In Aristotle's book, Poetics, the philosopher defines a tragic hero as someone of high status, flawed, afflicted with hamartia (tragic flaw) and hubris (arrogance), is punished severely, and in the end gains wisdom. ... According to Aristotle, the tragedy that affects the classical tragic hero is the result of his human flaws as opposed to the interference of an exterior force. ... Creon states, "Never, while I rule, will a criminal be honored higher than a man of justice. But give me a true friend of this city and I will pay him full honor, in death or life.... I do not disagree w...

• Word Count: 1647
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

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