TRAGIC HERO BACKGROUND
“A man cannot become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall.”
-Aristotle
The tragic hero is a man of noble stature. He is not an ordinary man, but a man with outstanding quality and greatness about him. His own destruction is for a greater cause or principle.

BORN OF NOBLE BIRTH
• TYPICALLY A KING OR MEMBER OF THE ROYAL FAMILY
• SOMEONE THAT NORMAL PEOPLE WOULD “LOOK UP
TO” OR ADMIRE – HAS OUTSTANDING QUALITIES

• ALSO CALLED THE HAMARTIA
• TRADITIONAL FATAL FLAW IS HUBRIS, OR EXCESSIVE
PRIDE
• FLAW ULTIMATELY LEADS TO HERO’S DOWNFALL, OFTEN
DEATH

• FIRST ENJOYS PRIVILEGED LIFE (REMEMBER NOBLE
BIRTH!)
• FLAW CAUSES A REVERSAL OF FORTUNE CALLED
THE PERIPETEIA
• ULTIMATE FATE IS A
DOWNFALL, OFTEN DEATH
• DOWNFALL SEEMS MORE
IMPRESSIVE DUE TO FALL
FROM NOBLE POSITION

• MAY BE INJURED, OR MAY SUFFER LOSSES OF
FAMILY OR FORTUNE
• WOUNDS ARE NOT ENTIRELY DESERVED

• DOWNFALL OR DEATH IS
USUALLY SEEN AS A WASTE
OF HUMAN POTENTIAL
• SUFFERING ALWAYS HAS
GREATER MEANING, OFTEN
RELATED TO THE FLAW

• ACTIONS RESULT IN AN INCREASE OF
SELF-AWARENESS AND SELF-KNOWLEDGE
• FATE IS DISCOVERED BY HIS OWN ACTIONS, NOT
THINGS HAPPENING TO HIM
• Downfall is a result of free choice

Imperfect or “human” despite noble nature
• HAS OUTSTANDING QUALITY OR GREATNESS, BUT
AUDIENCE MUST IDENTIFY WITH HIM
• WITHOUT IMPERFECTIONS,
DOWNFALL WOULD SEEM
IMPROBABLE OR CAUSED
BY FATE ONLY

• AUDIENCE FEELS PITY FOR HERO BECAUSE FLAW IS NOT HIS FAULT, SO
DOWNFALL SEEMS UNDESERVED
• AUDIENCE FEELS FEAR BECAUSE THEY CAN IDENTIFY WITH HERO’S THOUGHTS
AND ACTIONS
“WAIT…THIS COULD HAPPEN TO ME!”

TRAGIC HERO
• HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=RDLAJUTMCBM
• HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=DE91I6NAWHE (MODERN
TRAGIC HEROES?)

AND….

READ PAGES 872-3 IN YOUR LITERATURE
TEXT. ADD TO YOUR NOTES ON THE TRAGIC
HERO CONCEPT (THE FUNCTION OF
TRAGEDY, OTHER “TRAGIC FLAWS,” ETC.).

BIGGER ASSIGNMENT (SEE HANDOUT)
• SCHOLARS ARGUE OVER WHETHER BRUTUS OR CAESAR IS THE TRAGIC HERO
OF THE PLAY BECAUSE BOTH CHARACTERS ARE MEN OF PROMINENCE WHO
HAVE TRAGIC FLAWS THAT CAUSE THEM TO FALL. BASED ON THE EVIDENCE
IN THE PLAY, WHICH CHARACTER FITS THE DEFINITION OF THE TRAGIC
HERO BETTER? SUPPORT YOUR ANSWER WITH ANALYSIS OF QUOTES AND
EVENTS FROM THE PLAY.
•
• AT SEVERAL POINTS IN THE PLAY, A CHARACTER HAS TO MAKE AN IMPORTANT
DECISION. IDENTIFY A SIGNIFICANT CHOICE ONE OF THE CHARACTERS MAKES,
EXPLAIN WHY HE/SHE MAKES THE CHOICE, AND EXPLAIN THE
CONSEQUENCES OF THE DECISION. SUPPORT YOUR ANSWER WITH ANALYSIS
OF QUOTES AND EVENTS FROM THE PLAY.

ONCE YOU HAVE CHOSEN A PROMPT:
• COMB THE TEXT (READ THROUGH THE PLAY) TO FIND
EVENTS AND LINES WHICH WILL BE OF USE IN
WRITING YOUR RESPONSE. NOTE THE ACT, SCENE,
AND LINE NUMBERS FOR ANY QUOTES.
• AFTER YOU HAVE PONDERED THE POSSIBILITIES AND
FOUND LINES, WORK ON A CLAIM.
• A STATEMENT OF WHAT YOU WANT TO ARGUE

Include title of play, author , and the controlling idea:
In
Shakespeare’s
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar , the conspirators believe Brutus on their side will mean victory for their cause. However, his decision to join them contributes to their failure and to Brutus’ doom.
Despite Caesar having top billing in
Shakespeare’s
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar , Brutus is actually the tragic hero of the play.

For the in class writing, you may bring one single-sided page of notes for support.
It should include a working claim—a draft of your claim– and lines from the play you plan to use in support.
Remember the lines are there to offer evidence, but you need to both introduce and comment on them/explain their significance in the paper.

Brutus says that he killed Caesar because he “loved Rome more,” and no one, not even Antony, questions this
(3.2.22). This is significant because…
Act Scene
Line/s (For longer: 127-134)