Antigone - The Tragic Flaw Antigone, Sophocles’ classical Greek tragedy, presents tragic flaw as the cause of the destruction of Creon, the king of Thebes. This essay examines that flaw and the critical perspective on it. Robert D. Murray, Jr. in “Thought and Structure in Sophoclean Tragedy” gives the perspective of the Greek audience, and thereby the reason why there has to be a tragic flaw in Sophoclean tragedy: “A Greek of the fifth century would, of course, have felt. . . . that moral
therefore, human beings embody dramatic flaws. Many people tend to be unkempt or have poor manners, while others have behavioral difficulties such as quick temperament, dishonesty, or intentional rudeness. These perplexities can bring about hardships throughout an individual's life. William Shakespeare demonstrates some of these hardships in his puissant drama about The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, that portrays a protagonist, Romeo, who acquires the unfortunate flaw of rashness which later develops into
ANALYZING KING LEAR'S TRAGIC FLAWS King Lear is a play about a tragic hero, by the name of King Lear, whose flaws get the best of him. A tragic hero must possess three qualities. The first is they must have power, in other words, a leader. King Lear has the highest rank of any leader. He is a king. The next quality is they must have a tragic flaw, and King Lear has several of those. Finally, they must experience a downfall. Lear's realization of his mistakes is more than a downfall. It is a tragedy
collectively, they all affect the overall plot and outcome. Tragic characters play an effective, leading role in a tragedy. The leading role that a tragic character assumes normally controls the actions and reactions of a setting. Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet is no different, effectively exposing the vulnerabilities and short comings of tragic characters, Hamlet and Claudius; while providing the overall worth of Gertrude and Ophelia. Tragic characters, often take part in an irrational, avoidable plot
quintessential person to be defined as a tragic hero. His noble intentions of taking revenge for his father form in the beginning of the play; however as the play comes to a close the only conceivable ending to polish off the final act is his own death. While his death is in the final act, Hamlet does not live far enough into the play to see his work come together in its entirety. Just as the classic tragic hero, Hamlet possesses a tragic flaw. While there are many flaws in Hamlets character, it is his understanding
arguably the tragic hero. The hero typically holds a high position in society. For example, one of Shakespeare’s hero’s is Hamlet, the prince of Denmark. The tragic hero has qualities that the common man finds relatable. We see an example of this in another character of Shakespeare’s, Othello, who is known to be a jealous and insecure man. This is an issue that can be considered to plague the lives of many people. Finally, the thing that makes the hero so tragic is his flaw. This tragic flaw is the weakness
The Tragic Flaw of Hamlet One of the greatest works in literature, Shakespeare's Hamlet has been the topic of controversial discussion ever since it was written. The controversies range from "Is Hamlet truly mad, to Is Hamlet really in love with Ophelia." The most intriguing topic of discussion though, is Hamlet's fatal flaw. As in all Shakespearean works, there is always a tragic hero. This hero is always the person that the audience comes to love, however every tragic hero has to have some
Compare and Contrast the Tragic Flaw(s) of Macbeth and Oedipus Macbeth visualized himself as a forceful, powerful ruler who begins the trilogy in absolute control of the situation. As the story progresses, however , Macbeths’ power and pride are broken down because he made it his destiny. As for Oedipus, he was a pitiful man who has been crushed by the avenging gods and fate. He seems to be a wiser, soberer man, rising majestically above his misfortunes. When Oedipus the king begins, Oedipus exhibits
Lady Macbeth and the Tragic Flaw Are to Blame "...Go pronounce his present death,/ And with his former title greet Macbeth." (Act 1, Scene 2, 64-65) Though the word "death" in this sentence refers to the former thane of Cawdor's demise, Shakespeare uses the clever trick of foreshadowing Macbeth's downfall by coupling the word "death" with the word "Macbeth" so early in the tragedy. The quote has another importance it introduces the ideas of treachery and personal gain from less-than-legitimate
exhibit certain characteristics to be considered as tragic. The hero must possess a tragic flaw that leads him to his downfall. Another prerequisite is the reversal of fate which is occurs because of the hero’s tragic flaw. The discovery of the reversal arises because of the realization of the hero’s actions. The amalgamation of tragic elements in Oedipus Rex delineates Oedipus as the archetypal Aristotelian tragic hero. Oedipus’s tragic flaw can be attributed to his desire for the truth. Tiresias’s
A tragic hero is defined by Aristotle as a person of noble stature, with a tragic flaw, who is doomed from their downfall. In the play Antigone by Sophocles, the character Creon possesses these traits. Although many people may see Creon as the antagonist of the story, by the definition Creon is a tragic hero. Creon’s flaw of excessive pride leads him to a catastrophic downfall, similar to how Aristotle describes. Creon is doomed from the start. He develops the noble status of a tragic hero when
Hamlet has a tragic flaw which obstructs his desire for revenge and ultimately brings about his death. This fault makes him a tragic hero, a character who is demolished because of a major flaw, as his death at the end could perhaps have been escaped were it not for his tragic flaw. Hamlet's flaw of uncertainty on how to act or advance, is exposed when Hamlet sees a play and the desire the actors had, after Hamlet's third monologue, in Hamlet's fourth monologue, and in Hamlet's indecisive hunt in
and virtue. Othello himself is set apart from other Shakespearean tragic heroes by the absolute feeling of affection the audience feels for him even unto the very end of the play. Any discerning reader painfully recognizes the virtue and goodness of Othello throughout the entire play, in contrast to the general degeneration of character so typical of a tragic hero. It is this complete pity that makes the death of Othello so tragic as the audience lends their full hopeful support until the inevitable
Antigone. Antigone is a tragic Sophoclean play, which portray two great examples for a tragic hero. I believe Creon and Antigone, the main characters of the play to be tragic heroes. A tragic hero is a character who is known for being dignified and has a flaw that assists to his or her downfall. Both Creon and Antigone are dignified and flawed in their own ways, having a similar tragic flaw. Antigone is very proud, liker her father Oedipus, who also happens to be a tragic hero; I guess it runs in
attribute is a defect, otherwise known as a flaw. Whether one possess a singular flaw, or multiple, they are considered to be a tragic figure. In the play Hamlet the protagonist, Hamlet, possesses many tragic traits leading to his downfall. Hamlet is an artist who pauses, contemplated and constantly overthinks. His rationality creates an inability to take action in many aspects of his life. Hamlet also possesses an imperious and arrogant personality, another tragic trait that some may consider to also be
Oedipus Tragic Hero Essay In Oedipus the King, by Sophocles, Oedipus is the tragic hero; his flaw is his pride which he displays throughout the play, this is what leads to his downfall. In the play, Oedipus is attempting to free Thebes, his kingdom, from a plague; in doing so, he uncovers a horrible truth about himself and his family. In the end, he realizes that trying to outrun his fate, killing his father and marrying his mother, only brought him closer to fulfilling it. Throughout the play
The Tragic Flaws of Oedipus Rex At one time in our lives there is a moment that we may think of ourselves as better than someone or something else. There may also be a point when making a decision leads to a great error in judgment. In the play Oedipus Rex, written by Sophocles, both of these characteristics can be seen in the main character. These characteristics are known as tragic flaws. These flaws are known as hubris meaning excess pride, leading to overconfidence, and hamartia meaning errors
Macbeth, there are many different themes that are seen throughout the play. Tragic Hero is one of the most important themes because, it covers the topics of noble birth, tragic flaw, and the realization that tragic flaw caused tragic fall. These three topics demonstrate that, Macbeth is in a high position from his noble background, he has flaws in his personality, and he has had a huge downfall because of his tragic flaw which led to the event of having his life taken away from him because of it
Tragic Flaws and the Role They Play Many Greeks considered tragedies to be the greatest form of literature. The characters in these tragedies, mainly the heroes, were not doomed from the start because of their fate, but rather had certain flaws that made them cause their tragic ends. These tragic heroes have been talked about for generations and have had their stories passed down year after year. These heroes, all having different tragic flaws, slowly bring their impending doom closer and closer
Anglican colonization at the turn of the century. The main character Okonkwo is forced to deal with change and transition and bears similarities essential to the tragic hero. Okonkwo is physically, politically, spiritually, and economically strong; however, these strengths combined with his emotional insecurities force him into a tragic downfall, much like that of the classic Greek Heroes. In typical Greek tragedies, the main character is driven to reach a goal that would prove him or her to be