Tragic Heroes Two men are credited with the

Two men are credited with the definition of differing TRAGIC HEROES. Aristotle Greek philosopher

Aristotelian Tragic Heroes are: • Born into nobility • Responsible for their own fate

Arthur Miller’s Common Man Tragic Hero • Arthur Miller argues that a tragic hero

THE SULLIED HERO • Many plays idealise the protagonist in an effort to create

TRAGEDY AND THE COMMON MAN Miller states that the flaw, or crack in character,

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Tragic Heroes

Two men are credited with the definition of differing TRAGIC HEROES. Aristotle Greek philosopher 384 BC – 322 BC and Arthur Miller American playwright and essayist, 1915 – 2005

Aristotelian Tragic Heroes are: • Born into nobility • Responsible for their own fate • Endowed with a tragic flaw • Doomed to make a serious error in judgement Eventually, tragic heroes: • Fall from great heights or high esteem • Realise they have made an irreversible mistake • Face and accept death with honour • Meet a tragic death For all tragic heroes: • The audience is affected by pity and/or fear

Arthur Miller’s Common Man Tragic Hero • Arthur Miller argues that a tragic hero need not be of high social standing. • He asserts the value in the common man hero – a man with flaws, with meekness. • What makes this man a hero is his desire and willingness to fight to maintain his own personal dignity. • What makes him relevant to our times is that he exists in everyday life. • He is not royalty or rich or on any sort of pedestal from which to fall. He is us. He is every man.

THE SULLIED HERO • Many plays idealise the protagonist in an effort to create a person with whom the audience will sympathise. • When employed in a tragedy, this strategy also places that character on a pedestal so that, when he or she falls, the fall will be much greater and more heartbreaking. • In contrast, Miller’s protagonist, John Proctor, is not a perfect man. He is flawed from the beginning. However, his fall is still tragic and the audience can relate to his flaws. • The common man is flawed and the audience is full of common men.

TRAGEDY AND THE COMMON MAN Miller states that the flaw, or crack in character, for a common man tragic hero is “nothing but his inherent unwillingness to remain passive in the face of what he conceives to be a challenge to his dignity. ” In other words, the hero refuses to give up his place in society and lose his personal pride. He will do anything to keep his good name. (Miller)