The Most Tragic of Heroes - 828 Words

Tragedy, like comedy, is in the eyes of the beholder and what makes a particular fictional character more tragic than another can be argued until the end of time. However, despite this, it seems that an undeniable part of what makes a character tragic is their ability to save themselves from their predicament but, for whatever reason, refuse to do so, thus damning themselves to their wretched fate. Likewise, the more obvious this ability, the more control that a character has over their fate, the more tragic their eventual downfall. Moreover, coupled with the preventable nature of the character’s tragic fate, is this fate’s unpredictability, which causes the audience to, even until the very end, have hope that the tragic character will triumph over their predicament. Furthermore, this is all merged with the ultimate insignificance of the tragic character’s demise and how, despite all their struggles, they are eventually rendered wholly irrelevant and forgotten. Hence, the most tragic of the three protagonists studied is Jay Gatsby because his final fate, compared to that of Willy Loman’s or Macbeth’s is the most unpredictable, had the least impact on society, and, ultimately, was the most avoidable. Unpredictability is key to tragedy. Likewise, both Willy and Macbeth, when compared to Gatsby, severely lack this aspect. For Macbeth, at the start of the play, the use of pathetic fallacy, as well as the direct proclamation of an eventual meeting with three malevolent witchesShow MoreRelatedThe Heroes Of A Hero1082 Words   |  5 Pagesdifferent heroes today. There are the heroes you read about in books and watch in movies such as The Avengers and X-Men, and there are the everyday heroes such as doctors, police, and soldiers. There are also tragic heroes. Shakespeare is famous for his tragedies and tragic heroes in them. The traits that make a character a hero in today’s society is, someone who is brave and courageous, st rong and fearless selfless, and always wanting to help someone else in need. Today in modern society, heroes are shapedRead More Shakespeare - Tragic Heros Essay625 Words   |  3 Pages The name amp;quot;tragic heroamp;quot;, which has become synonymous with Shakespearean dramas, was developed before Hamlet, Macbeth or any of Shakespeare’s well-known plays were written. The literary term was actually discovered around 330 BC by the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle. Through his theory of catharsis, Aristotle debated that the great plays of Sophicles, Euripides, and other Greek playwrights contained tragic heroes similar to each other, which all portrayed four basic characteristicsRead MoreTragedy and the Common Man1191 Words   |  5 Pagescharacter is eventually brought down by his or her tragic flaws and that’s what makes that character a tragic hero. In the past, there have been many tragic heroes which can relate to Arthur Miller’s essay â€Å"Tragedy and the Common Man,† in both past works of literature and in actual history itself. Throughout history there have been many fallen heroes who have been key subjects to be known in essence as â€Å"tragic heroes.† Famous tragic heroes include ones who fought alongside their â€Å"commonRead MoreHeroes and How to Represent Them929 Words   |  4 Pagesjourney of many heroes separates them from a family or tribe. They begin a long journey of only wisdom and power which keeps them distant from their home. According to Christopher Vogler, the author of The Writers Journey: Mythic Structure for writers, a hero’s journey requires many inner strength and functions. One of these functions is growth. Growth meaning growing from a young man into an older one. When you go from you acquire knowledge and that is what happened to these heroes. This growth occasionallyRead MoreAristotle s The Tragic Hero1561 Words   |  7 Pagesclaims four requirements for the tragic hero. The hero must be good. The hero must have appropriate quality of his or her gender and class. The hero must be true to life. Lastly, the hero must be consistent. These four characteristics are present in many tragic heroes. However, there are so many different a uthors with different interpretations of the tragic hero, that to define the tragic hero with merely four traits is not plausible. Aristotle defines the tragic hero in a way too simple manner.Read MoreThe Tragic Hero Of Hamlet By William Shakespeare1252 Words   |  6 PagesAristotle claims that a tragic hero is a protagonist who evokes pity in its audience and has a tragic flaw that ultimately leads to their downfall. They must also be virtues and noble or of some importance. Like many of Shakespeare’s protagonist Hamlet is regarded by many as a tragic hero. They place him in the ranks of characters like Othello, Romeo and Antony. However, even though Hamlet shares many similarities with these characters and possess many of the attributes outlined by Aristotle, heRead MoreThe Tragic Hero Of Shakespeare s Hamlet1513 Words   |  7 Pages[insert introduction here] Macbeth and Hamlet are both tragic heroes whose fall from greatness disturbs the order of their kingdoms. A tragic hero is a character, one of high esteem, whose internal imperfection leads to their downfall. Both Macbeth and Hamlet are well known and of high social class when an unexpected calamity hits. Hamlet, the son of the king of Denmark, is a charismatic prince â€Å"most immediate to [the] throne† (Shakespeare, Ham I.ii.109). It can be inferred that he lives a ratherRead MoreRomeo and Juliet Tragic Hero Essay748 Words   |  3 PagesWilliam Shakespeare. For a play to be a tragedy there must be a tragic hero. In Shakespeare plays, tragedy is identified as a story that ends unhappily due to the fall of the protagonist, which is the tragic. In this play there are two tragic heroes. Romeo and Juliet are both the tragic heroes. To be a tragic hero they must be from a high estate, have a tragic flaw, and the tragic flaw is the cause of their downfall. A tragic hero must be from a high estate or well- known family. For a familyRead More Shakespeares Macbeth and Hamlet as Tragic Heroes Essay893 Words   |  4 PagesHamlet as Tragic Heroes      Ã‚   William Shakespeare has written many literary works - from his sonnets to his plays, each has its own individual characteristics.   One popular characteristic that comes from his plays is the tragic hero.   The audience can always relate to the tragic hero and the many trials he faces.   Macbeth and Hamlet are just two of Shakespeares plays that involve the tragic hero.   Through their nobility, tragic flaws, and dignity Macbeth and Hamlet prove to be tragic heroes. Read MoreAristotle and the Tragic Hero1067 Words   |  5 PagesAristotle and the Tragic Hero The traditional hero stresses courage and nobility as essential traits of heroism. He lived by a code of honor and valued certain things as more important than others, so that he is willing to take risks and endure hardships for their sake. He is often a leader and protector of a community. The fact that the hero not only performs great deeds but performs them out of worthy principles renders his deed even more admirable. On the other hand, the Greek tragic hero is best