Notes on Tragic Heroes and Tragic Plays
According to Aristotle:
A Tragedy is a play where the protagonist has a struggle that leads to his or her
downfall.
A Comedy is a play where the protagonist has a struggle but everything ends
happily.
A Tragic Hero (the Protagonist of the play) must have the following:
 The Tragic Hero is of noble birth and has greatness. He must additionally
have high status among his peers, and must also be noble and virtuous in his
character.
 Traditionally, tragic heroes are male.
 He is NOT perfect. (That is why we as an audience identify with him – if he
were perfect, we wouldn’t be able to relate!)
 The hero’s downfall is basically his fault; it is a result of a FREE choice that
he made! It is NOT by accident, chance, or villainy that the ultimate choice is
made that condemns the hero. This error in judgment used to be called a
“flaw” but now we see it simply as a poor choice.
 The hero’s misfortune is not wholly deserved – the punishment exceeds the
crime.
 The fall is not pure loss – as a result of his downfall, he has raised his
awareness or gained some self-knowledge: He has become a better person for
it in the end, but must now suffer the consequences of his choice.
 Aristotle says that “the one function of tragedy is to arouse the unhealthy
emotions of pity and fear…and cleanse us of those emotions.” We are
supposed to learn from the hero’s mistake.
Who is the Tragic Hero of The Crucible?
How does he or she challenge Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero?
How does he or she fit into Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero?