hamartia

Học thuật
Thân thiện
hamartia

The hero's hamartia was his excessive pride.

Definition

Noun: 1. Tragic flaw: A fatal flaw in the character of the protagonist of a tragedy, which directly leads to their downfall. This flaw is often a positive trait, such as pride or ambition, that becomes excessive. 2. Error in judgment: A critical mistake or error made by the hero, stemming from their character flaw, that sets the tragic events in motion.

Usage

The word "hamartia" is a specialized literary term used primarily in the analysis of drama and literature, especially classical Greek tragedy and works modeled on it. It describes the internal cause of a hero's misfortune.

Examples
  • In Sophocles' , Oedipus's hamartia is his hubris (excessive pride) and quick temper, which lead him to unknowingly kill his father and marry his mother.
  • Macbeth's unchecked ambition is his hamartia, driving him to murder and tyranny in Shakespeare's play.
  • The critic analyzed the character's hamartia, arguing that his inability to trust others was the fatal flaw that destroyed him.
Advanced Usage
  • Aristotelian concept: In Aristotle's , "hamartia" is a key component of tragedy. It is not simply a vice but often an admirable quality taken to a destructive extreme.
  • Distinction from fate: "Hamartia" emphasizes the hero's personal responsibility for their downfall, distinguishing it from a downfall caused purely by external fate or chance.
Variants and Related Words
  • Tragic flaw: The most common English synonym for "hamartia."
  • Fatal flaw: A synonymous phrase emphasizing the flaw's inevitable, destructive consequence.
  • Catharsis (noun): The purification or purging of emotions, especially pity and fear, through art (a related Aristotelian concept often resulting from the hero's hamartia).
Synonyms
  • Tragic flaw
  • Fatal flaw
  • Failing
  • Imperfection (in this specific literary context)
Antonyms
  • Virtue
  • Strength (as a saving or redeeming quality)
  • Fortuitous error (a mistake not stemming from character)
Related Idioms and Phrases
  • Achilles' heel: A metaphor for a fatal weakness, often used interchangeably with "hamartia" in modern contexts, though it originates from a different mythological source.
    • His pride was his Achilles' heel, the hamartia that led to his ruin.
hamartia

The hero's hamartia was his excessive pride.

Noun
  1. the character flaw or error of a tragic hero that leads to his downfall

Từ đồng nghĩa