I am never sure as I re-read the novel's conclusion, however, as to whether Henchard satisfies the eighth point, except that his fate enriches Elizabeth-Jane's understanding of the human condition. ... Hardy himself seems unclear about the nature of Henchard's hamartia when he quotes Novalis: "Character is fate"--certainly a useful aphorism for a Victorian novelist, though something about which Aristotle in The Poetics does not address. ... http://www.goldenessays.com/alphabetic/1/book-rep/mayor-of-casterbridge.htm In Thomas Hardy's The Mayor Of Casterbridge, Mich...

• Word Count: 1167
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: Undergraduate