...F. Scott Fitzgerald once said, “Show me a hero and I'll write you a tragedy.” Aristotle was the first to use the term a “tragic hero.” A tragic hero is a character who obtains a flaw but only realizes it after it is too late to change the course of events. In the book A Separate Peace, one of the main characters, Finny, would be considered a tragic hero. Finny is a tragic hero because he shows virtuous qualities, he has a flaw that leads to his downfall, and he recognizes this only after it is too late. Finny is a tragic hero because he shows virtuous qualities. Many times throughout the book, A Separate Peace, Finny refuses to see the evil in anything. The first time Gene, Finny's best friend, tells him that Finny's broken leg was his fault,...
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...The protagonist of a play is always a character which intrigues the audience, they are always a hero in some form. The traditional or classical heroes did not represent the majority but only a handful of those who belonged to a noble class, such as the kings, soldiers or noblemen of pre-Shakespearean works. Therefore the audiences might have had a difficult time forming an association with them. Those plays did portray important themes but they lacked an anti-hero,’ a character who embodied all the flaws of an ordinary man’ in this regard the classical plays were not the ‘plays for the common man’ rather they were the ‘plays for the elite’ (Barranger, 2013). However William Shakespeare began a change with his tragic heroes which in time lead...
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...tragic hero? What makes a character a true tragic hero? All tragic heroes have the same qualities; an honorable person who is doomed for a tragic downfall; the situation usually makes them suffer and feel guilty. Would Macbeth be considered an evil villain or noble man? Throughout the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, it is clear to see that Macbeth is a man who was influenced by the wrong people, and completely driven to have success. Could the drive to success make a person so morally wrong? How could the favorable Macbeth take such an awful turn for defeat? Macbeth is the perfect example of a true tragic hero; possessing great nobility that came crashing down at the hands of his peers, and the single tragic flaw of ambition. The first time the reader was introduced to the character Macbeth, it would be impossible to think he could turn out to be so morally imperfect. For brave Macbeth—well he deserves that name—Disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel, Which smoked with bloody execution, Like valor’s minion carved out his passage Till he faced the slave; Which ne'er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him, Till he unseamed him from the nave to th' chops, And fixed his head upon our battlement (Shakespeare 1.2.16-23). When the caption is talking about Macbeth, it was obvious to understand that Macbeth was a brave and a courageous fighter; he was explained to be a hero very quickly in the beginning. This exact quality of a hero sticks with Macbeth...
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...The Credibility of Characters in Twain’s Huckleberry Finn The credibility of a novel is defined as the quality of it being believable or trustworthy. This simply means that the novel provides a story which can essentially take place in the real world. If this were to be the case in a novel, then the many aspects of the story would have to be credible. The novel would have to take place in a realistic setting, for example. Also the events that take place in the novel would have to reflect events which can occur in reality. Other aspects that also need to be credible in a novel are the characters. In such a novel the readers need to be able to relate to the characters. An author that does this successfully with the characters is Mark Twain. In one of his more famous novels, Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain gives credibility to the characters by presenting them with major flaws, which helps readers relate to these characters. These characters include Tom, Huck, and Jim. Tom Sawyer has flaws which come to surface early in the novel. “Because it ain’t in the books so—that’s why. Now Ben Rogers, do you want to do things regular, or don’t you?—that’s the idea. Don’t you reckon that the people that made the books knows what’s the correct thing to do?...No, sir, we’ll just go on and ransom them in a regular way” (p. 12). Twain presents Tom as a character who portrays romantic ideals. When he says he wants to go by the book, he reveals that he is taking many of his ideas from...
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...For a story to be considered a tragedy, the protagonist has to experience a big loss, or in other words a downfall. William Shakespeare, who masters in writing tragedies, portrays the tragedy of a hero in the play Macbeth written in 1606. It is set in Scotland during its medieval times, where the main protagonist Macbeth is a person of nobility being known to be: Scotland’s greatest warrior, the Thane of Glamis, as well as the first cousin to King Duncan. His impending tragedy starts from the moment he is given prophecies by the three witches. Lady Macbeth who is Macbeth’s wife gives the push that drives him into killing King Duncan for the throne. Unknowingly lady Macbeth guides Macbeth towards his downfall, as the action of murdering Duncan...
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...Sophocles, gives the reader many different ideas when it comes to the tragic hero. Typically when we hear the word hero our minds think of one who has superpowers and protects their citizens, such a Superman and Spiderman. But when it comes to the Aristotle, a tragic hero in the Greek world often refers to the character that belongs to a higher class, but yet is one who has their very own human flaws. After reading the play, many readers believe that the tragic character is in fact Antigone because she is the main character, but that is not the case. The real tragic hero that is being portrayed throughout the story is Creon. Creon posses all of the qualities that a tragic hero must have, such as his authority, high status, actions and many flaws that later on leads him into a vicious cycle. Since the death of Antigone’s parents, Creon has turned into the powerful, wealthy king. Creon holds such an authoritative role throughout the story that it allowed him to fall into the character of a tragic hero. The people were so loyal to Creon and this showed throughout the burial...
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...of the Native" a tragedy of character and environment Hardy, Shakespeare of the English Novel Hardy has been called the Shakespeare of the English novel and the four great Hardian tragedies, Tess of the D'ubervilles, Jude the Obscure, The Mayor of Casterbridge and The Return of the Native have been likened to the four great Shakespearean tragedies. But Hardy's conception of tragedy is radically different from that of Shakespeare. Hardy's Tragic Hero In a Shakespearean tragedy, as Bradley has pointed out, the tragic hero is a man of high rank and position. He may belong to the royal family or he may be some great general and warrior indispensable for the state. He is not only exalted socially but he has also some uncommon qualities of head and heart. He is in short a rare individual. When such a person falls from greatness and his high position is reversed, the result is "Kathartic'. His fall exciates the tragic emotion of terror and the readers are purged of the motion of self-pity. This was the traditional concept of Tragedy upto Hardy. But Hardy has how own concept, he is the innovator of a new form of tragedy, His tragic hero and heroines are no exalted personages. They are neither kings nor queens. They belong to the lowest ranks of society. Thus in the present novel, Clym is humble by birth, and he takes to furze-cutting as his profession, and Mrs. Yeobrighl is the wife of an humble farmer. But these humble people have exceptional qualities of head and heart which raise...
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...Tragic heroes are characters who have flaws that lead to their downfall. These two things make up tragic heroes but the discovery is the last final factor. The discovery is when the character becomes aware of how their flaw led to their downfall. Both Chinua Achebe and William Shakespeare wrote about tragic heroes. In Achebe’s Things Fall Apart and Shakespeare’s Othello both Okonkwo and Othello are tragic heroes; however, Othello better exhibits the qualities of a tragic hero. Because they are both tragic heroes, they have a flaw. In Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo is seen to be aggressive and prideful. His aggressiveness drives away his family for, some of his family converted to Christianity due to his flaw. His pride makes him kill Ikemefuna;...
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...values do the characters in The Hunger Games react to the Capitol’s dystopian world? You are required to write an essay on this topic. Our starting point will be the body of the essay. In this you are instructed to write 3 paragraphs of between 10 -12 sentences. Choose 3 of the character qualities and values from both columns of the chart below for your 3 paragraphs and match them to 3 characters of your choice. Dystopian Negative Impact on human beings : Reaction and Response of Decline & Stagnation NEGATIVE QUALITIES OR VALUES. | Dystopian Positive Impact on human beings : Reaction and Response of Righteousness & Growth POSITIVE QUALITIES OR VALUES | Greed : power, status, prestige, , ambivalence, * moral vacuum . | Generosity : selflessness, benevolence, altruism, gallantry, decency. | Intolerance : cruelty, superiority, discrimination, indifference, * above | Compassion : empathy, recognition, kindness, respect. | Arrogance : hubris , invincibility, pomposity. self -aggrandisement | Humility : modesty, self deprecation, gentility, awareness of one’s flaws. | Isolation : rejection, humiliation, despondency, disempowerment. | Autonomy : emergence of selfhood, motivational moral compass. | Vulnerability : suffering, despair. desperation, fragility. | Courage : moral dilemma/conundrum tenacity, heroism, fortitude, resilience. | In writing each paragraph you must 1. Have a topic sentence which names the character you have chosen...
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...Odysseus is a character that has a remarkable amount of depth to him. Many of Homer’s characters are well-developed, even minor characters having a background and strong story. Odysseus is an epic hero by many definitions, stretching and branches out much farther than just the limits on English literature. Odysseus’s development allows him to be more than just a Mary-Sue, but to also have flaws and iradmirable qualities. To identify Odysseus as an epic hero, you first need to know what an epic hero is. An epic hero possesses traits such as strength, courage, nobility, a thirst for glory, and confidence. He values his crew and has a longing to get home, even after spending life in plenty with Calypso. He is nothing short of a genius, his intellect showing in situations such as with the Cyclops and the lotus eaters. However, not all of Odysseus’s traits are favourable. Odysseus’s longing for glory and recognition is a major part of his flaws. Odysseus’s jealously over Penelope also led to a loss of lives; with Odysseus killing each of Penelope’s suitors after her little challenge with the bow. He also has issues with giving into temptation, but his character grows and learns from those mistakes. (Such as having his crew tie him to the mast pole to keep him from falling victim to the Sirens.) Odysseus is an archetypal hero for characters in future epics. An archetypal character is the first of its kind; the foundation for others to be built off of. Odysseus was a well-structured...
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...her stories and characters. Catherine Sustana wrote in an article about Flannery O’Connor’s use of humor that “because O’Connor’s humor is so engaging, it allows her stories to pull in readers who might not want to read…her stories at all” (1). Because of this, O’Connor has also attracted a sizeable amount of attention from scholars who seek to further analyze her humor in her writing. Through her exquisite use of Bergsonian humor in her writing, Flannery O’Connor succeeds at enticing her readers and scholars alike. Only the greatest and most renowned authors can pique the interest of other authors and scholars to the point...
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...tragic flaw, which leads to their downfall. A tragic hero, unlike an epic hero, usually does not have a successful conclusion and does not have to be neither good nor evil. While with an epic hero, he may have to deal with supernatural beings and is said to often perform unheard of, sometimes super human quest. The differences between the two can be hard to find but when you really look into the text, you can snoop out the differences. “Epic heroes somehow always get off easier than tragic heroes do.” “Epic heroes get win and at the end of the day are still thought of as noble birth and great to all humanity. In the play Beowulf, Beowulf, the main character is the exact image of an epic hero As for tragic heroes, it is the complete opposite; they come out on the bottom, with a tragic downfall that they will probably not ever get out of. Epic hero is the central figure of an epic poem whereas a tragic hero is the central figure in a tragic play.” The Circumstances of the Hero’s birth are unusual. At birth, he is said to be the son of a god. At the birth of the Hero, there is often an attempt to kill him. He may be kidnapped or sent away for his protection, foster parents often save him. Though the tragic hero is undoubtedly great, he is not perfect. Combined with his strength, there is usually a weakness. Critical tradition, however, has most frequently interpreted this error of judgment as a flaw in character, the so-called tragic flaw. With all his great qualities, the hero...
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...In the anonymous poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the character of Sir Gawain is portrayed as the imperfect hero. His flaws create interest and intrigue. Such qualities of imperfection cannot be found in the symbol of the pentangle, which he displays on his shield. This contrast between character and symbol is exposed a number of times throughout the poem allowing human qualities to emerge from Gawain’s knightly portrayal. The expectations the pentangle presents proves too much for Gawain as he falls victim to black magic, strays from God, is seduced by an adulterous woman, and ultimately breaks the chivalric code by lying to the Green Knight. The pentangle, also called the “endless knot,” (630) is a five-pointed star enclosed in a circle, worn as an amulet to “avert evil from or bring fortune to the wearer” (Talisman, OED). Writer Eliphas Levi says that when the pentangle is pointing up it represents spiritual dominance over the material. Presented the other way, the physical world rules over the spiritual -often associated with dark magic (Pentagram, Wikipedia). This parallel foreshadows the trickery played on Sir Gawain by the Green Knight. The Green Knight challenges Gawain to a “Christmas game” (283) in an attempt to humble Gawain, tempting him with worldly pleasures and proving that even the greatest of knights are not perfect. Upon finding the Green Chapel, Gawain suggests that “Here might / The devil himself be seen / …at black midnight” (2186-8). Comparing the...
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...infuriated by the fact that the President took side with Hamilton instead of his own ideas. And although this description was written a while after Washington's death he still held high respects for the first president of the United States. Thomas Jefferson’s tone is very high praised for Washington’s character. Throughout the letter he holds Washington with parts of exaggerations to emphasize Washington’s character. The few hyperboles expressed in the letter is to accentuate his heart and apprehensiveness, and nobleness of his stature. Jefferson describes Washington to have a powerful mind, the ability to be incapable of fear, and his heart valuing everyman's value. “...the best horseman of his age, and the most graceful figure that could be seen on...
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...January 2015 Aristotle’s concept of a tragic hero “William Shakespeare’s “Othello” the Moore of Venice Tragedies frequently focus on a tragic hero that has a flaw that ultimately leads to his downfall. According to Aristotle, the tragic flaw is the most important part of the hero and the events that occur in the work is a reflection of that flaw. A tragic flaw is essential in a true tragedy. In William Shakespeare’s Othello, Othello is a prime example of an Aristotelian tragic hero. His gullibility and jealousy are the main reason of his downfall. Othello deals with love lost because of gullibility and jealousy. According to Aristotle, the life and soul of tragedy is the plot; Incidents in the plot have the best effect if they occur unexpectedly, and in consequence of one another. A great tragedy grips the audience with the plot; Aristotle also states that the sense of the inevitable must be present in tragedy. The central character must be noble and have a higher stature than most men. The tragic hero must also have better qualities than secondary characters but must also exhibit flaws. Another part of the central character is that he is destroyed by himself, not by others, bad luck, or depravity. These are the criteria necessary to be classified as an ideal tragedy. The main character of Othello is an example of a tragic hero, his basic elements matches him up to a true hero as defined by Aristotle. Othello was a soldier all his life, due to his Moorish...
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