In the tragic play "Antigone"� by Sophocles there has commonly been a controversy as to who is the "tragic hero"�. Sophocles clearly portrays the male protagonist‚ Creon‚ as the tragic hero through his social status and his actions being good‚ yet not exceedingly‚ having an evident tragic flaw that eventually leads to his downfall‚ and his repentance; these are all in accordance with Aristotle’s view of a tragic hero. First‚ Creon is born into a family situation that fits him for the suit of tragic
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HAMLET CRASH COURSE Syllabus: Read and understand the text Evaluate how text is perceived in various contexts Questions of textual integrity – what is this text that gives it value Analyse its construction – look at all the details of how the text is put together Research others perspectives of the text – test these against your own understanding of the text Develop a range of imaginative‚ interpretive and analytical compositions that relate to the study of their specific text. Engage with and
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For a story to be a tragedy it has to follow the principles set by Aristotle‚ a Greek philosopher‚ or those of Arthur Miller who is a twentieth century playwright. A tragedy‚ in Aristotle’s view‚ usually concerns the fall of an individual whose character is good but not perfect and his misfortunes are brought about by the tragic flaw. This flaw is the part of the character that personifies him as being tragic. Miller uses this definition of a tragedy but also broadens it including the common
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We as readers have too often become one-sided on a particular topic and failed to consider other possibilities. Even today‚ over fifty years after Arthur Miller ’s essay Tragedy and The Common Man; we still associate tragedy with the highborn and their plights. However‚ Arthur Miller stimulates our minds by explaining that a tragic hero can and should include the common man. He defines a tragic hero as one who attempts to "gain his ’rightful ’ position in his society" and in doing so‚ struggles
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Heroes and Their Hamartia Hamlet by William Shakespeare is a classic example of a literary tragedy. There are multiple tragic heroes‚ whose consequences of their actions contribute to a series of catastrophic events. Arthur Miller‚ in his essay “Tragedy in the Common Man”‚ states that only those who accept their fate without a fight are flawless and that most of us are in this category. Conversely‚ Aristotle believed “the hero often has many positive qualities‚ but also possesses a tragic
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Oedipus’ Hamartia Aristotle once said that a hero’s downfall must be a result of some tragic flaw within the character. This flaw was known as hamartia in the Greek world of Aristotle. Since Aristotle greatly admired Oedipus the King‚ many people believe that Oedipus must have had a prominent and complex hamartia. Discovering Oedipus’ hamartia within the play is not an easy task. In fact‚ it is impossible to point out Oedipus’ hamartia since I do not believe that he has one. Everything
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Representations of the Tragic Hero in Othello and Macbeth One of the engaging elements of Shakespeare’s tragic heroes is that they are not monstrosities of virtue but rather people who are simultaneously accessible and elusive; they are made up of qualities and characteristics that we find within ourselves and other characters within the play while exhibiting an intensity that places them beyond our grasp. We come to realize that we have never known such a person (20). This quality of the tragedies
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Oedipus the King The Greek drama Oedipus the King is clearly a tragedy. In the play there are numerous accounts of physical and mental suffering. Although Laius and Jocasta are the catalyst that starts the story in Oedipus the King‚ Oedipus takes the role of the catalyst and becomes the cause of all tragedy to others. In the play Oedipus causes some of his own suffering. Oedipus’s pride gets him into situations that cause him to suffer later on in the play. “He tore the brooches-the
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For the Greeks of ancient times‚ a source of entertainment was often found in the theaters‚ where great tragedies were performed. The narratives of these tragedies evoked in the audience feelings of pain and fear that were built up as the plot progressed; but were released as the tragic events transpired. The Greek audience not only obtained pleasure from this catharsis‚ or purification of emotions‚ but also acquired gratification from the ability to understand and connect with the hero. In the tragedy
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According to the Oxford Dictionary‚ a tragedy is ‘’an event causing great suffering‚ destruction‚ and distress‚ such as a serious accident‚ crime‚ or natural catastrophe’’. It is also said that for a play to be considered a tragedy it must follow the three requirements of a tragedy; shock and violence‚ man of high station falls‚ and deterioration. MacBeth is considered a tragedy as it meets all these requirements; MacBeth’s ambition drives him to insanity‚ the murder of King Duncan‚ and MacBeths
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