The Tragic Hero Literary Analysis Essay
During the Renaissance, an interest in drama burgeoned from Greece and Rome. The
intention of tragedy is to exemplify the sense that human beings are doomed to suffer, fall,
or die because of their own flaws, destiny, or fate, and thus allow the audience to experience
catharsis, or emotional cleansing. One character usually plays the role of the tragic hero.
Aristotle, the Greek Philosopher, defines the tragic hero as having the following
characteristics:
 Is the main character who comes to an unhappy or miserable end
 Is generally a person of importance in society, such as a king or a queen
 Exhibits extraordinary abilities but also a tragic flaw – hamartia - a fatal error in judgment or weakness of character that
leads directly to his or her downfall
PROMPT: Compose an essay in which you COMPARE/CONTRAST the tragic hero in the novel you are
reading with the tragic hero of Macbeth. Demonstrate how both characters portray the characteristics as
defined by Aristotle. You must include at least one critical analysis essay found on the library’s databases
(GaleNet, EBSCO, etc.) to support your position. Because you are comparing the two works and including
critical analysis, you will have a minimum of three sources used and cited in this essay. **An
additional opportunity offered, and a way to add depth to your essay, is to include also an analysis of a
tragic hero from a film you have studied (not one based on a book – like King Arthur from the film, but
based on the film itself). If you choose to add this component to your essay, you will be
comparing/contrasting all three pieces; thus, you will be citing four sources.**
ESSAY STRUCTURE: Remember the basics of a good essay will include an attention getter, background
information and a thesis in the introduction paragraph. Then, you will have several body paragraphs which
will prove your thesis. Body paragraphs begin with a transition and topic sentence and several sentences
which support your topic. Supporting sentences will either provide evidence which you must cite or explain
and analyze how those examples prove the thesis. End each paragraph with a summary sentence of the
paragraph’s topic. Your final paragraph in your essay will be the conclusion paragraph which will again
summarize the main topic of your essay and may restate (not repeat) your attention getter in a creative
way. The length of this essay should be 4-6 full pages typed PLUS a Works Cited page (the sources used in
your essay); in addition, you must include Concrete Details of Summary, Direct Quotes, and a
Block Quote. Included also should be an introductory adverb clause, a participle phrase, and
at least 3 new vocabulary words you have gleaned from this unit.
WORKS CITED PAGE: Follow guidelines of MLA on Purdue Owl. You will cite the novel, the play, and at
least one critical analysis essay from GaleNet, EBSCO, etc.
* Please note, while Citations and Works Cited are only a small portion of your grade, this is
RESEARCH-based! If you don’t have Citations and a Works Cited page, you DON’T have a paper!
Please follow these STRICT due dates for the completion of the essay
(absolutely NO LATE WORK will be accepted):
Annotated Bibliography over Critical Essay Due:
Rough Draft (quiz grade) Due:
Poisonwood Bible
Rebecca
The Picture of Dorian
Gray
Thesis/Outline Due:
Final Paper Due:
Genesis to Book 3
Judges
Chap 1-11
Book3 Judges to Book5
Exodus
Chap 12-19
Book5 Exodus to end
Chap 1-6
Chap 7-12
Chap 13 to end
Chap 20 to end
Potential Films (keep in mind, there are rated R films listed here): American History X, Braveheart, Star Wars,
Wall Street, Citizen Kane, The Prestige. You may choose a title of your own with my prior approval.
Tragic Hero Literary Analysis Essay Rubric
Criteria
Introduction paragraphDoes your introduction
have an attention getter,
background information,
and a thesis statement
that clearly states what
you will be discussing in
your essay?
Body paragraphs – Does
each body paragraph
have a topic sentence,
supporting examples with
explanations and a
conclusion sentence? Have
you used transition words
and ideas to join
sentences and paragraphs
together? Do body
paragraphs tie into the
thesis statement and
follow outline? Adequate
support from definitions,
novel, play and critics?
Conclusion paragraph –
Have you restated main
ideas of body
paragraphs? Given the
reader a final though
(you might want to look
at attention grabber to
come full circle)? Do not
bring new information
into the conclusion
Grammar and MLA
format-Cited examples in
essay using MLA
guidelines? Is a Works
Cited page the last page
of essay? Margins, spacing,
headers correct?
Points Possible
Attention getter – 5 pts..
Background – 5 pts.
Thesis – 10 pts.
Topic sentence 5 pts.
Specific examples – 10 pts.
Explanation of examples
– 10 pts.
Conclusion sentence 5 pts.
Transitions 5 pts.
Restatement of main idea
from body paragraphs 10
pts.
Final thought 5 pts.
MLA Citations used in
essay – 10 pts.
MLA Works Cited page 10 pts.
(See MLA guidelines on
Purdue’s OWL website for
correct documentation.)
Have you checked
grammar and spelling?
Grammar and spelling –
10 pts.
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