Topic: Tragic Hero: A study of Dr. Faustus, Hamlet and Adam

Paper no.-3) Literary theory and criticism

oPrepared by: Dave Nimesh BoRoll no. 20M.A.part-1

Sem-1oSubmitted to : Department of English

Maharaja KrishnakumarsinhjiBhavnagar University

Tragic Hero

1. A good man coming to bad end (it is shocking and disturbs faith)

2. A bad man coming to good end ( neither moving, nor moral)

3. A bad man coming to bad end (moral but not moving)

4. A rather Good man – coming to bad end ( an ideal situation)

According to Aristotle…

Aristotle disqualifies two types of character-Purely virtuous and Thoroughly bad He should be a man of mixed character,

neither blameless nor absolutely depraved.He must fall from height to prosperity of glory

• The protagonist should be renowned and prosperous, so

• His change of fortune can be from good to bad • And fall of such man of eminence affects

entire state and nation.

• Hubris- • 1) excessive pride• 2) over self confidence• Etc..

HAMARTIA..

• Error of judgment

hamartia

• Hamartia- Tragic Flaw/ error of judgment• According to Aristotle : hamartia in tragedy

comes not from moral status but from the inevitability of its consequences

• The error of judgment may arise from:1. Ignorance (Oedipus)2. Hasty- careless view (Othello)3. Decision taken voluntarily but not deliberately

(Lear, Hamlet)

Dr. Faustus as a tragic Hero

• Faustus – very profound learner and intellectual and ambitious

• He feels that nothing left for him to learn• Hubris: ‘ why should I be afraid of anything’. “I HAVE

POWERFUL MEPHISTOPHILIS”• WAXEN WINGS (very height) starts melting-so fall will be

great and there will be no one to catch…HAMARTIA: Rather than using his power on good way he uses

it to get cheap popularity. Eternal damnation –character is destiny- they are not choice

less

.

Homo fuse!

• Dr. Faustus thinks for several time before signing the pact which says that he has to give his soul in return of knowledge after twenty- four years

• Even after thinking he makes error in his judgment and signs the pact and hands it over to Mephistopheles.

Hamlet as a tragic hero

• Prince of Denmark• Student of philosophy from

university Of Wittenberg.• His error of judgment- ‘ TO

BE OR NOT TO BE’• Hamlet thinks

philosophically- missed opportunity to kill Claudius while he was praying.

• His downfall

Adam as a tragic hero

• Perfect human being• Physically attractive, mentally adept and spiritually

profound.• He stands out in Eden as the apex of the hierarchical

pyramid. • His flaw- uxoriousness• Adam eats the fruit of the tree of knowledge precisely

because he cannot bear to be without Eve• Adam’s uxorious attitude toward Eve leads directly to

his fall