Tragic Hero Essay Assignment Page
Directions: complete this outline (or a complete outline of your own design) on a separate sheet of paper and
separate each item by labeling it and then highlight each label.
Task: Which character do you believe is the most sympathetic tragic hero? After reading Sophocles’ Oedipus
the King, August Wilson’s Fences, and Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart write an essay that describes how
the character qualifies as a tragic hero and why you selected that character as the most sympathetic. Support
your discussion with evidence from the text.
Step I: Understand the prompt. Do you understand the characteristics of a tragic hero? (look at your notes)
Step II: Recognize how each protagonist (Oedipus, Troy, and Okonkwo) qualify as a tragic hero. Find quotes
from the text that will help support their tragic hero status.
Step III: Choose which of the three protagonists you feel the most sympathy toward; meaning that you feel bad
that they ended up the way they did.
Step IV: Prepare a thoughtful and convincing argument that establishes your position.
Suggested Outline:
Introductory Paragraph:
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Grabber quote (thematic)
Outside information (should probably be something about tragic heroes…I suggest you focus on
something current)
Inside information: begin to address your task by supplying some plot summary of each story and steer
this information toward your thesis statement.
Thesis Statement: respond to the task and be extremely clear about your position.
Body Paragraph #1: (recognition of opposition paragraph, this is where you acknowledge competing views)
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Topic Sentence: this sentence should address each of the characters and that they qualify as tragic
heroes.
Lead-in and Setups: hear you should provide some background about one of the characters that you do
not think is the most sympathetic and prepare your first quote that qualifies him as a tragic hero.
Quote: here you should place a quote that genuinely demonstrates why said character is a tragic hero.
Explanation: now explain why the previous quote demonstrate their tragic hero status
Transition-to-lead-in and setup
Lead-in and Setup: hear you should provide some background about the other character that you do
not think is the most sympathetic and prepare your quote that qualifies him as a tragic hero.
Quote: here you should place a quote that genuinely demonstrates why said character is a tragic hero.
Explanation: now explain why the previous quote demonstrate their tragic hero status
Clincher: here you should acknowledge once more the genuine tragic hero status of the two previous
character you have addressed but end this paragraph with a tease of which character you think is the
most sympathetic.
Body Paragraph #2:
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Topic Sentence: here you should state which character is the most sympathetic.
Lead-in and setup: here you should provide some background and plot summary that prepares your
reader for the first quote that will support your thesis and the sympathetic nature of your character but,
first you should thoroughly explain and prove that your selected character is also a tragic hero.
Quote#1: provide a quote that you have selected that will help establish the character’s sympathetic
nature.
Explanation: explain why the previous quote qualifies your chosen character as sympathetic, you may
also want to take a moment to acknowledge why he is more sympathetic than the other two…but not too
much time that your lose focus.
Lead-in and setup: here you should provide some background and plot summary that prepares your
reader for the next quote that will support your thesis and the sympathetic nature of your character.
Quote#1: provide a quote that you have selected that will help establish the character’s sympathetic
nature.
Explanation: explain why the previous quote qualifies your chosen character as sympathetic, you may
also want to take a moment to acknowledge why he is more sympathetic than the other two…but not too
much time that your lose focus. Make this point very emphatic.
Clincher Sentence: state what you have proven…why you chosen character deserves more sympathy
than the other two.
Conclusion Paragraph:
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Restated Thesis – you know what to do…I hope
Different Outside Information (could be about sympathy, tragic hero, the text, etc.)
Different Inside information (probably should be about your chosen character)
Finale…tie this back to your clever grabber quote. Focus on a few of the significant words from the
grabber quote and repeat them appropriately in your final statement (it must make sense).
While you are being provided some latitude in this essay you must still find a way to appropriately include a
grabber quote (with text note), outside information (with text note) in both your introductory and conclusion.
You must also have a works cited page that includes six sources:
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Grabber quote
Outside information for introductory paragraph
Oedipus the King
Fences
Things Fall Apart
Outside information for your conclusion paragraph
The assignment needs to be or have:
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Double Spaced
Times New Roman
12 point font
Black ink
- MLA Format
- Must include one appositive phrase (highlight)
- 1 inch margins
- Must include one participial phrase (highlight)
- No contractions
- Works Cited page
- It is okay to use personal pronouns in this essay (I, me, my, us, we, etc.)