What Are the Characteristics of an Ideal Tragic Hero?
Poetics is a notable literary work by Aristotle. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, to various questions of Poetics.
Answer
What are the characteristics of an ideal tragic hero?
Aristotle (384-322 BC) is the “dean of all literary critics”. In his poetics, he has defined a complete conception of tragedy and an ideal tragic hero who has to be able to raise pity and fear within the audience. According to Aristotle, the characters of a tragedy must be lifelike, especially the hero.
Features of an ideal tragic hero or character: Aristotle detects or outlines the features of an ideal tragic hero or character.
Hamartia – Fatal Flaw of the Tragic Character: Hamartia is a Greek word that means tragic flaw causes the downfall of the hero. Aristotle states,
A man who is not eminently good and just, yet whose misfortune is brought about not by vice or depravity, but by some error or frailty.
Hubris- Excessive Pride of the Tragic Character/ Hero: Hubris is a Greek word for excessive pride and disrespect for the natural order of things. Aristotle emphasizes that an ideal tragic character must not be too good or bad but a person of common character.
Peripeteia- Reversal of fate: Aristotle means to say by the term ‘the reversal of fate” that the journey of a tragic character will be from happiness to misery or from misery to happiness to distress. He says about Peripetia,
The most powerful elements of emotional: interest in
Tragedy Peripeteia or Reversal of the Situation.
Anagnorisis – Moment of Important Discovery by the Tragic Character: Anagnorisis is the important moment of the plot for an important discovery that changes the direction of the plot in a very strong way.
Nemesis and Catharsis—Punishment, Pity, and Fear from the Audience for the Tragic Hero: Nemesis prescribes the punishment and suffering of the tragic character. On the other hand, catharsis refers to pity and fear aroused within the audience.
High birth or blood: According to Aristotle, a tragic character must have high birth or blood, but it is not mandatory in the present context of an ideal tragic character. The character of Maurya in the play “Riders to the Sea” does not have this characteristic.
In termination, Aristotle is the creator of the creators with respect to tragic heroes, though he does not directly create any tragic hero.