The Tragic Hero

(What are the characteristics of a tragic hero?)

by Susan Donovan



In this lesson you will learn about a type of character in literature known as the " tragic hero".   You will learn what the characteristics of a tragic hero are and how to identify them.  When you are done, you will be able to identify a tragic hero.  

 



What is a tragic hero?

The tragic hero is a man of noble stature. He is not an ordinary man, but a man with outstanding quality and greatness about him. His own destruction is for a greater cause or principle.

Common characteristics  of a tragic hero.

  • Usually of noble  birth.
  • Has a tragic flaw  that eventually leads to his downfall (known as hamartia).
  • Experiences a reversal  of fortune brought about by the hero's tragic flaw (called peripeteia).
  • His actions result in an increase of self-awareness  and self-knowledge.
  • The audience must feel pity and fear for this character .

Four of Shakespeare's principal tragic characters have these character traits, including Macbeth.

 

It should be noted that the hero's downfall is his own fault as a result of his own free choice, but his misfortune is not wholly deserved. Usually his death is seen as a waste of human potential. His death usually is not a pure loss, because it results in greater knowledge and awareness.

Aristotle said: "A man cannot become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall."



The modern-day tragic hero.

In the Modernist era (late 19th and early 20th century), a new kind of tragic hero was created out of the definition of a "classical " tragic hero. The modern tragic hero does not necessarily have to be of noble stature but can be an "ordinary person". His or her tragic story may or may not result in a moment of awareness or even catharsis for the tragic hero. He or she may not even die! The new tragic hero is also known as an "anti-hero".