Shakespeare - Tragic Heros Essay - 625 Words

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 characteristics (amp;quot;English Lit.amp;quot;). These qualities were a tragic flaw, or harmartia, they all were from a noble class, with very human personalities, and they all face their tragedy with dignity. It is not until the late 1500s that†¦show more content†¦This characteristic was used mostly to help the common people identify with the wealthier upper class. If the ruling class, which was generally looked upon with favor and prestige, could sin much like the commoners did, then no one group of people were more superior (Desjardens). amp;#9;Though the tragic heroes were from the noble class, every person could identify with them because the heroes possessed very human qualities. Neither Macbeth, King Lear, Hamlet or Othello were overly good and heroic nor were they too sinister and nasty. This characteristic allowed the audience to feel pity for the character and to learn a lesson about excessive pride, greed, ambition or stupidity. The tragic hero mirrors everyone, positive traits and faults, to point a finger and emplore all to beware; if horrible events took place due to a character flaw in a genuinely good character, the same thing could repeat in an audience member’s life as well (Desjardens). amp;#9;After all the people are killed, all the futures damned, and all the plots become undone, the tragic hero must face his punishment. The tragic hero always excepts his downfall with dignity and grace. By act five the protagonist has realized his flaw and must come to terms with it. Othello and Antony face their tragedy by honorably committing suicide while King Lear, afterShow MoreRelatedTragic Hero in Othelo by William Shakespeare996 Words   |  4 PagesConventions of Othello Shakespeare has been a part of the American Society for many years. Compared to other Authors, he has a different style of writing but within his own writings, they are all very much alike. He has written many plays including Othello and Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare was a man who wrote plays that followed the same literary conventions. These conventions included tragic hero, fallacy, irony, and also suspense. A tragic hero is a male figure who is high in society and one whoRead MoreA Tragic Hero As Used By Shakespeare. 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