THE TRAGIC HERO
THE TRAGIC HERO
TragedyAccording to Aristotle, tragedy arouses pity and fear in the audience so that we may be purged of unsettling emotions…
This emotional release can be pleasurable and
exhilarating, not depressing. This emotional release is known as
catharsis…
The Tragic Hero√ Not completely good or bad√ Highly renowned and prosperous
(royalty)√ Must fall from good fortune in order
to move us
The Tragic Flaw√ A character weakness that makes the hero
responsible for his downfall√ He is not merely a plaything of the gods√ By the end of the play he recognizes his
flaw and accepts his fate… he is enlightened.
We the audience feel that the punishment is too excessive for our hero so we pity him, yet we are fearful too because we know that the hero is better than us and still failed.
The Hero’s PersonaI. They will possess a particular type of
excellence (arete`)II. In addition, they also possess an
excessive degree of pride (hubris)III. This excessive pride causes them to
believe that the customary limitations do not apply to them, and they act with imprudence or blind recklessness (ate`)
IV. As a result their behavior invites disastrous retribution (nemesis)
Family Feud
1.Antigone’s quiet and timid sister
Ismene
2.Ends each scene with a summary or opinion of the past
events
Chorus
3.The leader of the chorus
Choragos
4.In charge of watching Polyneices’
body
Sentry
5.Kills herself after her son dies
Eurydice
6.A tragic hero that suffers from pride
Creon
7.Son of the King
Haimon
8.Blind prophet that warns Creon
Tiresias
9.Sophocles’ birth place
Athens
10.The plays were inspired
by these storiesThe Greek myths
11.In the Greek plays where did
the violence take place?Off stage
12.________is dropping hints
about what is to come later in the
textForeshadowing
13.Antigone expects to be
_____ for burying her brother.
honored
14.How does Creon feel
about women?He is sexist
towards women
15.How do the Gods feel about Creon’s decreesThey are angry
16.What final choice does Antigone
make in the play?She commits suicide
17.Creon believes that
this brother is a traitor
Polyneices
18._____ is Antigone’s
uncleCreon
19.Who is the author of this
play?Sophocles
20.The name of the city where this play takes
placeThebes
21.Antigone asks this person to
help bury PolyneicesIsmene
22.Oedipus killed his _____
and married his _____
Father, Mother
23.Known for her loyalty and
braveryAntigone
24.Announces the tragedy at the end
of the play
The Messenger
26. Name the 4 Greek Concepts (stages) of a
hero.
Arete, hubris, ate, nemesis
27. What is Creon’s nemesis by the end of
the play?
His son and wife commit suicide
28. Name at least one background
characteristic of a hero.
Elevated status, not extremely good or bad
29. According to Aristotle, this characteristic leads to the down fall of our
hero.
Tragic flaw
30. According to Aristotle a tragedy inspires what two things from the audience?
Pity and fear
31. A release of emotion at the end of the play is called_____.
catharsis
32. In what type of government did Sophocles live?
democracy
32. How many plays of Sophocles have
survived over time?
7
33. The opposite of what is said is
meant.
Verbal irony
34. A character that contrasts the qualities of another character.
Foil
35. The audience knows something that the
characters do not know.
Dramatic irony
36. A person, place, or activity that stands for something else.
symbol
37. Blind recklessness
Ate
38. Excessive pride
hubris
39. Showing excellence
arete
40. What is enlightenment in terms of our tragic hero?
Our hero realizes his/her tragic flaw and accepts
his/her fate.