Ethan Frome is considered a tragic hero, but to be a tragic hero one has to have certain qualifications to make him one. For one to be a tragic hero one must be of high estate, a virtuous and noble person, one has to also be a good person. The most important of the characteristics to be considered a tragic hero, is to have a tragic flaw. By examining incidents from Ethan Frome, one can determine that Ethan is a tragic hero.
Tragic heroes need to have certain elements for the person to be considered one. Ethan Frome lived in Starkfield for the first parts of his life. He decided to leave Strakfield and to become a scholar (pg11). His father died and soon after his mother became ill leading to Ethan's abandonment to his studies (pg11). Soon after his mothers illness he hired Zena a nurse to care for her. Ethan felt obligated to her after his mother died and asked Zeena to marry him. Things like these are what makes Ethan a tragic hero. His thought that makes him feel obligated to others is Ethan's tragic flaw. .
Ethan is a virtuous man, caring and feeling obligated to do what is always right makes him become a tragic hero. In some cases qualities as these ones are thought of as good or special, but in Ethan's case he is too proud and this will not let him go astray from doing what he feels he is obligated to do. He cares for people like when he leaves school to go home and care for his parents. Though sometimes he does not make the wisest choices, one can see that he tries to do only what is best but he does wrong like anyone would. .
Ethan's tragic flaw was the element that led to his own destruction, maybe it may not have ended in his death but the way he was left was considered by many worse than death. Ethan was in a way foolish in thinking that he had to "please" everyone. Thoughts like those ones were what led to his ending up the way he did, as a miserable man. Ethan made many wrong choices for example marrying Zeena just out of compromise for her help doesn't seem like too good of a reason to end up marrying another person.