Tragic hero flaws from "summary" of Shakespearean Tragedy, Thrid Edition by A.C. Bradley
A tragic hero is a character who is presented as good and noble, but who ultimately has a fatal flaw that leads to their downfall. This tragic flaw can often be seen in characters from Shakespearean tragedies, as it leads to a feeling of sorrow and pity from the audience.- A tragic hero is a character that has an admirable quality, strength or courage, but also possesses a fatal flaw which leads to his eventual demise.
- Oedipus from the Greek tragedy ‘Oedipus Rex’ is arguably the classic example of the tragic hero with his recklessness and pride blinding him to his own unjust actions.
- The most common tragic flaws amongst heroes consist of hubris, inflexibility, excessive ambition and lack of foresight.
- Another tragic figure found in ancient literature is Aristotle's Antigone who she acquires a self-destructive stubbornness in her quest to honor her brother.
- Achilles, from Homer's 'The Iliad' undergoes a flaw of rashness and anger that threatens both allies and himself while on a path to destination of violent destruction.
- In ‘Julius Caesar’ by Shakespeare, Marcus Brutus exemplifies many of these flaws after being too trusting and failing to assess the consequences of aligning with different parties in the political conflict.
- Macbeth from Shakespeare's play by the same name exhibits unwavering shifts between resolve and losses of confidence as a result of his covetousness and willingness to take ambitious risks.
- In Sophocles' play 'Antigone', her belief in morality puts her at odds with Creon, leading to unpredictable outcomes neither fully anticipated.
- French play Edipe Roi by Jean Cocteau sees the protagonist tortured by his fate due to his ignorance regarding his past and upbringing which eventually results in his death.
- Thucydides composed the tragedy Malian Women which illustrates how the prideful nature of kings can lead them to catastrophic acts without thinking of future repercussions.
