The Tragic Hero
A tragic hero is a character who is doomed to fail due to a vital flaw. Aristotle, who can be considered the father of tragedy, defined tragedy as: "the imitation of an action that is serious and also, as having magnitude, complete in itself." The hero is destined to succeed in his own way, but for some reason, like the time or situation, are fated to fail. 
A few other characteristics of tragic heroes are that: *they are born into nobility;
*they are responsible for their own fate
*they fall from extremely high esteem
* they realize they have made an irreversible mistake;
* they face death honorably
Even though they may be a fallen hero, he still wins a moral victory, and his spirit will live on forever. In short, a tragic hero is doomed to make a serious error in judgment which will ultimately result in his downfall.
Discussion:
- Do tragic heroes really exist or are they humans who are driven by their own folly?
- Does Aristotle's definition perpetuate class, gender, and social divisions in society?
