Shakespearean Tragic Hero

Shakespearean Tragic Hero

A Presentation about the "interesting", tragic hero

START

1.

Definition of the Tragic HERo

General principle

The tragic hero...

... is the central character who...

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

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2.

A TRagic Hero After Aristotle

Development of the idea behind it.

Actually Aristotle

Basic Principles

3.

1.

2.

A mix of good and evil

Better than the audience

Evoke pity and fear

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

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.

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

VS

Shakespeare

Aristotle

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

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

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3.

A Tragic Hero After Shakespeare

Changes to Aristotle's model

General Knowledge

The heart & the head

He makes his own decisions

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

4.

1.

Influence of the Supernatural

Of Noble Birth

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

He belongs to the higher section of the society

2.

5.

Tragic Downfall

Neither Good Nor Bad

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

The hero himself is always to blame for his fall.

3.

Moral Dilemma

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

4.

Shakespearean Tragic Hero Examples

Well-known tragic heroes

Popular Tragic Heroes in Shakespearean plays

2. Hamlet

3. Othello

1. Macbeth

4. King Lear

Hamlet

Macbeth

Othello

King Lear

Wants revenge

Aggressive Desires

Fails to judge reality

Basic Desires

From King Lear

From Hamlet

From Othello

From Macbeth

Is Romeo a Tragic Hero?

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.

THANK YOU

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