In Star Wars, directed by George Lucas and J.J. Abrams, Anakin Skywalker a young slave boy who lives on the desert world of Tatooine, has a heart for helping people. Anakin is rescued and has the opportunity to become a Jedi. During times of trials and despair, Anakin soon develops a tragic flaw. He has potential of becoming the most powerful Jedi in the universe. The Jedi Leaders noticed a fatal flaw, fear. Anakin’s downfall follows when he vows to fight for the dark side. Like in Aristotle’s Tragic Hero, Anakin Skywalker is a noble character until a tragic flaw is revealed, his downfall is the effect of his actions, but his fall is not pure loss. Anakin fits the criteria of Aristotle’s Tragic Hero being a character of greatness. Growing up, Anakin has a curious mind and helping heart. He built a protocol droid, C-3PO with spare parts lying around his house. His intended purpose for building this droid was to help his mother with work around the house. Anakin risked his life while racing in the Boonta Eve Podrace to help a Jedi Master Qui-gon Jinn. After winning the race, Anakin was given the tough choice of leaving his mother for the opportunity of being a Jedi Knight. Because Anakin sacrificed his life during the pod race and helped Qui-Gon get off of the planet Tatooine, he became a character of greatness, “From Orestes to Hamlet, Medea to …show more content…
His master, Obi wan Kenobi, helped further develop the ways of the force and his Jedi senses. The Jedi masters knew that Anakin had the potential of becoming the most powerful Jedi in the galaxy, “Sometimes the tragic hero suffers from hubris, like know-it-all Oedipus” (Hanson). The Jedi Masters took precaution because they saw hints of fatal flaws in Anakin. His most tragic flaw, fear, is what restrained him for being the true good Jedi. Anakin’s fear was the death of his friends and loved ones. This fear clouded his mind and consumed
Often through great literature, there is an epic hero. In the Odyssey, Homer tells the journey of one man’s journey home from the Trojan War. The protagonist of the epic poem Odysseus is often regarded as a great hero. However, Odysseus is not quite the glorious soldier that people often see him as. Odysseus shows that he is an antihero through his pride, disloyalty, and bloodthirstiness.
When it comes to being a tragic hero the character has to have the qualities of being a tragic hero. A tragic hero is where the main character of a tragedy whose fatal flaw leads to his or her destruction. Either the character was born into society as a great man or a slave, they may have carry
After Luke’s foster parents are killed, he decides to help former Jedi warrior, Obi Wan Kenobi, aid the Rebel Alliance in restoring freedom to the galaxy, to learn the ways of the Force, and become a Jedi. Odi Wan becomes Luke’s teacher and is later replaced by Yoda, who has trained Jedi warriors for eight hundred years.
One example that shows he is glorified is when he receives a meat for destroying the death star, Luke Skywalker was once just a typical, normal kid who was a field hand to his uncle but later turned into the brave, courageous, determined kid of whom he is now. Luke Skywalker is capable of using the force to help him with all of his challenging battles. The force is extremely strong within in Luke Skywalker. Luke is willing to look the evil demon of fear in the eyes and take the bull by the horns. What makes Luke courage’s is that the knows it is not going to be easy, he knows its going to be very difficult, but he is still willing to help the with destroying the Death Star Also, he is by far one of the most intelligent and courageous men. Skywalker uses his intelligent brain to his advantage; he’s always out thinking his opponent. Throughout all of Luke Skywalker’s battles there is always a chance of death; however Luke is willing to risk his very own life for the rebellion and Princess Leia. Luke Skywalker figures out that the droids are being followed by the evil Empire he goes back to his home to try and rescue his uncle. He always takes charge when called upon. When Princess Leia needs assistance, he steps up and lends a helping hand to rescue her. Through every adventure Luke undertakes, he shows how courageous he actually is. Courage is what guides Skywalker into conquering his fears and destroying his
He often complimented Anakin, he insulted the Jedi Order both many times and called them fools for not seeing Anakin’s potential. His consistent praise boosed Anakin’s ego so that by the time the Chancellor tried to appoint him to the Jedi Council, Anakin believed he deserved it. Then, when the Jedi Council did not elevate him to the rank of Jedi Master, Palpatine was there to listen. The effects upon Anakin continue when Obi-Wan Kenobi asks him to spy on Palpatine. The Jedi and Anakin were pulled into Palpatine’s evil plan.
According to Aristotle, there are a number of characteristics that identify a tragic hero: he must cause his own downfall; his fate is not deserved, and his punishment exceeds the crime; he also must be of noble stature and have greatness. These are all characteristics of Jay Gatsby, the main character of Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby. Jay Gatsby is a tragic hero according to Aristotle's definition.
In the case of Gilgamesh and Odysseus, in order to achieve the status of the ideal hero their respective stories define them as, they first had to be able to identify and atone for their own flaws. In this way, the ideal hero is not necessarily the individual that can move a mountain with his bare hands or outsmart a god. Rather, the ideal hero is an individual who has answered the call to adventure, struggled with themselves in the face of adversity, and emerged a more humble person. The ideal hero, according to The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey, can appreciate, rather than boast about, their
A tragic hero is defined as a hero who makes a judgement error and it inevitably leads to his or her death as defined by aristotle. Aristotle is one of the most famous philosophers of ancient Greece. He had guidelines for the best tragedies and what has to be involved in the characteristics of a tragic hero. There were five non-negotiable traits that to be in a part of the tragic hero. 1.)They had to either be of noble or royal birth or had to have wisdom. 2.)They had to have hamartia which is a tragic or fatal flaw. Most tragic heroes died, few rarely survived. 3.)They must have a reversal of fortune brought about the heroes main error which causes them to die. 4.) The hero has to have anagnorisis or an epiphany, which is when the hero
A well known example of such a person is Odysseus from Homer's "Odyssey". Odysseus is idolized for his few heroic deeds during the Trojan War and his journey home to Ithaca. He is often thought of as a hero, but, as he is human and therefore subject to human weakness and fault, is not a true hero although some of his deeds were heroic. Odysseus also possessed the necessary qualities and skills needed for him to succeed. This is perhaps the key to understanding why he was classified as a hero in the first place.
Epic heroes do not always have to be a good guy from the start; it’s the choices they make that matter. This was perfectly exampled through Homer’s character, Odysseus. However, it was not easy reaching the goal like when Odysseus was trying to reach home. He knew the dangers he may face and the consequences that go with it, but he continued because of the importance of him being there. And with that, he passed these obstacles with the same motivation every time. Looking back at Odysseus’s expedition over the years, he did not only build a legacy, but defined the true meaning of being an epic
Tragedy; it’s inevitable. In life, everyone is bound to experience a rough time. These rough times and flaws are what test a hero and build character. Someone experiencing hard times transforms an average person and his mistakes into something remarkable and heroic. What characteristics make a him a tragic hero rather than just an ordinary person? A hero is a person who is admired for courageous acts, noble qualities and outstanding achievements. Despite possessing the same qualities as an ordinary hero, a tragic hero, who is born a noble birth and usually male, has a fatal flaw that ultimately leads to his ruin. The hero 's flaws can range vastly. Tragically, however, the flaws possessed with eventually ruin the person 's reputation and also
In the world today people consider a hero to be someone like Superman or Spider-Man. In the dictionary a hero is considered or defined as a person of distinguished courage or ability, admired for their brave deeds and noble qualities. Though a hero is thought to be free of mistakes they all have tragic flaws like everyone else. A tragic flaw is explained by Aristotle’s definition, which says that: a tragic hero as a character of great reputation and prosperity whose misfortune is not due to depravity or vice, for the hero is a virtuous man or woman but to an error in judgment resulting from a tragic flaw. Sometimes this flaw is an excess of virtue. In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare people are arguing over who is the perfect tragic hero Julius Caesar or Marcus Brutus. They both fit the criteria of a tragic hero, but Marcus Brutus proves to be the better and more fit of the two.
The main character of the Odyssey, Odysseus the King of Ithaca is given a complex personality to an extent where it is hard to identify whether he is a true hero or not. True heroism is only achieved when a person achieves certain qualities that portray heroism. Odysseus is not a hero based on the standards of merciful, selfless, and gentle because of his actions of sacrificing his men, killing the suitors and being ruthless throughout the Odyssey. Along with many others qualities these three are helpful and necessary in a hero. A hero must be willing to do service for others and put the needs of others safety and protection before his own. Odysseus does not even come close to matching these qualities because he is a person, who only serves of himself, and he sacrifices his allies to achieve his goals and often he takes action ruthlessly.
Comparative Character Analysis of Classical Vs. Modern Tragic Protagonists. A hero/ heroine is described as the principal male/ female character in a literary or dramatic work or the central figure in an event, period, or movement. The classic tragic hero was defined by Aristotle in the fourth century as, “someone who is highly renowned and prosperous” (LATWP, 639), suggesting that there is a “natural right ordering and proportion of traits within the human being that if violated, produces calamity” (LATWP, 639). The book goes on to define classical tragedy as one that “involves the inevitable destruction of a noble person by means of character flaw, usually a disproportionate measure of a specific human attribute such as pride, jealousy or indecision” (LATWP, 639).
In his classic work "Poetics" Aristotle provided a model of the tragic hero. According to Aristotle, the tragic hero is more admirable than the average person. This results in the tragic hero being admired by the audience. For the audience to accept a tragic ending as just, it is crucial that the tragic hero be responsible for their undoing. At the same time though, they must remain admired and respected. This is achieved by the tragic hero having a fatal flaw that leads to their undoing. One of literature's examples of the tragic hero is Achilles from Homer's The Iliad. However, Achilles is different from the classic tragic hero in one major way - his story does not end tragically. Unlike the usual tragic hero, Achilles is able to change, reverse his downfall, and actually prove himself as a true hero.