Everyone is familiar with the term “hero” but what makes a hero tragic? There has to be a hero before you can have tragedy. The soon to be hero will usually complete a great task, such as slaying a monster, and gain much respect and authority for it. On the ascent to greatness the hero will develop a fatal flaw, unbeknownst to him, which is often pride and hubris.
When the hero finally hits the ground, there is a scene of suffering in which we see the hero in the moment of greatest agony. When we see the hero in such a state, we pity him and tell ourselves that we will not the same mistakes; another word for this is catharsis. Both epic hero and tragic hero achieve great things, but the key difference between the two is that one lives happily ever after, and the other must suffer and wallow in the pain of the unintended consequences stemming the actions he took. |
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The hero will appear to be stronger and more idealized than the average person, this makes the reversal of fortune more dramatic and noticeable. When the tragic hero appears larger than life, the turning point will soon be reached, where it will be too late to prevent the fall. Unfortunately the hero does not yet notice his misfortune. A hero, due to his nature, will attempt to find truth and right things. In many cases it is the curiosity and persistence, coupled with the pride hubris of the hero that reveals the course of events but also sets the future in stone. There is no going back now and the hero notices that he is falling, and will try to stop his fate, in vain. At this point it is either too late to stop the downfall or the hero’s fatal flaw prevents him from stopping it in time.
Works Cited:
Farahani, Shahriar Shahrabi. Speedpainting: Oedipus-Rex. Digital image.Deviant Art. DeviantArt, 6 Nov. 2013. Web. 8 Dec. 2014. <http://ircss.deviantart.com/art/Speedpainting-Oedipus-Rex-411942995>.
Oedipus and the Sphinx. Digital image. Thebian Chronicles. San Francisco Theater Pub, n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2014.
Bennett, Fisher. The Theban Chronicles: The Story So Far. Digital image.Thebian Chronicles. San Francisco Theater Pub, 11 June 2010. Web. 10 Dec. 2014.
Farahani, Shahriar Shahrabi. Speedpainting: Oedipus-Rex. Digital image.Deviant Art. DeviantArt, 6 Nov. 2013. Web. 8 Dec. 2014. <http://ircss.deviantart.com/art/Speedpainting-Oedipus-Rex-411942995>.
Oedipus and the Sphinx. Digital image. Thebian Chronicles. San Francisco Theater Pub, n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2014.
Bennett, Fisher. The Theban Chronicles: The Story So Far. Digital image.Thebian Chronicles. San Francisco Theater Pub, 11 June 2010. Web. 10 Dec. 2014.