Shakespearean Tragic Hero

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A Presentation about the "interesting", tragic hero

ShakespeareanTragic Hero

1.

General principle

Definition of theTragic HERo

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... is the central character who...

influences the story of a tragedy so that the play has a dramatic ending.

The tragic hero...

Actually Aristotle

2.

Development of the idea behind it.

A TRagic Hero After Aristotle

Neither perfect, nor the embodiment of pure evil. Someone the audience can identify with and feel even more sorry for. Someone who can be considered judged too unjustly.

Basic Principles

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2.

1.

Better than the audience

When a person better than the audience lives through such tragedies, the viewer's reaction becomes all the more extreme and longer lasting.

A mix of good and evil

Evoke pity and fear

It has to be a nice/good person who is then pitied when the tragedy comes to a head, but also creates fear of it as even a good person might go through something like this.

Their Versions in Comparison

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VS

Aristotle

In Aristotle's version, tragedy is always inflicted on the hero by a supernatural force.

Shakespeare

In Shakespeare's version, only the central points of Aristotle are retained, but the tragedy is caused by the hero's heart and mind.

3.

Changes to Aristotle's model

A Tragic Hero After Shakespeare

General Knowledge

He makes his own decisions

The heart & the head

The hero suffers from what is happening in his heart and does not escape his consciousness, he persists in his morality.

As the story progresses, the tragic hero keeps making decisions, and at some point he makes the all-important mistake.

Five Features of a Shakespearean tragic hero

5.

Tragic Downfall

The hero himself is always to blame for his fall.

4.

Influence of the Supernatural

Supernatural powers serve only as a dramatic device to show the hero's inner being.

3.

Moral Dilemma

Sooner or later he encounters a moral dilemma which he cannot properly solve.

2.

Neither Good Nor Bad

As in Aristotle's principle, it is a mixture of both.

1.

Of Noble Birth

He belongs to the higher section of the society

4.

Well-known tragic heroes

ShakespeareanTragic Hero Examples

Popular Tragic Heroes in Shakespearean plays

From King Lear

From Othello

From Hamlet

From Macbeth

King Lear

Fails to judge reality

Othello

Basic Desires

Hamlet

Wants revenge

4. King Lear

3. Othello

2. Hamlet

1. Macbeth

Macbeth

Aggressive Desires

No he is not.

The lovers in Romeo & Juliet suffer from things that are not Romeo's fault, he makes no mistake that would make him a tragic hero.

Is Romeo a Tragic Hero?

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