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Tragic hero as defined by Aristotle
A tragic hero is a literary character who makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to his/her
own destruction
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Characteristics
Aristotle once said that "A man doesn't become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall
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2) A reversal of fortune (peripeteia) brought about because of the hero's error in judgment
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Initially, the tragic hero should be neither better or worse morally than normal people, in order to allow
the audience to identify with them
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If the hero was imperfect or evil, then the audience would feel that he had gotten what he
deserved
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Eventually the Aristotelian tragic hero dies a tragic death, having fallen from great heights and having
made an irreversible mistake
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Other common traits
Some other common traits characteristic of a tragic hero:
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Hero must suffer more than he deserves
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Hero must be noble in nature, but imperfect so that the audience can see themselves in him
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Hero must understand his doom, as well as the fact that his fate was discovered by his own
actions
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Hero must be physically or spiritually wounded by his experiences, often resulting in his death
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The hero must have a weakness, usually it is pride
He has to be faced with a very serious decision that he has to make



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