Essays Tagged: "Hamartia"

Hamlet: the Hesitant Prince

ling of his uncle Claudius. To answer this question one must look deep into the Price of Denmark's "hamartia" or "fatal flaw" is not only the inability to kill his uncle but his treatment of Ophelia, ...

(2 pages) 52 0 4.1 Mar/2002

Subjects: Literature Research Papers > European Literature > Authors > Shakespeare > Hamlet

MacBeth - Disastrous Attributes

beth. While the opposition isled by Macbeth^s troubled conscience, his own internal conflict and hishamartia. It is clearly visible that Macbeth^s own character is atfault for his tragic downfall. It ... in his internal struggle is Macbeth^s overwhelming ambition. Thisambition is described as Macbeth^s hamartia, and rightfully so as itclaims the lives of many on his escapade to the crown. Macbethblata ...

(3 pages) 47 0 3.3 Oct/2002

Subjects: Literature Research Papers > Creative Writing

Aristotle's Poetics. It examines and explains an excerpt from the philosopher's work. The essay examines the way in which tragedy works and affects its audience, according to Aristotle.

urification of emotion through vicarious experience. The audience members relate to the character's hamartia, or tragic flaw, and by following the plot without having to actually live through events w ... which would cause them suffering, or catastrophe, they are able to cleanse themselves of their own hamartia. Therefore, there are certain elements in a tragedy that are particularly vital.Aristotle d ...

(2 pages) 94 0 3.8 Mar/2003

Subjects: Humanities Essays > Philosophy > Classical Philosophy

Foils in Shakespeare's "Hamlet".

e and thoughtful young man who is often hesitant and indecisive. This personality attributes to his hamartia, or tragic flaw. Shakespeare further demonstrates this throughout the play with the use of ... ill, and strength, and means,/To do't" (IV, 4, 44-46). Here Shakespeare shows Hamlet addressing his hamartia but not knowing how to manage it. Fortinbras' plans for action further emphasize Hamlet's w ...

(4 pages) 80 1 3.6 May/2003

Subjects: Literature Research Papers > European Literature > Authors > Shakespeare > Hamlet

Oedipus Rex by Sophocles.

y engaging the audience and relating them to the characters. It involves the overbearing hubris and hamartia, cleansing of the catharsis, and dramatic irony. The contrast of the protagonist at the beg ... r, he has a tragic flaw which leads to his downfall. In this play, it could be argued that Oedipus' hamartia is infact his arrogance and hubris. Indeed he does say "the world knows my fame," and think ...

(5 pages) 164 2 5.0 Jul/2003

Subjects: Literature Research Papers > European Literature > Authors

Oedipus the King, a Tragedy.

he community he lives in, causing great turmoil for everyone. Often times the hero will suffer from hamartia, which is an internal weakness of the character that eventually leads to their down fall. I ... s is an excellent example of a tragedy. The story of Oedipus posses a hero, powerful forces, irony, hamartia, reversal and recognition, all the criteria for a tragic dramaThe story, of Oedipus, begins ...

(6 pages) 211 1 3.8 Aug/2003

Subjects: Literature Research Papers > European Literature

Othello: Shakespeare's Perfect Tragedy.

judgement leading him to his downfall and eventual death. These two elements are called hubris and hamartia. The unities of time, space, and action must also be followed. This means that the play mus ... love they have. In this tragedy, catharsis presents something the audience cannot avoid.Hubris and hamartia are two components of a Shakespearean tragedy that are very much intertwined because of the ...

(4 pages) 93 0 4.5 Oct/2003

Subjects: Literature Research Papers

An essay on whether willy loman in death of a sales man is truly a tragic hero or not

y may face a comparable downfall and be unable to recover.)The first criterion for a tragic hero is hamartia, or a tragic flaw in the character's personality that brings about their downfall. Willy Lo ...

(2 pages) 66 1 3.0 Jan/2004

Subjects: Literature Research Papers

Tragic Flaw of the Riddle Solver: Oedipus Rex(by Sophocles)

cles as the perfect tragedy. One of the elements in his definition of tragedy included tragic flaw (hamartia), and he said a tragic hero's downfall should be due to his/her tragic flaw. King Oedipus f ...

(4 pages) 62 0 3.7 May/2004

Subjects: Humanities Essays > Classical Studies > Greek Language & Literature

OTHELLO

he Aristotelian tragic conventions. The downfall of the protagonist was linked to his fatal flaw or hamartia and to forces that lay outside his control. The tragic hero presented in Oliver Parker's fi ...

(8 pages) 85 0 4.5 May/2004

Subjects: Literature Research Papers

Explain why Willy Loman is or is not a tragic hero

to account. Willy evokes pity and fear from the audience, and suffers due to his own fatal flaw, or hamartia, which Elia Kazan, the first director of 'Death of a Salesman', believed to be "neuroses an ... of high standing, princes, kings and generals, who fail and eventually die due to a fatal flaw, or hamartia. Aristotle would not have considered 'Death of a Salesman' a tragedy, because a tragedy mus ...

(4 pages) 52 0 0.0 Jul/2004

Subjects: Literature Research Papers > North American

The Crucible by Arthur Miller

struct a tragedy. The plot consists of a hero going from joyfulness to ultimately misery due to his hamartia, or flaw. The quintessential Aristotelian hero has many good traits but his biggest trait , ...

(11 pages) 36 0 5.0 Sep/2004

Subjects: Literature Research Papers

Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart: Inevitable Suffering in Tragedies

What makes a tragedy so tragic is that the tragic hero, frequently because of his hamartia, falls a great distance from the high point where he is above many of us to the lowest poin ... ment that brings pain upon others as well.Early on in the novel readers are introduced to Okonkwo's hamartia: the fear of appearing weak. This affects his temperament and the relationship he chooses t ... they would behave differently. Tragic heroes are not simple people who can be stereotyped by their hamartia. The complexity of the characters often gives that inevitableness to the pain that give the ...

(2 pages) 26 0 0.0 Oct/2004

Subjects: Literature Research Papers > World Literature

Oedipus' Downfall

a proud man, Oedipus does not listen to anything and that pride will eventually lead Oedipus to his hamartia, which consequently leads to his downfall. It is through his personality and its effect on ... mps to conclusions too easily and is guided by irrationality. The cause of Oedipus' downfall is his hamartia or mistake, which was caused by his pride and impulsiveness, his hubris.When the play opens ...

(4 pages) 47 0 4.1 Jan/2005

Subjects: Humanities Essays > Classical Studies > Mythology

Hamlet As A Tragic Hero

f William Shakespeare's timeless play as a fatal flaw leads the commendable character to commit his hamartia and cause his untimely demise.The prince is introduced as a brooding and loyal son who disc ...

(3 pages) 37 0 5.0 Jan/2005

Subjects: Literature Research Papers > European Literature

This Oedipus essay goes on to demonstrate the importance the universal quest for truth.

is conflict by showing his audience (or readers, in a modern sense) a "tragic hero," whose apparent hamartia lies between the realms of hubris and impiety. The impiety, however, is subtly disguised as ...

(4 pages) 37 0 5.0 Oct/2005

Subjects: Literature Research Papers > European Literature

Macbeth as a Tragic Hero

of authority or power, but is doomed to eventually fall. The hero's tragic flaw, usually hubris or hamartia (excessive pride and rashness respectively), results in a spiraling downfall. Macbeth exemp ... creates the opportunity, she, in a sense, kills Duncan.Macbeth's characteristic tragic flaw is not hamartia. Macbeth is in no way rash. He often contemplates his actions and thinks them out thoroughl ...

(4 pages) 13 0 0.0 Apr/2006

Subjects: Literature Research Papers > European Literature > Authors > Shakespeare > Macbeth

What explanations do Christians offer for the origin of sin?

ion from the right or true path, or as a rebellion against God.In the Old Testament the Greek word 'hamartia' is used for sin. Literally this word means to miss the mark - a term most commonly used in ... od. In the New Testament, however, there is the appearance of more words relating to sin. The word 'hamartia' is still used but sometimes replace by one of several other words. The meaning of the word ...

(5 pages) 47 0 1.0 Apr/2006

Subjects: Humanities Essays > Religion & Faith > Christianity

"Macbeth", Not a Tragic Hero: This paper was written to expose the misconception that Macbeth is a tragic hero when in fact he is not.

in The Poetics as "A man slightly better than most who falls from a high to a low position due to a hamartia. His fall is cathartic, evoking in the audience the feelings of fear and pity." Macbeth vio ...

(4 pages) 5673 0 0.0 Nov/2006

Subjects: Literature Research Papers > European Literature > Authors > Shakespeare > Macbeth

"The Tragedy of Hamlet"

speare’s unique ability to build a character and to show a recurring tragic flaw also known as hamartia is remarkable. The entire play revolves around Hamlet’s inability to successfully acco ... is this very nature of Hamlet that leads to his inevitable demise.Through the rest of the play the hamartia becomes manifest and branches out into everything Hamlet tries to do. Once it becomes appar ...

(3 pages) 14 0 0.0 May/2007

Subjects: Literature Research Papers > European Literature > Authors > Shakespeare > Hamlet