...and fear" and "catharsis" developed into one of Western philosophy's greatest questions: why is it that people are drawn to watching tragic heroes suffer horrible fates? Aristotle's ideas revolve around three crucial effects: First, the audience develops an emotional attachment to the tragic hero; second, the audience fears what may befall the hero; and finally (after misfortune strikes) the audience pities the suffering hero. Through these attachments the individual members of the audience go through a catharsis, a term which Aristotle borrowed from the medical writers of his day, which means a "refining" -- the viewer of a tragedy refines his or her sense of difficult ethical issues through a vicarious experious of such thorny problems. Clearly, for Aristotle's theory to work, the tragic hero must be a complex and well-constructed character, as in Sophocles' Oedipus the King. As a tragic hero, Oedipus elicits the three needed responses from the audience far better than most; indeed, Aristotle and subsequent critics have labeled Oedipus the ideal tragic hero. A careful examination of Oedipus and how he meets and exceeds the parameters of the tragic hero reveals that he legitimately deserves this title. Oedipus' nobility and virtue provide his first key to success as a tragic hero. Following Aristotle, the audience must respect the tragic hero as a "larger and better" version of themselves. The dynamic nature of Oedipus' nobility earns him this respect. First, as any Greek...
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...fit to Aristotle's Ideal Tragic Hero. Oedipus follows all of the rules, with a hamartia, an anagnorisis, and a peripeteia. The audience is introduced to the hamartia, or tragic flaw, of Oedipus early in the play. Oedipus believes he can dodge the oracle given to him at Delphi that he will kill his father and marry his mother. By leaving the city of Corinth and heading to Thebes, Oedipus thinks that he can outsmart the will that the gods have for him. However, the audience knows that one cannot run away from an oracle. The oracle will come true no matter what is done. Therefore, the hamartia of Oedipus is his belief that he can evade his oracle. Oedipus' anagnorisis, recognition, later comes when he is told that it was he who killed the former King Lauis and that he is, in fact, now married to his own mother. The city of Thebes had been searching for King Lauis' murderer in order to drive him out of Thebes to save the city from the plague. With this anagnorisis Oedipus is finally led to his peripeteia, or downfall. First of all, Oedipus is put to shame in front of his entire city because of his incestuous act of marrying his mother. But, more importantly, he realizes that he had not successfully avoided the oracle. In order to try to save himself he blinds himself. If he is not able to see the truth with his own eyes, he should not be able to enjoy the gift of sight. http://personal.monm.edu/ysample/aristotle.htm Oedipus follows ten of the points of Lord Raglan's Hero Pattern: ...
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...Oedipus the King written by Philosopher Sophocles was regarded as an excellent play by Aristotle, so much he used it to illustrate the many principles of tragedy. Through Sophocles play, we can see the definition of the tragic hero which according to Aristotle tragedy arouses pity and fear from the audience towards the character. The plot and Oedipus character development along the play, causes readers to pity the King as a tragic hero. Sophocles skills have Oedipus recognizing his guilt and at the same time the shocking reversal of destiny. The king is not aware that he killed his father and wedded his mother. He is the reason for the plague that Thebes is going thru according to the gods. Thebes have been stroke by the plague and upon...
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...Creon’s Tragic Fall: A Look at Sophocles’ Antigone A tragic hero is defined by Aristotle’s Poetics as the protagonist in the story to whom something happens that elicits pity from the audience. For the most part, a tragic hero is a “virtuous” person whose life changes from being prosperous to being a life full of misfortune (Aristotle, Poetics). In other words, the tragic hero is someone of great social standing who begins the story at a very high point, but suffers their downfall because of a tragic flaw. In Sophocles’ Antigone the central theme of this play is the struggle between Antigone and her uncle Creon. The issue of burying Antigone’s brother Polynices is based on the ancient Greek philosophy of death, where any unburied body condemns its soul to torment. Basically, it was the duty of the family to bury their dead. Yet, this issue extended beyond family loyalty to a decree of piety by the gods. However, in the play, Creon goes against this celestial decree because he sees Polynices as a traitor for warring against him as a member of another army. As a means to set an example about the repercussions of disloyalty, Creon issues an edict to leave him unburied. As a man who starts the drama in as the respected king of Thebes, he gradually loses his family, his objectivity, and his power to his stubbornness and hubris that ultimately results in his downfall. Hence, Creon is a tragic hero in the Sophocles’ Antigone because his unbending pride results in tragic downfall...
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...Oedipus as a Tragic Hero Oedipus, who is a great ruler with the ideal characteristics that a hero would have, falls under the category of a tragic hero based off Aristotle’s definition. According to Aristotle, Oedipus fits in as an ideal tragic hero due to the the reader’s connection to the protagonist in regards to the emotional attachment created, the fear of what will happen due to a major flaw in the character, and the pitying for the hero as he suffers while facing his destiny. The nobility that Oedipus posses is an integral trait that makes the reader feel attached to his character. Although he does not yet know, he is the son of Laius and Jocasta, who were better known to be the King and Queen of Thebes. Even though they were not his biological parents, Oedipus himself believed that he was the son of Polybus and Merope, King and Queen of Corinth. “Polybus of Corinth was my father, my mother was the Dorian Merope” (Gould 775). Another heroic action...
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...When the Tragic Hero Falls There are lots of tragedies happening all around us, whether it be a catastrophic incident or something as simple as dropping that last piece of cake, each of us have different ways of viewing tragedies. The two tragedies, Oedipus Rex and Death of a Salesman examine tragedies very differently. Oedipus Rex is about a king who uncovers his horrific backstory, that he has killed his father and married his mother. Knowing this information, it begins to demolish his state of reality. It caused him to go from an extremely high peak, honored king, to a terribly low peak, resented human. In Death of a Salesman, a average American man named Willy Loman spirals into further insanity because he cannot reach his deceitful dream....
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...A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen is a modern tragedy revolving around the lives of a family from the Victorian Era, focusing on the vicissitudes that face Nora Helmer in this patriarchal society. Not only does this play focus on the status of women at this time, but how they fall victim to the role of a “doll wife”. In a separate work, Aristotle’s Poetics, an image of the ideal tragic hero is outlined and analyzed. This same idea was used by Sophocles’ creation of Oedipus the King. Nora and Oedipus can be compared as tragic heroes as they both meet the requirements of this status according to the qualities outlined by Aristotle. There are multiple essential characteristics Aristotle claims create a tragic hero. The first is that the character must be good, but flawed in some way; displayed through Oedipus’ actions as he wants to seek truth and be a savior to the people. When Creon tells him of Apollo’s commands to “drive the corruption from the land”, Oedipus replies, “I am the land’s avenger by all rights and Apollo’s champion too” (Sophocles, 1431). However, he continues with “but not to assist some distant kinsman, no, for my own sake I’ll rid us of this corruption” (Sophocles,...
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...November 2011 Nora, the Aristotelian Tragic Hero Along with many great theories, Aristotle left the world with his own set of guidelines to defining the tragic hero. Many protagonists have been put through his test and been placed as tragic heroes or just heroes, but where they truly belong is up for debate. In A Doll’s House, by Henrik Ibsen, many characters could be put through the rigors of an examination based on Aristotle’s qualifications. According to Aristotle, Nora Helmer, the play’s protagonist, is a tragic hero, because her character traits are perfect examples of what contributes to a tragic hero. As defined by Aristotle, a tragic hero must be of noble stature and radiate greatness. In this instance, Nora fits the bill quite well because she is part of the upper echelon of society. She also has a burning desire to be in that group of people and remain there. She wants to be a part of this group and she puts that highly within her ideals. Her husband’s recent promotion to the manager of the bank shows that Nora indeed is part of this upper echelon. Nora exclaims, “Look, here is a new suit for / Ivar, and a sword; and a horse and a trumpet for Bob; and a / doll and dolly’s bedstead for Emmy” (I, 7). This shows that she has the money of a high status person and that she is virtuous in her spending. She may be wealthy, but she is a good person because she is considerate of others. Although Nora seems to be a great person, the tragic hero is a flawed individual. Nora may...
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...between humans and gods. Protagonist often commit a terrible crime without realizing how foolish or arrogant they have been, then the world crumbles around them. Satyr plays performed by half goat half men creatures called satyrs who often made fun of the plots and characters of tragedies. Satyrs play at intermissions of tragedies to give the crowd a fun break from the misery they've endured. Tragedy is derived from the greek term tragos oide, tragos meaning goat oide meaning song, Oides are often songs that singers would sing in competitions much like todays televised singing contests, but the top prize was a goat. Because they were a popular offering. Aristotle was a famous greek philosopher who had good ideas why people enjoyed tragic plays, he believed they were important because they show how good ordinary people can make terrible mistakes that can lead to their downfall. These events cause the protagonist to suffer or gain insight. The goal of the tragedy is to evoke fear and pity to the audience. Why wouldn't the audience endure a play that makes them feel all these painful emotions? Aristotle explain that pity and fear are natural human responses to pain and suffering. By the end of the play these feelings are replaced by another feeling called catharsis which is an exhilarating sensation feeling of relief which comes after purging these negative emotions . Catharsis is the same kind of guilty pleasure we get after watching a horror film, aristotle lists 6 essential...
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...P. English 102C 2010 19 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...
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...Can King Lear be defined as an Aristotelian Tragedy ? When viewing upon a tragedy, a reader is offered to empathize the suffering a character endures through pity and fear, yet still being able to feel that enticing pleasure. With this being said, King Lear can be defined as a tragedy even by Aristotle, one of the most renowned masterminds on tragedies. Based on the Aristotelian principles for a tragedy, the ‘perfect’ tragedy must contain plot, character, diction, thought, spectacle and song. King Lear echo’s Aristotle’s concept of tragedy, as the accepted king with that disastrous flaw in his character and that evokes understanding of the audience. Shakespeare's play sets King Lear to be the ruler of Britain, where he is highly-esteemed by people below him in social status. His reputation corresponds with Aristotle’s definition of the ‘tragic hero’, who must be of noble blood. and considered great amongst their surroundings. The tragic hero, said Aristotle, should not be ‘a virtuous man brought from prosperity to adversity: for this moves neither pity nor fear; it merely shocks us’. Lear is a delusional victim caught in his own self-deception; his desires for power and genuine affection push him from direct order and power into over-the-edge chaos. King Lear shows his first sign of quenching for affection when he requests that his three daughters to express how much they love him before he gives away his rule, and duties of his kingdom so that all the kingdom’s...
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...Death of a Salesman and A Streetcar named Desire how far they tragic in a classical sense? Both “Death of a Salesman” and “A Streetcar named Desire” have tragic elements to them. Yet many critics say that both plays deviate too far from Aristotle’s foundations of what a tragedy should be. For example neither character is in an “elevated position”, which Aristotle says is vital for a tragic hero as it gives the character a “height” to fall from. Willy and Blanche aren’t royal or particularly high class, although Blanche believes herself to be a Southern Belle and portrays that image publically there is evidence that she isn’t a Southern Belle, Willy is a working class salesman who would be consider a “common man”. Both characters are relativity common people, however in Miller’s “Tragedy and a Common man” he says that he believes “a common man is as apt a subject for tragedy in its highest sense as kings were.” Miller goes on to say that the “tragic feeling is evoke in us when we are in the presence of a character who is ready to lay down their life… to secure… their sense of personal dignity”. For Willy this is to be known as a salesman, He bases his goals for the American Dream, which is flawed as it forever leaves him wanting more as a person. He bases his end goal on Dave Singleman who has people from all America come to his funeral; Willy believes that he is the embodiment of the American dream. Aristotle says in his Poetics, that tragedy represents men as better...
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...motives, and Powell accentuates this theme of disillusionment through the dialogue and the characters’ interactions with each other. She encourages the reader to question the legitimacy of the characters’ “friendships” and makes the reader wonder, “Are Ed and Myra really husband and wife, or are they merely two different people using one another for their own gain?” This idea of “false friendship” can also be seen in the teachings of Greek philosopher, Aristotle. Aristotle knew the necessities of friendship, but also realized the different forms that friendship could take shape of. The characters of “Big Night” all together effectively represent a form of Aristotle’s friendship that is ultimately based on utility. Friendship is necessary to life and in a way, one can say the friends around us may define who we are. In Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, he elaborately discusses three different kinds of friendship: friendship based on utility, friendship based on pleasure, friendship based on goodness. Friendship based on utility is when both people derive some benefit from each other. Aristotle describes this kind of friendship as shallow and “easily dissolved” (Aristotle 144). The second is friendship based on pleasure, where both people are drawn to the...
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...Durham, Carolyn A.. "Medea: Hero or Heroine?" Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies 8.1 (1984): 54-59. JSTOR. Web. 2 Nov. 2015. . In her writing “Medea: Hero or Heroine,” Carolyn Durham analyzes Euripides’ “The Medea” through the lens of feminist criticism. Her main argument is that women protagonists are always “societal facts” as opposed to “tragic heroes.” She utilizes the character Medea as an example of this claim, stating “the treatment of Medea in the play of Euripides suggests that the limitations associated with women somehow never seem to be those inherent in being human.” The bulk of Durham’s feminist criticism deals with how Medea is depicted before and after Jason leaves her for a new wife. She claims Euripides “uses Medea to illustrate by contrast the Greek ideal of moderation,” but does so by describing her as a “treacherous...
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...Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University is an equal opportunity university. THE POETICS OF ARISTOTLE THE POETICS OF ARISTOTLE Analysis of Contents A TRANSLATION BY S. H. BUTCHER I ‘Imitation’ the common principle of the Arts of Poetry. II The Objects of Imitation. III The Manner of Imitation. IV The Origin and Development of Poetry. V Definition of the Ludicrous, and a brief sketch of the rise of Comedy. VI Definition of Tragedy. VII The Plot must be a Whole. VIII The Plot must be a Unity. IX (Plot continued.) Dramatic Unity. X (Plot continued.) Definitions of Simple and Complex Plots. XI (Plot continued.) Reversal of the Situation, Recognition, and Tragic or disastrous Incident defined and explained. XII The ‘quantitative parts’ of Tragedy defined. XIII (Plot continued.) What...
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