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Tragic Hero 2004
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"There is personal responsibility for suffering;
wisdom comes from suffering.”
Reinhold
The tragic hero
The tragic hero is
 a man of some social standing and personal reputation, but sufficiently like ourselves in terms of his
weaknesses that we feel fear and pity when a tragic flaw, rather than vice, causes his downfall. In Aristotle’s
terms, the tragic hero’s downfall does not necessarily mean his death.
 A man between extremes. This is the sort of man who is not conspicuously virtuous or just, and whose
decline into misery is not caused by vice and depravity, but rather by some flaw or error. He is a man who
enjoys prosperity and an eminent reputation (ie: Antigone, Creon, Oedipus and John Proctor).
The Tragic Hero illustrates the following characteristics:
 Noble Stature: since tragedy involves the "fall" of a tragic hero, one theory is that one must have a lofty
position to fall from, or else there is no tragedy (just pathos). Another explanation of this characteristic is that
tragedies involving people of stature affect the lives of others. In the case of a king, the tragedy would not
only involve the individual and his family, it would also involve the whole society.
 Tragic Flaw (Hamartia): the tragic hero must "fall" due to some flaw in his own personality. The most
common tragic flaw is hubris (excessive pride). One who tries to attain too much possesses hubris.
 Free Choice: while there is often a discussion of the role of fate in the downfall of a tragic hero, there must
be an element of choice for a true tragedy. The tragic hero falls because he chooses one course of action
over another.
 The Punishment Exceeds the Crime: the audience must not be left feeling that the tragic hero got what he
deserved. Part of what makes the action "tragic" is to witness the injustice of what has occurred to the tragic
hero.
The Tragic Hero
 has Increased awareness: it is crucial that he understand what went wrong or what was really happening
before he comes to his end.
 produces catharsis in his audience: catharsis is a feeling of "emotional purgation" that an audience feels
after witnessing the plight of a tragic hero: as the audience, we feel emotionally drained, but exultant.
Tragic Hero 2004
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Examples of the Tragic Hero:
Shawn Kelvin (The Quiet Man)
 Usually the hero is a man of physical and moral strength – in that order. It seems that physical prowess often
must be proven before moral principles; therefore, the hero usually must be big, strong, and courageous,
and also principled.
Brutus (Julius Caesar)
 trusts people too much and does everything for the right reasons (for the good of Rome). Eventually it leads
to his death. Examples:
o
he joined the conspiracy (for the good of Rome) but did not know that others were in it for other
reasons;
o
he trusted Marc Antony to speak at Caesar's funeral which led Antony to turn the people against
the conspirators;
o
he trusted Cassius to co-lead their armies even though Cassius was greedy and a coward.
 Finally, Brutus runs upon his sword, seeing suicide in a different light. Antony and Octavius proclaim Brutus
as the noblest Roman at the end of the play.
Other definitions:
Hero
Legend 1. a man of great strength and courage, favored by the gods and in part descended from them,
often regarded as half-god and worshiped after his death. 2 any person, esp. a man, admired for courage,
nobility, or exploits, esp. in war. 3 any person especially a man admired for qualities or achievements and
regarded as an ideal or model.
Heroes take arduous journeys, confront dragons (and/or other mythological creatures), discover lost
treasure, and change the nature of the world through their singular acts of courage and selflessness. They are
legendary figures, endowed with great strength or ability, which dare to heed the call of adventure. Heroes
endure much opposition, hardship, and danger to transcend the realm of the commonplace. They are often the
living embodiment of a society's ideals, and are admired as much for their noble qualities as the difficult tasks
they undertake.
*Adventure hero:
Adventure (n.)- 1. the encountering of danger. 2. a daring, hazardous undertaking. 3. an unusual,
stirring experience, often of a romantic nature.
Websites for more information:
http://saber.towson.edu/~flynn/heroes.html
Broken? http://www.kysu.edu/artsscience/LLP/211/traghero.htm http://www.kysu.edu/artsscience/LLP/211/eng211.htm