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. ... A tragic hero's sad story comes from his own flaws, and Michael Henchard was certainly not lacking in faults and poor judgments. ... Thomas Hardy has been quoted as comparing the rural setting of this and other of his novels to the stark and simple setting of the Greek theater, giving his novels something of that drama's intensity and sharp...

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