In Sophocles" Oedipus Rex, the reader sees the epitome of Aristotle's tragedy described in Poetics, the first section of his major critical work. In it, Aristotle defines the three key elements that consist of the tragic plot ("muthos"): the reversal of the situation, the recognition ("agnorisis"), and the scene of suffering ("pathos"). ... The reader discovers the first element of Aristotle's definition at the height of Oedipus" reign as King. ... Aristotle describes the scene of suffering as "a destructive or painful action, such as death on the stage" provoked by someone clos...

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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

In trying to find the definition of a hero I came upon Aristotle's. ... Aristotle's tragic hero must exhibit a compassionate side and Oedipus definitely does. ... The tragic flaw is another of Aristotle's criteria for being a Tragic Hero. ... The last of Aristotle's criteria for a tragic hero is putting pity in the audience. ... Oedipus is not only the hero of the play because he fits all of Aristotle's criteria. ...

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• Grade Level: High School

A Greek philosopher, Aristotle, wrote his notion of classic from of heroism called tragic heroism in his work entitled Poetics. In Poetics, Aristotle explains that there are certain qualities that a tragic hero has that can qualify him or her as tragically heroic. ... His arrogant temper, his tragic flaw, per Aristotle's Poetics, can classify him as a tragic hero. ... The titular character from Sophocles's Oedipus Rex, also corresponds with Aristotle's idea of a tragic hero. ... The literary legends of the Grecian world, Achilles and Oedipus, are parallel with Aristotle's c...

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• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

Aristotle believed that any man of power can be a tragic hero, such as Oedipus. ... Aristotle's theory is supported by Oedipus the king because Oedipus shows that even those of high power experience fatal tragedy. Miller's theory of tragedy was the opposite of Aristotle's. ... This contradicts Aristotle because he believed that only certain people were able to be considered "tragic". ...

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• Grade Level: High School

According to Aristotle, a tragic hero is someone who creates his or her own downfall, whose fate is not deserved, and whose punishment exceeds the crime. In the play "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles, the main character Oedipus is a perfect example of Aristotle's tragic hero. ... Oedipus is a tragic hero, according to Aristotle's definition: he creates his own downfall when he tries to rise above the gods and run from his fate; his fate of killing his father and marrying his mother is not deserved; and the punishment of blindness exceeds his "crime" because no mater what Oedipus did, he wa...

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• Grade Level: High School

Aristotle's statement that the man who has no need for others is no part of the community describes Achilles in The Iliad very well. As Aristotle would agree, Achilles" determination to rely on the aide of no one but himself is something that only a god could achieve successfully. ...

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• Grade Level: High School

A tragic hero, according to Aristotle's definition, is born in nobility, is responsible for his own destiny, is endowed with a tragic flaw, and has the potential for greatness, but is domed to fail. ... Aristotle's best example of a tragic hero is Sophocles's play "Oedipus of the King", where the hero Oedipus is doomed to kill his father and marry his mother. ...

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• Grade Level: High School

The idea of Greek tragedy stems from Aristotle's definition of a tragic hero. In Aristotle's definition, the tragic hero must be a person of high standing so their fall from glory will be all the more horrible. ...

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• Grade Level: High School

Jean Racine's play, Phaedra, arouses "pity and terror", in accordance with Aristotle's requirements of tragedy. ... In his introduction, Racine states that his play "possesses all of those qualities which Aristotle required in a hero of a tragedy, and which are capable of exciting pity and terror" (p. 3). ...

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• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

According to Aristotle's criteria, "Oedipus the King," by Sophocles is a tragic fall. Aristotle gives us seven different criteria to prove Oedipus is a tragic hero. The first criteria is a fatal flaw. A fatal flaw must be a character trait that causes them to fall. The second criteria is that ...

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• Grade Level: High School

"At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst" (Aristotle 384-322 B.C.). ... Aristotle' quote reinforces this idea that mankind is whole, when justice is the foundation, but in its absence we are nothing more than irrational animals. ...

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• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

Human roles differ across cultures as evidenced through their literature. Each civilization had their own beliefs about god, the world, and families. While comparing ancient Chinese and Greek civilizations it was shown that there were many similarities as well as several differences. Evaluating...

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• Grade Level: High School

The play Medea by Eurypides is looked upon as a tragedy even though in the end, the main character of the story succeeds in what she had set upon to accomplish. Even so, this play still fits the Aristotelian definition of a tragedy. Aristotle wrote that for a play to be a tragedy, it must have sever...

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• Grade Level: High School

David Schnabel 9/5/01 AP English / 4th Oedipus Characterization Essay A tragic hero would not be as tragic were they not to realize the truth or become enlightened in the end. At the end of Oedipus Rex, Oedipus comes to terms with himself and the truth from which he had been avoiding. The t...

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• Grade Level: High School

According to Aristotle, five characteristics make up a tragic hero. First of all, the character has to come from nobility and has a tragic flaw, caused by a simple mistake or character mishap. In addition, he or she has to undergo a downfall and a reversal of fortune, from higher to low...

• Word Count: 775
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• Grade Level: High School