The tragic hero is defined by Aristotle as someone who finds himself having a flaw in judgment (hamartia), which reverses their fortune (peripeteia) and leads them to realize that this action was brought on by what the tragic hero did (anagnorisis). The tragic hero’s fatal flaw is usually brought about by hubris, or excessive pride, which brings him a fate crueler than he might have deserved. Tragic heroes are usually the victims of their own pride, which is the case in many of literature’s greatest tragic heroes, such as Jay Gatsby from The Great Gatsby, Holden Caulfield Continue reading...
