Tragic Flaw: Using and Critiquing It

Introduction to Tragic Flaw

Also known as hamartia, tragic flaw is a prominent literary device, utilized in ancient Greek drama and tragedy. It refers to a character’s inherent flaw or error in judgment, which leads to their downfall and eventual tragic fate.

This flaw is often a moral or psychological weakness, a character trait, or an inherent feature of their disposition that drives the protagonists to make bad/wrong decisions or commit actions, having severe consequences.

The presence of tragic flaw or hamartia allows for a sense of inevitability in the character’s tragic arc, highlighting the concept of fate or destiny within the narrative.

Literary Examples of Tragic Flaw

Literary Example	Tragic flaw or hamartia Type	Explanation
Macbeth	Ambition	Macbeth’s tragic flaw or hamartia is his ambition, which leads him to pursue the throne and commit murder to achieve his goals. His desire for power and status blinds him to the consequences of his actions, and he becomes increasingly ruthless and paranoid as he tries to maintain his position.
Oedipus	Pride and Arrogance	Oedipus’ tragic flaw or hamartia is his pride and arrogance, which cause him to ignore warnings and pursue the truth about his identity. His relentless pursuit of the truth leads to the discovery that he has unknowingly killed his father and married his mother, resulting in his tragic fate.
Jay Gatsby	Idealized Love	Jay Gatsby’s tragic flaw or hamartia is his idealized vision of love and success, which causes him to pursue Daisy Buchanan with a single-minded obsession. His belief that money and success can buy happiness and love blinds him to the reality of his situation and ultimately leads to his downfall.
Willy Loman	Delusional Belief	Willy Loman’s hamartia is his delusional belief in the American Dream and his inability to accept reality. He believes that success and popularity will solve his problems, but his failures and disappointments cause him to spiral into despair which ultimately leads to his suicide.
Romeo and Juliet	Impulsiveness	Romeo and Juliet’s tragic flaw or hamartia is their impulsiveness and passion, which lead them to make hasty decisions without considering the consequences. Their intense love for each other causes them to defy their families and society, ultimately resulting in their tragic deaths.

How to Create tragic flaw or hamartia in a Fictional Work

Creating it for a character can add depth and complexity to their personality and can help to drive the plot of a story. Here are some steps to create a tragic flaw or hamartia for a character:

1. Character’s Personality: Assess strengths, weaknesses, motivations, and background for potential downfall factors.
2. Identify the Flaw: Pinpoint an inherent flaw or weakness that drives the character’s decisions and leads to tragedy.
3. Connect to the Story: Link the flaw to the central conflict or theme, creating tension and propelling the plot.
4. Develop Consequences: Explore the ultimate outcome of the character’s actions, impacting others and the overall story.
5. Show the Character’s Journey: Depict the emotional evolution and impact on relationships and environment, engaging readers or audiences. Creating a compelling tragic flaw or hamartia adds depth and meaning to a character’s narrative, making their journey powerful and resonant.

Benefits of Tragic flaw or hamartia

Tragic flaw or hamartia, when well-executed in literature, has several benefits. Here are some of them:

1. Adds Complexity to Characters: It creates multi-dimensional characters with depth and nuance.
2. Creates Tension and Drama: Tragic flaw or hamartia drives the plot, leading to impending doom, suspense, and conflict.
3. Increases Empathy: Characters’ struggles with their flaws make readers empathize and connect with their journey.
4. Provides Insight into the Human Condition: It explores universal human experiences, shedding light on emotions like pride, ambition, and love.
5. Creates a Memorable Story: Captivating characters and their struggles make the story memorable long after it ends. In short, it serves as a powerful storytelling tool, crafting memorable characters and offering insights into the human experience.

Tragic flaw or hamartia and Literary Theory

Tragic flaw or hamartia can be analyzed and understood through different literary theories, each offering a unique perspective on the concept. Here are some literary theories and how they relate to tragic flaw or hamartia:

Literary Theory	Interpretation of Tragic flaw or hamartia	Example of Literary Work
Psychoanalytic Literary Theory	Here hamartia arises from the character’s unconscious desires and impulses, which are deeply rooted in their childhood experiences, relationships, and innermost desires. This theory suggests that the character’s behavior and downfall can be traced back to unresolved psychological conflicts.	Oedipus Rex by Sophocles
Feminist Literary Theory	Here hamartia is shaped by societal expectations and gender roles imposed on the character. Feminist theory examines how power dynamics, cultural norms, and the character’s struggle for agency contribute to their tragic fate.	Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
Marxist Literary Theory	Tragic flaw or hamartia is influenced by social class and economic factors that affect the character’s decisions and actions. Marxist theory explores how the character’s position in society, access to resources, and relationship to power contribute to their downfall.	Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
New Criticism Literary Theory	Literary elements such as language, imagery, symbolism, and structure are employed to convey the character’s flaws and foreshadow their tragic fate. New Criticism theory focuses on close reading of the text to analyze how these elements contribute to the character’s downfall.	Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Postcolonial Literary Theory	Here hamartia is influenced by the character’s identity and experiences shaped by colonialism, imperialism, and cultural hegemony. Postcolonial theory explores how the character’s struggle for cultural assimilation, loss of agency, and internal conflicts contribute to their tragic fate.	Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

Suggested Readings

1. Aristotle. Poetics. Translated by Malcolm Heath, Penguin Classics, 1996.
2. Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. Penguin Books, 1976.
3. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Edited by Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine, Folger Shakespeare Library, 2003.
4. Sophocles. Oedipus Rex. Translated by David Grene, University of Chicago Press, 2010.
5. Stoll, Elmer Edgar. Hamlet: An Historical and Comparative Study. University of Minnesota Press, 1919.
6. Williams, Tennessee. A Streetcar Named Desire. New Directions, 2004.
7. McGinn, Colin. Shakespeare’s Philosophy: Discovering the Meaning Behind the Plays. Harper Perennial, 2008.