tragic heroes and their inescapable fate. As a result, this sympathetic feeling indicates a purge of pent-up emotions in the audience, released through the journey of tragic heroes.

Examples of Tragic Hero in Literature

Many great works of literature feature tragic hero as a literary device. Here are some examples of tragic hero in literature:

Example 1: Hester Prynne ( The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne)

She had wandered, without rule or guidance, into a moral wilderness … Her intellect and heart had their home, as it were, in desert places, where she roamed as freely as the wild Indian in his woods… The scarlet letter was her passport into regions where other women dared not tread. Shame, Despair, Solitude! These had been her teachers—stern and wild ones—and they had made her strong, but taught her much amiss.

This passage from Hawthorne’s novel indicates the hamartia and peripeteia experienced by the protagonist Hester Prynne. Hester Prynne has been convicted of adultery in a Puritan community . She remains loyal to her lover by refusing to reveal the paternity of her daughter Pearl. This results in Hester’s isolation from society and a punishment of wearing a scarlet “A” on her chest, indicating her crime and shame.

Hester Prynne is a tragic heroine due to her tragic flaw of fidelity outside her marriage to a weak man who doesn’t grant her the same sense of loyalty. For this, she suffers a consequential reversal of circumstances through imprisonment and public ridicule. Additionally, she is a tragic heroine in that her journey as a protagonist generates catharsis in readers. As Hawthorne’s novel progresses, readers feel both pity and fear for Hester. By the novel’s end, reader sympathy for her character results in a release of pent-up sadness and despair, mirroring Hester’s own experience.

Example 2: Victor Frankenstein ( Frankenstein by Mary Shelley)

It was the secrets of heaven and earth that I desired to learn; and whether it was the outward substance of things or the inner spirit of nature and the mysterious soul of man that occupied me, still my inquiries were directed to the metaphysical , or in its highest sense, the physical secrets of the world.

Victor Frankenstein is the tragic hero of Mary Shelley ’s novel. Frankenstein’s statements regarding learning the physical secrets of the world demonstrate his character’s hamartia in the form of hubris. Frankenstein succumbs to blind ambition, believing that he can conquer death with science. Therefore, by recklessly playing the role of creator and ignoring natural order, Frankenstein feels he has unlocked the mysteries of nature and defeated death. This results in over-confidence and pride to the point that Frankenstein does not believe his actions will have detrimental consequences. However, he only believes this until the “monster” begins killing people.

The audience is witness to this hubris as Frankenstein’s tragic flaw. Therefore, because of this hubris, Frankenstein’s fate is tied to the monster and his promising life and career are ruined. His downfall is clear in the novel, yet the audience retains their pity for this tragic hero.

Example 3: Othello ( Othello by William Shakespeare)

When you shall these unlucky deeds relate, Speak of me as I am . Nothing extenuate, Nor set down aught in malice. Then must you speak Of one that loved not wisely, but too well. Of one not easily jealous, but being wrought, Perplexed in the extreme. Of one whose hand, Like the base Indian, threw a pearl away Richer than all his tribe

Related posts:

• 10 Hero Archetypes with Examples  
• Anti-Hero Archetype
• Tragic Flaw

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Tragic Hero

Tragic Hero Definition

What is a tragic hero? Here’s a quick and simple definition:

A tragic hero is a type of character in a tragedy , and is usually the protagonist . Tragic heroes typically have heroic traits that earn them the sympathy of the audience, but also have flaws or make mistakes that ultimately lead to their own downfall. In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet , Romeo is a tragic hero. His reckless passion in love, which makes him a compelling character, also leads directly to the tragedy of his death.

Some additional key details about tragic heroes:

• The idea of the tragic hero was first defined by the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle based on his study of Greek drama.
• Despite the term "tragic hero," it's sometimes the case that tragic heroes are not really heroes at all in the typical sense—and in a few cases, antagonists may even be described as tragic heroes.

Tragic Hero Pronunciation

Here's how to pronounce tragic hero: tra -jik hee -roh

The Evolution of the Tragic Hero

Tragic heroes are the key ingredient that make tragedies, well, tragic. That said, the idea of the characteristics that make a tragic hero have changed over time.

Aristotle and the Tragic Hero

The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle was the first to define a "tragic hero." He believed that a good tragedy must evoke feelings of fear and pity in the audience, since he saw these two emotions as being fundamental to the experience of catharsis (the process of releasing strong or pent-up emotions through art). As Aristotle puts it, when the tragic hero meets his demise, "pity is aroused by unmerited misfortune, fear by the misfortune of a man like ourselves."

Aristotle strictly defined the characteristics that a tragic hero must have in order to evoke these feelings in an audience. According to Aristotle, a tragic hero must:

• Be virtuous: In Aristotle's time, this meant that the character should be a noble. It also meant that the character should be both capable and powerful (i.e. "heroic"), and also feel responsible to the rules of honor and morality that guided Greek culture. These traits make the hero attractive and compelling, and gain the audience's sympathy.
• Be flawed: While being heroic, the character must also have a tragic flaw (also called hamartia ) or more generally be subject to human error, and the flaw must lead to the character's downfall. On the one hand, these flaws make the character "relatable," someone with whom the audience can identify. Just as important, the tragic flaw makes the tragedy more powerful because it means that the source of the tragedy is internal to the character, not merely some outside force. In the most successful tragedies, the tragic hero's flaw is not just a characteristic they have in addition to their heroic qualities, but one that emerges from their heroic qualities—for instance, a righteous quest for justice or truth that leads to terrible conclusions, or hubris (the arrogance that often accompanies greatness). In such cases, it is as if the character is fated to destruction by his or her own nature.
• Suffer a reversal of fortune: The character should suffer a terrible reversal of fortune, from good to bad. Such a reversal does not merely mean a loss of money or status. It means that the work should end with the character dead or in immense suffering, and to a degree that outweighs what it seems like the character deserved.

To sum up: Aristotle defined a tragic hero rather strictly as a man of noble birth with heroic qualities whose fortunes change due to a tragic flaw or mistake (often emerging from the character's own heroic qualities) that ultimately brings about the tragic hero's terrible, excessive downfall.

The Modern Tragic Hero

Over time, the definition of a tragic hero has relaxed considerably. It can now include

• Characters of all genders and class backgrounds. Tragic heroes no longer have to be only nobles, or only men.
• Characters who don't fit the conventional definition of a hero. This might mean that a tragic hero could be regular person who lacks typical heroic qualities, or perhaps even a villainous or or semi-villainous person.

Nevertheless, the essence of a tragic hero in modern times maintains two key aspects from Aristotle's day:

• The tragic hero must have the sympathy of the audience.
• The tragic hero must, despite their best efforts or intentions, come to ruin because of some tragic flaw in their own character.

Tragic Hero, Antihero, and Byronic Hero

There are two terms that are often confused with tragic hero: antihero and Byronic hero.

• Antihero : An antihero is a protagonist who lacks many of the conventional qualities associated with heroes, such as courage, honesty, and integrity, but still has the audience's sympathy. An antihero may do the right thing for the wrong reason. Clint Eastwood's character in the western film, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly , is fundamentally selfish. He digs up graves to look for gold and kills anyone who gets in his way, so he's definitely a bad guy. But as an antihero, he's not completely rotten: he also shows a little sympathy for dying soldiers in the bloody war going on around him, and at the end of the film he acts mercifully in choosing not to kill a man who previously tried to kill him. He does a few good things, but only as long as it suits him—so he's a classic antihero.
• Byronic hero : A Byronic hero is a variant of the antihero. Named after the characters in the poetry of Lord Byron, the Byronic hero is usually a man who is an intelligent, emotionally sensitive, introspective, and cynical character. While Byronic heroes tend to be very charismatic, they're deeply flawed individuals, who might do things that are generally thought of as socially unacceptable because they are at odds with mainstream society. A Byronic hero has his own set of beliefs and will not yield for anyone. While it might not be initially apparent, deep down, the Byronic hero is also quite selfish.

According to the modern conception of a tragic hero, both an antihero and a Byronic hero could also be tragic heroes. But in order for a tragic hero to exist, he or she has to be part of a tragedy with a story that ends in death or ruin. Antiheroes and Byronic heroes can exist in all sorts of different genres, however, not just tragedies. An antihero in an action movie—for instance Deadpool, in the first Deadpool movie—is not a tragic hero because his story ends generally happily. But you could argue that Macbeth is a kind of antihero (or at least an initial hero who over time becomes an antihero), and he is very definitely also a tragic hero.

Tragic Hero Examples

Tragic heroes in drama.

The tragic hero originated in ancient Greek theater, and can still be seen in contemporary tragedies. Even though the definition has expanded since Aristotle first defined the archetype, the tragic hero's defining characteristics have remained—for example, eliciting sympathy from the audience, and bringing about their own downfall.

Oedipus as Tragic Hero in Oedipus Rex

The most common tragic flaw (or hamartia ) for a tragic hero to have is hubris , or excessive pride and self-confidence. Sophocles' tragic play Oedipus Rex contains what is perhaps the most well-known example of Aristotle's definition of the tragic hero—and it's also a good example of hubris. The play centers around King Oedipus, who seeks to rid the city he leads of a terrible plague. At the start of the play, Oedipus is told by a prophet that the only way to banish the plague is to punish the man who killed the previous king, Laius. But the same prophet also reports that Oedipus has murdered his own father and married his mother. Oedipus refuses to believe the second half of the prophecy—the part pertaining to him—but nonetheless sets out to find and punish Laius's murderer. Eventually, Oedipus discovers that Laius had been his father, and that he had, in fact, unwittingly killed him years earlier, and that the fateful event had led directly to him marrying his own mother. Consequently, Oedipus learns that he himself is the cause of the plague, and upon realizing all this he gouges his eyes out in misery (his wife/mother also kills herself).

Oedipus has all the important features of a classical tragic hero. Throughout the drama, he tries to do what is right and just, but because of his tragic flaw (hubris) he believes he can avoid the fate given to him by the prophet, and as a result he brings about his own downfall.

Willy Loman as Tragic Hero in Death of a Salesman

Arthur Miller wrote his play Death of a Salesman with the intent of creating a tragedy about a man who was not a noble or powerful man, but rather a regular working person, a salesman.

The protagonist of Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman, desperately tries to provide for his family and maintain his pride. Willy has high expectations for himself and for his children. He wants the American Dream, which for him means financial prosperity, happiness, and good social standing. Yet as he ages he finds himself having to struggle to hold onto the traveling salesman job at the company to which he has devoted himself for decades. Meanwhile, the prospects for his sons, Biff and Happy, who seemed in high school to have held such promise, have similarly fizzled. Willy cannot let go of his idea of the American Dream nor his connected belief that he must as an American man be a good provider for his family. Ultimately, this leads him to see himself as more valuable dead than alive, and he commits suicide so his family can get the insurance money.

Willy is a modern tragic hero. He's a good person who means well, but he's also deeply flawed, and his obsession with a certain idea of success, as well as his determination to provide for his family, ultimately lead to his tragic death.

Tragic Heroes in Literature

Tragic heroes appear all over important literary works. With time, Aristotle's strict definition for what makes a tragic hero has changed, but the tragic hero's fundamental ability to elicit sympathy from an audience has remained.

Jay Gatsby as Tragic Hero in The Great Gatsby

The protagonist of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby , is Jay Gatsby, a young and mysterious millionaire who longs to reunite with a woman whom he loved when he was a young man before leaving to fight in World War I. This woman, Daisy, is married, however, to a man named Tom Buchanan from a wealthy old money family. Gatsby organizes his entire life around regaining Daisy: he makes himself rich (through dubious means), he rents a house directly across a bay from hers, he throws lavish parties in the hopes that she will come. The two finally meet again and do begin an affair, but the affair ends in disaster—with Gatsby taking responsibility for driving a car that Daisy was in fact driving when she accidentally hit and killed Tom's mistress (named Myrtle), Daisy abandoning Gatsby and returning to Tom, and Gatsby getting killed by Myrtle's husband.

Gatsby's downfall is his unrelenting pursuit of a certain ideal—the American Dream—and a specific woman who he thinks fits within this dream. His blind determination makes him unable to see both that Daisy doesn't fit the ideal and that the ideal itself is unachievable. As a result he endangers himself to protect someone who likely wouldn't do the same in return. Gatsby is not a conventional hero (it's strongly implied that he made his money through gambling and other underworld activities), but for the most part his intentions are noble: he seeks love and self-fulfillment, and he doesn't intend to hurt anyone. So, Gatsby would be a modernized version of Aristotle's tragic hero—he still elicits the audience's sympathy—even if he is a slightly more flawed version of the archetype.

Javert as Tragic Hero in Victor Hugo's Les Misérables

Javert is a police detective, obsessed with law and order, and Les Misérables' primary antagonist. The novel contains various subplots but for the most part follows a character named Jean Valjean, a good and moral person who cannot escape his past as an ex-convict. (He originally goes to prison for stealing a loaf of bread to help feed his sister's seven children.) After Valjean escapes from prison, he changes his name and ends up leading a moral and prosperous life, becoming well-known for the ways in which he helps the poor.

Javert, known for his absolute respect for authority and the law, spends many years trying to find the escaped convict and return him to prison. After Javert's lifelong pursuit leads him to Valjean, though, Valjean ends up saving Javert's life. Javert, in turn, finds himself unable to arrest the man who showed him such mercy, but also cannot give up his devotion to justice and the law. In despair, he commits suicide. In other words: Javert's strength and righteous morality lead him to his destruction.

While Javert fits the model of a tragic hero in many ways, he's an unconventional tragic hero because he's an antagonist rather than the protagonist of the novel (Valjean is the protagonist). One might then argue that Javert is a "tragic figure" or "tragic character" rather than a "tragic hero" because he's not actually the "hero" of the novel at all. He's a useful example, though, because he shows just how flexible the idea of a "tragic hero" can be, and how writers play with those ideas to create new sorts of characters.

Additional Examples of Tragic Heroes

• Macbeth: In Shakespeare's Macbeth , the main character Macbeth allows his (and his wife's) ambition to push him to murder his king in order to fulfill a prophecy and become king himself. Macbeth commits his murder early in the play, and from then on his actions become bloodier and bloodier, and he becomes more a villain than a hero. Nonetheless, he ends in death, with his wife also dead, and fully realizing the emptiness of his life. Macbeth is a tragic hero, but the play is interesting in that his fatal flaw or mistake occurs relatively early in the play, and the rest of the play shows his decline into tragedy even as he initially seems to get what he seeks (the throne).
• Michael Corleone: The main character of the Godfather films, Michael Corleone can be said to experience a tragic arc over the course of the three Godfather movies. Ambition and family loyalty push him to take over his mafia family when he had originally been molded by his father to instead "go clean." Michael's devotion to his family then leads him to murder his enemies, kills his betraying brother, and indirectly leads to the deaths of essentially all of his loved ones. He dies, alone, thinking of his lost loves , a tragic antihero.
• Okonkwo: In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart , Okonkwo is a man of great strength and will, and these heroic traits make him powerful and wealthy in his tribe. But his devotion to always appearing strong and powerful also lead him to alienate his son, break tribal tradition in a way that leads to his exile from the tribe, and to directly confront white missionaries in a way that ultimately leads him to commit suicide. Okonkwo's devotion to strength and power leads to his own destruction.
• Anakin Skywalker: The three prequel Star Wars movies (episodes I, II, and III) can be seen as an attempt to frame Anakin Skywalker into a tragic hero. Anakin is both powerful in the force and a prophesied "chosen one," but his ambition and desire for order and control lead him to abandon and kill fellow Jedi, inadvertently kill his own wife, and to join the dark side of the force and become a kind of enforcer for the Emperor. Anakin, as Darth Vader, is alone and full of such shame and self-hatred that he can see no other option but to continue on his path of evil. This makes him a tragic hero. Having said all that, some would argue that the first three Star Wars movies aren't well written or well acted enough to truly make Anakin a tragic hero (does Anakin really ever have the audience's sympathy given his bratty whininess?), but it's clear that he was meant to be a tragic hero.

What's the Function of a Tragic Hero in Literature?

Above all, tragic heroes put the tragedy in tragedies—it is the tragic hero's downfall that emotionally engages the audience or reader and invokes their pity and fear. Writers therefore use tragic heroes for many of the same reasons they write tragedies—to illustrate a moral conundrum with depth, emotion, and complexity.

Besides this, tragic heroes serve many functions in the stories in which they appear. Their tragic flaws make them more relatable to an audience, especially as compared to a more conventional hero, who might appear too perfect to actually resemble real people or draw an emotional response from the audience. Aristotle believed that by watching a tragic hero's downfall, an audience would become wiser when making choices in their own lives. Furthermore, tragic heroes can illustrate moral ambiguity, since a seemingly desirable trait (such as innocence or ambition) can suddenly become a character's greatest weakness, bringing about grave misfortune or even death.

Other Helpful Tragic Hero Resources

• The Wikipedia Page for Tragic Hero : A helpful overview that mostly focuses on the history of term.
• The Dictionary Definition of Tragic Hero : A brief and basic definition.
• A one-minute, animated explanation of the tragic hero.
• Is Macbeth a Tragic Hero? This video explains what a tragic hero is, using Macbeth as an example .

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tragic hero

What is tragic hero definition, usage, and literary examples, tragic hero definition.

A  tragic hero  (TRAA-jik HE-row) is a protagonist whose traits or choices cause their downfall. These characters embody heroic traits like courage, compassion, and integrity, but they fail to successfully confront their main  conflict  due to a fatal flaw, poor judgment, or a combination of both.

Tragic heroes appear in ancient, classic, and modern literature worldwide. However, the archetype was a staple of classical Greek tragedies in particular; Aristotle used his observations of Greek tragic heroes to identify and define their characteristics in his  Poetics . Even today, characters like Oedipus, Antigone, and Achilles remain some of literature’s most recognizable tragic heroes, and modern tragic heroes still draw inspiration from their character traits and story arcs.

How Tragic Heroes Are Created

Balance is essential to the  characterization  of a tragic hero. As Aristotle observed, these protagonists’ traits must be proportionate, exhibiting admirable qualities as well as realistic flaws—especially a capacity for human error. This balance stokes the audience’s empathy, allowing them to pity and fear for the hero once the crucial mistake that catalyzes their downfall occurs. This is essential to a tragedy’s success. After all, audiences are unlikely to lament the misfortune of a truly evil character.

Traits of Tragic Heroes

After studying classic Greek tragedies, like those written by Sophocles, Aeschylus, and Euripides, Aristotle codified the essential traits of tragic heroes in  Poetics . Six of these traits include:

• Anagnorisis : The realization that the hero’s own actions caused their downfall
• Catharsis: The pity or fear the audience feels in response to the hero’s ruin, which stems from the sense that the punishment is disproportionate to the crime
• Hamartia: A mistake or fatal flaw in personality or judgment
• Hubris: Excessive pride
• Nemesis: The inevitable punishment caused by the hero’s actions
• Peripeteia: A poor decision that reverses the hero’s fortune from good to bad

In addition to these traits, the Aristotelian tragic hero was typically aristocratic and male. He was competent, powerful, and embodied classical ideals of virtue and honor. His story was most tragic if his downfall was wrought by his own flaws and if this reckoning was more cruel than his actions warranted. Classic Greek tragedies often featured dramatic  irony , in which the audience is privy to vital information that the protagonist is not, which heightens the audience’s emotional response to the story.

The Modern Tragic Hero

Aristotle’s prescription for tragic heroes was quite specific, but these rules have eased over time. The only remaining requirements of a tragic hero is that they elicit sympathy from the audience and cause their own ruin despite their best intentions.

Beyond that, modern tragic heroes can be of any gender and come from any socioeconomic background. They can be inherently heroic, but they can also be decidedly less noble. For example, many modern villains have origins as tragic heroes. A prominent example of a modern tragic hero is Jay Gatsby.

Tragic Hero vs. Anti-Hero

The tragic hero and the anti-hero both have imperfections that appeal to readers. However, there are key differences between these types of protagonists. Despite their poor choices or fatal flaw, the tragic hero still possess traditionally heroic traits. The anti-hero is much less honorable, often exhibiting ignoble traits like cowardice, selfishness, or making good choices for bad reasons. Rather than making the anti-hero contemptible, these flaws tend to resonate with audiences because such imperfects are very human. Han Solo from the  Star Wars  universe is an example of an anti-hero, as the good things he does are usually motivated by selfishness.

Another key distinction relates to  narrative  arc. The tragic hero’s story is inherently heartbreaking; they are destined for a mighty downfall, whether death or other destruction. That’s not necessarily true for anti-heroes. They can be tragic heroes whose flaws lead them to a cruel end, but they can also skate by unscathed or even emerge from conflict as a better person.

Why Writers Use Tragic Heroes

These protagonists are what gives tragedies their emotional punch, as they are carefully developed to be both admirable and relatable. Flaws make characters seem more human and more engaging. Because life is rarely black and white, readers are drawn to characters who reflect that  ambiguity .

An emotional connection is forged when readers recognize themselves in a character and see their own virtues and flaws reflected back at them. This connection between reader and character helps writers invoke reactions like pity, fear, and grief, which gives the narrative more emotional depth, complexity, and authenticity.

Finally, tragic heroes also serve as cautionary tales because their stories prove a point about morality, integrity, and making good choices.

Tragic Heroes in Pop Culture

Wherever there are protagonists, there are tragic heroes. This includes characters like Ned Stark from George R.R. Martin’s  A Game of Thrones , the first installment in his  A Song of Ice and Fire  series. Ned is a fair and honorable men, but his naive belief in the honor of others gets him killed because he places his trust in people who betray him.

Tragic anti-heroes are common in today’s media; Dr. Gregory House from  House MD  is a classic example. He’s jaded, arrogant, and pessimistic, and he views his patients as puzzles rather than people. His fatal flaws are his drug addiction and refusal to address his issues—two traits that threaten his relationships as well as his career. Still, audiences are endeared by his flashes of compassion and keen wit.

You’ll also find tragic heroes in video games, like the  Red Dead Redemption  series. Dutch van der Linde is a recurring character who becomes an outlaw to pursue freedom and liberty. He leads a gang of likeminded rogues whom he treats as family. Throughout the games, Dutch’s altruism is consumed by his ego, his pursuit of freedom is corrupted by his greed, and his family is destroyed by his impossible standard of loyalty. He dies a maniac, murdered by a man he once viewed as a son.

Tragic heroes are especially common in comics, in which heroes like Marvel Comics’ Hank Pym are repeatedly set back by flaws and bad choices. Pym is a genius scientist who discovers and harnesses Pym Particles to become Ant-Man. Though he’s a founding member of the Avengers, he’s plagued by feelings of inadequacy and insecurity. In a desire to prove himself, he creates Ultron, an evil sentient robot that becomes one of the Avengers’ greatest foes. Recent story arcs have even seen Pym fused with Ultron, a clear example of a character’s bad choices leading to ruin.

Several comic villains, semi-villains, and anti-heroes have origins as well-intentioned idealists whose misguided choices led them down a path toward villainy. The depiction of Doctor Octopus in  Spider-Man 2  is a prime example. He begins the film dedicated to improving the world, but an ill-advised experiment kills his wife and leaves him fused with his technology. This corrupts his morality, enticing him to become a supervillain.

Examples of Tragic Heroes in Literature

1. Sophocles,  Oedipus Rex

Oedipus is the classic tragic hero. He begins the play as a mighty and gracious king. He prizes the welfare of his subjects and is respected for his noble personality and strong moral fiber. Born in Thebes but abandoned because of a prophecy that he would kill his father and sleep with his mother, Oedipus was raised by the king and queen of Corinth. Oedipus doesn’t know the truth of his origins, so after hearing the prophecy he flees to Thebes, confident in his ability to outrun fate. Along his journey, he kills an old man who nearly runs him over at a crossroads and solves the riddle of a Sphynx, earning the throne of Thebes and the hand of its queen in marriage.

Despite his strength and intelligence, Oedipus is excessively proud. Hubris is the mistake that leads to his undoing. He is overly confident in his perception of the world and his ability to control fate, which leads him to fulfill the prophecy he is trying to avoid—the man he murdered is his biological father, and the queen he marries is his biological mother. After realizing the truth of his actions, this once great and noble king is left sightless, having blinded himself for his foolishness, and begging for exile.

2. Shel Silverstein,  The Giving Tree

This children’s book depicts the relationship between a boy and a tree. The boy loves the tree, climbing her trunk, swinging from her branches, and sleeping in her shade. The tree loves the boy in turn, acceding to all his wishes and requests. As the boy ages, his requests grow bigger and bigger. When the boy wants money, the tree provides apples for him to sell. When he wants a house, she offers her branches for wood. Finally, when he wants a boat, the tree gifts her trunk for lumber. The tree gives everything until she is nothing but a stump.

The book’s ultimate message is the subject of much debate. The predominate interpretation is that the book is a loving story about a parent’s selfless devotion to their child. But there is another interpretation that sees this relationship as destructive. In this view, the tree is a tragic hero: selfless to a fault, she gives without any expectation of reciprocation until she has nothing left.

3. J. K. Rowling,  Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

The  Harry Potter  series is an iconic example of modern children’s literature, yet Sirius Black is a surprisingly classic representation of a tragic hero. Like the doomed protagonists of classic Greek theater, Sirius is born into a noble and influential family. He rebels against them, remaining loyal to his friends and his ideals rather than joining sides with the antagonist Voldemort. However, Sirius’s fierce loyalty often manifests as impetuousness, which is his undoing not once but twice.

When his best friends Lily and James Potter are betrayed and murdered, he rushes to avenge them rather than call for support or plan a calculated response. Due to his rash actions, he ends up framed and imprisoned for their murder. After 12 years, he escapes prison and reunites with Harry, but their time together is cut short when Harry finds himself in trouble and Sirius once again rushes to defend a loved one. This time, his recklessness results in death.

4. Gregory Maguire,  Wicked

Wicked  reimagines L. Frank Baum’s  The Wizard of Oz  by recounting the life of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. Elphaba is marked as different from birth, born with green skin and unusually pointy teeth. As she ages, she comes to embrace this difference. Strong-willed and idealistic, she wants to change the world. She can’t stand injustice, and she won’t support a status quo that perpetuates it. Since there’s nothing left about her for people to scrutinize, she leans in to her reputation to advocate for minority rights and challenge the oppressive government.

But Elphaba’s crusade has tragic consequences. Her lover dies for her dream of revolution, leaving her grief-stricken and riddled with remorse. Elphaba abandons her crusade and flees to a convent, where she lives as a nun for years. Even once she rejoins society, her life is fraught with  conflict  and tragedy until her death. Although Elphaba’s defiance is not the catalyst that directly causes her death, it starts the chain of events that leads to her demise, as her defiance is misunderstood as wickedness. She dies an unacknowledged martyr rather than the idealistic hero she aspired to be.

Further Resources on Tragic Heroes

This  video lesson from PBS’s Crash Course Theater  examines Aristotle’s view of tragic heroes and ancient Greek tragedies.

Get a better understanding of the archetypal tragic hero by reading  Oedipus Rex , made available for free by Project Gutenberg.

This article  examines the fatal flaws that afflict the protagonists in each of Shakespeare’s 10 tragedies.

Related Terms

• Anagnorisis
• Characterization
• Round character

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Posted on Jan 12, 2021

What Is a Tragic Hero? Definition, Examples & Common Traits

If you’re looking for character type with a serious literary pedigree, look no further than the tragic hero. From the Greek theatre to Shakespeare to the Star Wars prequels, these unfortunate protagonists populate some of the most memorable stories ever told. With this in mind, let’s furrow our brows, dust off our prop skulls, and peel back the tortured layers of this complex character type. 

What is the definition of a tragic hero?

In literature, a tragic hero is a character with heroic or noble traits, but also a fatal flaw that ultimately leads to their downfall. This flaw could be anything, from pride or vanity to excessive curiosity or jealousy, but it will always lead to the character’s demise, whether literal (i.e. death) or metaphorical (losing their position or reputation, for example).

Aristotle’s tragic hero

In his treatise Poetics , published over 2,000 years ago, the ancient philosopher Aristotle first defined the concept of a tragic hero, outlining characteristics shared by all protagonists of classical tragedies (see the next section for these).

Aristotle believed that tragedy, above all, should invoke catharsis in the audience, allowing them to experience fear, pity, and awe while watching the misfortunes of the tragic hero unfold. This, he believed, would purge the audience of extreme emotions within a controlled environment and, in turn, give way to relief.

Don’t mess with the gods (and other useful lessons)

Tragedy was also meant as a tool to educate the people on the realities of life and, in particular, the relationship between men and gods. Often, a tragic hero’s downfall was a result of them disobeying a god or believing they could subvert the gods’ will (damn you, hubris!) .

The great tragedians showed audiences that a sudden downturn in fate could happen to anyone who defied the will of the gods and other superiors. By punishing characters who rose above their station and flaunted their hubris , tragedy imparted a powerful lesson about the mutability of human fate, and the importance of respecting the status quo . After all, if great kings like Agamemnon could be thrown from their pedestal by tragedy, what’s to stop that happening to the average Joe (or average Jason, if they were Greek)?

What are the characteristics of a tragic hero?

Tragic heroes don’t have to be ancient Greek kings and princesses. They come in all shapes and sizes and can appear in any genre. Here are a few characteristics commonly found in tragic heroes:

They’re usually a pretty good person 

They won’t be perfect (that’s kind of the whole point), but tragic heroes are typically well-intentioned people with a solid moral compass. Their motivations should be relatable, even if they are sometimes misguided.

They start their story doing well

The reversal-of-fate coming in the plot means the character has to start out doing pretty okay. While they’re not always the literal king (a la Oedipus), they’re usually comfortable and happy.

The audience must root for them

Their virtues are clear enough that the reader or audience is on their side and experiences sympathy for the hero when things start to unravel. Indeed, the audience has to root for them for a tragedy to work: if they disliked them, their unhappy ending wouldn’t be, well, tragic!.

But they have that pesky fatal flaw...

There are a variety of possibilities for what that flaw might be (we’ll give you a few examples later in this post), but this is an essential, non-negotiable element of being a true tragic hero. Aristotle referred to this fatal flaw as a hamartia.

Not sure what fatal flaw to give your tragic hero? Check out our list of 70 fascinating character flaws for inspiration! 

Their downfall is (kind of) their own fault

All tragic heroes must have a peripeteia, a sudden reversal of the hero’s hitherto good fortune. These bad things don’t usually just happen to them at random. There should be a connection between their own innate failings (their hamartia) and the misfortunes they suffer — even if that connection is a complex one.

Their punishment isn’t always fair

For example, having all of the ills of the world unleashed upon you and going down in history as the source of mankind’s undoing is a pretty harsh sentence for just being a little nosy, but that’s what happened to Pandora. In these stories, the punishment rarely seems to fit the crime, and the reader is left wondering whether the hero really deserved the consequences meted out to them — making their fate all the more tragic.

They become more self-aware over the course of the story

The tragic hero recognizes the error of their ways, usually after they’ve hit rock bottom as a consequence of them. This moment of recognition is a hallmark of the tragic hero’s character arc , referred to by Aristotle as the anagnorisis . Unfortunately, this self-awareness usually comes a little too late.

They don’t get a happy ending

A tragic hero, true to their name, doesn’t run off into the sunset in the end. They may have some kind of satisfying conclusion as they experience growth or come to terms with the new state of affairs, but their downfall is an irreversible one.

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What’s the difference between a tragic hero and an anti-hero?

There’s often confusion between tragic heroes and anti-heroes. Both are interesting and complex character archetypes — however, these two terms aren’t interchangeable, and denote very different types of characters.

In basic terms, the anti-hero is someone who, despite being the hero of a story, distinctly lacks heroic qualities. They might do good things, but not necessarily for good reasons. On the other hand, the tragic hero is someone who is generally morally righteous and heroic, with the exception of their fatal flaw. Their intentions are generally noble, while the anti-hero’s usually aren’t.

If an anti-hero sounds more like what you’re looking for, you can check out our definitive guide to anti-heroes .

5 tips for writing a great tragic hero

If you’re currently developing your characters and are interested in writing a tragic hero into your story, here are a few tips:

1. You don’t have to stick to the formula exactly

Writing isn’t always about following the rules! For example, if you want to give your tragic hero another reversal of fate from bad back to good, or have them realize they aren’t the only one to blame, go for it — subverting the formula and surprising your audience can be a great plot twist !

2. Show the tragic flaw — don’t tell it

This tip goes for pretty much anything you write. Instead of telling your readers that your hero is stubborn, show examples of them behaving that way. The golden rule of “ show, don’t tell ” will make your writing more interesting and encourage your readers to do the work to figure the character out!

3. Align your hero’s arc with your story structure

If you’re planning on incorporating the classic tragic story beats (e.g. establishing the status quo, a reversal of fate, a moment of realization when your hero is at their lowest, plenty of dramatic irony ), make sure you think carefully about when it’ll be most effective to deploy those moments. If you don’t, you might find the climax of your story comes too early after the rising action or falls flat. It can therefore help to figure out your story structure ahead of time.

4. Carefully construct your hero’s backstory

Giving your character a fatal flaw is a good start in making sure they’re fully fleshed out, and therefore more memorable. But don’t stop there! You can add even more depth to your character by creating a backstory that supports their flaw, as well as considering their other personality traits. Filling out a character profile or character questionnaire can be helpful with this.

5. Don’t neglect your antagonist

Just because you’ve got a super interesting protagonist doesn’t mean you can have a boring antagonist (the person opposing them). In fact, since your protagonist is morally grey themselves, writing a foil to a tragic hero lends itself well to complex and interesting antagonists. Whether you include an anti-villain , a friend-turned-foe, or any other variant, if you’re including an antagonist, make sure you give them enough depth and create a worthy adversary for your tragic hero.

For more tips on how to write a great villain, you can check out our video on the topic below!

Examples of tragic heroes in literature

Warning, spoilers ahead!

Oedipus (from Sophocles’ Oedipus the King)

Where they start: At the start of the play, Oedipus is the king of Thebes. At the very top of society, he’s a little full of himself, but overall a good person.

The fatal flaw: His hubris in believing that he can fight his destiny.

What went wrong: For his whole adult life, Oedipus, a foundling who became king, had a prophecy looming over him: that he would bed his mother and slay his father. He discovers that as a result of his arrogant efforts to subvert the course of the future (never a good idea in Greek mythology), he has unwittingly married his mother and murdered his father. Whoops!

Where they end up:  He is driven mad by the revelation and blinds himself.

Antigone (from Sophocles’ Antigone)

Where they start: Before the tragedy, Antigone is the loyal and high-born sister of not just one, but two kings. 

The fatal flaw: Her stubbornness.

What went wrong: Antigone’s brothers die in battle as they fight over the throne left vacant by their father. She obstinately defies the new king’s orders to leave her traitorous brother’s body unburied on the battlefield as a mark of disgrace. 

Where they end up: Her stubborn loyalty is punished brutally, and she is buried alive.

Jay Gatsby (from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby )

Where they start: Gatsby, a mysterious millionaire, throws lavish parties and is (superficially) popular and well-regarded by Long Island’s social elite.

The fatal flaw: His obsessive and delusional love for his former sweetheart, Daisy.

What went wrong: Gatsby embarks on an obsessive campaign to win over the now-married Daisy Buchanan. Initially tempted, Daisy ultimately leaves the overbearing Gatsby, returning to her (equally overbearing) husband. His obsessive behaviour not only pushes Daisy away, but invokes the ire of her husband. 

Where they end up: Gatsby refuses to give up hope, but a convoluted case of mistaken identity (and the spite of Daisy’s husband) leads to Gatsby’s lonely death at the hands of a man he’s never met.

Macbeth (from Shakespeare’s Macbeth)

Where they start: Macbeth is a brave and loyal general serving under King Duncan.

The fatal flaw: His ambition.

What went wrong: After learning (by way of prophecy) that he will one day be king, Macbeth is gripped by an urge to claim his crown sooner rather than later. He commits regicide, killing his friend King Duncan, and his growing paranoia leads him to murder several others to cover up the betrayal. 

Where they end up: Eventually, his crimes catch up to him and his wife: Lady Macbeth dies by suicide as a result of her own guilt, while Macbeth is killed by the avenging hero Macduff.

Emma Bovary (from Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary)

Where they start: Emma is married to a well-meaning, if somewhat naive, young man.

The fatal flaw: Her desire for romance and luxury.

What went wrong: Having grown bored with her slow married life, Emma seeks excitement elsewhere. She indulges in love affairs and a new-found extravagant lifestyle, which eventually leaves her in debt. 

Where they end up: When those debts begin to be called in, Emma realizes she has nobody to turn to; even her lovers will not help her and, in a fit of despair, she ends her own life.

Okonkwo (from Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart)

Where they start: Okonkwo is a famous wrestler, a powerful warrior, and the leader of his village. He has the power and influence he craves over his community.

The fatal flaw: His fear of appearing weak and ending up like his father.

What went wrong : When an Oracle proclaims Okonkwo’s adoptive son should be killed, the elders advise him not to participate in the killing himself. However, Okonkwo’s obsession with masculinity and fear of being perceived by his fellow mean as weak leads him to take part in the murder. Having offended the gods and spiralling into guilt, Okonkwo accidentally takes more lives, and is sent into exile. 

Where they end up: After suffering several more years of hardship as a result of his choice, Okonkwo eventually kills himself to avoid any further humiliation, a final enactment of his all-consuming pride.

Eddard Stark (from George R. R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones )

Where they start: Eddard (Ned) is the respected Lord of Winterfell, a loyal friend of the king, and a loving husband and father. 

The fatal flaw: His obsession with honor, and failure to adapt.

What went wrong: Ned’s innate sense of right and wrong causes him to make several missteps as he navigates the court of his friend Robert. After falling foul of the king’s duplicitous wife, Cersei, and threatening to expose her children as illegitimate, his desire to do right by his friend and bring the betrayal to light puts him in a precarious position. 

Where they end up: His refusal to give up his principles and adapt to the times lead to his execution after King Robert dies, leaving nobody to protect Ned from Cersei. 

Elena Richardson (from Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere )

Where they start: Mrs Richardson starts the novel with a picture-perfect life: she’s wealthy, successful, and has every aspect of her life in meticulous order.

The fatal flaw: Her desire to maintain the status quo.

What went wrong: Threatened by the arrival of a new family in the area that her kids befriend, Elena becomes consumed with jealousy, leading her down a dark path of suspicion and blackmail. Her need to follow the rules to the letter, to keep things just as they are, and her attempts to keep her children close eventually have the opposite effect, as her behavior drives them further from her. 

Where they end up: The novel ends with Elena’s worst fear realized as her youngest daughter, Izzy, sets the family home alight and runs away.

You might be feeling a little down in the dumps after hearing all these tragic fates — but fear not! Unlike our tragic heroes, this crash course in tragedy does have a happy ending, because we’ve got even more resources to recommend. 

You can check out our guide to Freytag’s pyramid , a dramatic structure designed with tragedy in mind, for more insight into how to write a great tragic arc!

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Tragic Hero - Free Essay Samples And Topic Ideas

A tragic hero is a literary character who makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to their own destruction. Essays on the tragic hero might explore the origins of this literary concept in ancient Greek drama, the characteristics that define a tragic hero, and the thematic significance of the tragic hero’s downfall. Moreover, discussions could delve into the psychological and philosophical dimensions of the tragic hero trope, and how it reflects human nature and existential dilemmas. Analyzing various tragic heroes across literary works and cultural contexts, examining the enduring appeal of tragic narratives, and exploring the adaptations and subversions of the tragic hero trope in modern literature and film can provide a comprehensive insight into this enduring literary archetype. We have collected a large number of free essay examples about Tragic Hero you can find at PapersOwl Website. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

William Shakespeare: Hamlet Tragic Hero

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John Proctor the True Tragic Hero

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AP One Sheet Oedipus the King

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Oedipus is a Tragic Hero

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John Proctor is a character from The Crucible, a play written by Arthur Miller. At the beginning of the play he is a flawed character, but by the end he redeems himself and pays the ultimate price because he chooses to uphold justice for his wife, his friends, and himself. John is a farmer in his middle thirties from the village of Salem, Massachusetts. He is a father of three young boys, and a husband to Elizabeth Proctor. Around town […]

Macbeth: the Tragic Hero

On the evening of Friday, November 9th, I had the pleasure of seeing one of Williams Shakespeare's most famous tragedies, Macbeth, was exquisitely performed at the University of West Georgia Theater Company in the Black Box at the TCPA Richard Dangle Theater. Although the tragic events in the play where difficult to comprehend due to Shakespeare's early modern language, it was an enjoyable night of theatre. Macbeth can be viewed as a cautionary tale because it shows that not everything […]

Think Happy Thoughts Peter Pan as a Tragic Hero

The legacy of J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan is monumental, with countless interpretations and adaptations of the original work, yet none of these interpretations live up to the tragedy inherent in the story. Barrie himself began toying with his work through the constant revisioning of the original play version and his later creation of a book adaptation, entitled Peter and Wendy. In the many versions of Peter's adventures, but especially in modern depictions, Peter is a lovable hero with charisma, leadership, […]

The Tragedy of MacBeth

A tragedy is a literary work depicting serious events in which the main character, often high-ranking and dignified, comes to an unhappy end. Going off of this description, Macbeth aligns nearly perfectly. His snowballing misfortunes and fatal end meet the requirements of a modern tragic hero, but does he check off the exact boxes created by the Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle when creating a true tragic hero? Shakespeare's lead character Macbeth is as Aristotle requires to be a tragic hero; […]

Oedipus Rex – Greek Mythology of Heroism and Tragedy

As part of three Theban plays written by Sophocles, Oedipus Rex is the story of man who consults an oracle and learns of his fate; that he will kill his father and marry his mother. Once learning his fate, he then runs away from ""home. Later, Oedipus becomes king after defeating the Sphinx, that was terrorizing his birth home. When a plague strikes the city, Oedipus goes in search of the murderer in order to rid of the plague. While […]

Why does Antigone Kill Herself? a Study on Divine Laws and Personal Integrity

Antigone's Suicide: Context and Implications “Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live” (Cousins). Instead of preserving life, Antigone decides to stay true to her inner qualities that make her, her. Backtracking a bit, Sophocles’ Antigone is about a young maiden who suddenly loses both her brothers, Eteoclês and Polyneicês in a bloody war. Polyneicês has invaded Thebes to overthrow Eteoclês, and the battle between the brothers ultimately leads […]

Unveiling Desdemona: a Complex Portrait of Shakespeare’s Tragic Heroine

Desdemona, the iconic character from William Shakespeare's play "Othello," continues to captivate audiences with her intricate portrayal and tragic fate. As the wife of the Moorish general Othello, Desdemona navigates a tumultuous world fraught with jealousy, betrayal, and societal expectations. While often overshadowed by the larger-than-life figures of Othello and Iago, Desdemona's character offers a profound exploration of love, loyalty, and the consequences of unchecked prejudice. At first glance, Desdemona appears as the epitome of purity and innocence, embodying the […]

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Home / Essay Samples / Literature / Oedipus The King / The Tragic Hero In Oedipus The King

The Tragic Hero In Oedipus The King

• Category: Literature
• Topic: Oedipus , Oedipus The King , Tragic Hero

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