The Tragic Hero
What Julius Caesar, King Lear,
Bill Clinton, and Michael Vick
all have in common
Aristotelian Definition of
Tragedy
Aristotle defined tragedy as "the imitation of
an action that is serious and also, as
having magnitude, complete in itself." It
incorporates "incidents arousing pity and
fear, wherewith to accomplish the
catharsis of such emotions."
Definition of a Tragic Hero
A tragic hero has the potential for greatness
but is doomed to fail. He is trapped in a
situation where he cannot win. He makes
some sort of tragic flaw, and this causes
his fall from greatness. Even though he is
a fallen hero, he still wins a moral victory,
and his spirit lives on.
TRAGIC HEROES ARE
BORN INTO NOBILITY/BEGIN AT A HIGH
STATION IN LIFE
 Julius
Caesar—Great Roman General
 King Lear—King of Britain
 Bill Clinton—governor of Arkansas, president
of the United States
 Michael Vick—highly celebrated quarterback
Tragic Heroes Are
RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN FATE
 Julius
Caesar—alienates the senators and
names himself emperor for life
 King Lear—no longer wants responsibility of
being a king
 Bill Clinton—made the decision to be
unfaithful to his wife
 Michael Vick—chose to sponsor dog fights
Tragic Heroes Are
ENDOWED WITH A TRAGIC FLAW
 Julius
Caesar—pride
 King Lear—values appearances over reality
 Bill Clinton—pride
 Michael Vick—pride
Definition of a Tragic Flaw
The tragic effect will be stronger if the hero is
"better than we are," in that he is of higher than
ordinary moral worth. Such a man is shown as
suffering a change in fortune from happiness to
misery because of a mistaken act, to which he is
led by his hamartia (his "effort of judgment") or,
as it is often literally translated, his tragic flaw.
 One common form of hamartia in Greek
tragedies was hubris, that "pride" or
overweening self-confidence which leads a
protagonist to disregard a divine warning or to
violate an important law.

Tragic Heroes Are
DOOMED TO MAKE A SERIOUS ERROR IN
JUDGEMENT
 Julius
Caesar—trusted Brutus and Cassius
 King Lear—values Goneril and Regan’s fawning
over Cordelia’s sincere love
 Bill Clinton—romantically involved with an
intern
 Michael Vick—assumes dog fighting will not
affect his football career
EVENTUALLY, TRAGIC HEROES
FALL FROM GREAT HEIGHTS OR HIGH
ESTEEM
 Julius
Caesar—is murdered by his friends
 King Lear—sinks into insanity
 Bill Clinton—is impeached
 Michael Vick—indicted by the courts,
suspended by NFL
EVENTUALLY, TRAGIC HEROES
REALIZE THEY HAVE MADE AN
IRREVERSIBLE MISTAKE
 Julius
Caesar—says “Et tu Brute?”
 King Lear—realizes his weakness opposed
to the forces of nature
 Bill Clinton—publicly apologized for his
indiscretions
 Michael Vick—publicly apologizes for dog
fighting
EVENTUALLY, A TRAGIC HERO
FACES AND ACCEPTS DEATH WITH
HONOR
 Julius
Caesar—says, “Then fall Caesar”
 King Lear—accepts imprisonment with
Cordelia
 Bill Clinton—the “death” of his integrity
 Michael Vick—pleads guilty
EVENTUALLY, TRAGIC HEROES
MEET A TRAGIC DEATH
 Julius
Caesar—dies in the senate house
 King Lear—dies in grief over Cordelia’s
execution
 Bill Clinton—ends his presidency with
shame over impeachment
 Michael Vick— “death” of his NFL career
FOR ALL TRAGIC HEROES
THE AUDIENCE IS AFFECTED BY PITY
and/or FEAR
The tragic hero reminds us of the flaws in
ourselves and forces us to examine how
we deal with our lives.
We fear the same fate.
Good or Evil?
The tragic hero will most effectively
evoke both our pity and terror if
he is neither thoroughly good nor
thoroughly evil but a combination
of both.
Reflection
How do each of these tragic heroes evoke
our pity and fear?
 How do they display both good and evil
characteristics?

 Julius
Caesar
 King Lear
 Bill Clinton
 Michael Vick