Elements of a tragedy
- Ends unhappily with the death of the hero
- The hero is a person of high birth
- Often fate and other outside forces act on the hero to add to his downfall
- Tragic hero: is a basically good person with a tragic flaw. This flaw
brings about the hero's downfall and death; [and often the death of those he
loves] but before he dies he learns an important lesson about his flaw (the
"aha" moment)
- Villain: usually portrayed as pure evil, but that evil is often caused as
a response to injury. The villain's response to this hurt is out of proportion
or too extreme
- Shakespeare's great tragedies: Hamlet, Othello, King
Lear and Macbeth
The Tragic Hero
- The protagonist must be a man of great position and influence.
Protagonists are always princes, kings, generals, or at least member of
socially prominent families so that their downfall affects great populations
or nations.
- The tragic hero does not fall because he has vices. He does fall because
he makes an error in judgement.
- The tragic hero makes an error in judgement because of a flaw (tragic
flaw)
- The tragic hero must undergo great mental torment and suffering which
causes great pity and fear in the reader. The reader must identify with the
fallen hero.