1. In your writer’s notebook: Write about a time when you lost something important due to a personal mistake or error in judgment. (10 minutes)

2. Tragic Hero: the protagonist of a tragedy that usually has one major flaw (tragic flaw) that leads to his/her downfall and elicits pity or sympathy from the audience.

3. Tragic Heroes: Are usually of high social standing Have a tragic flaw Experience a complete loss Some well-known tragic heroes in popular culture are….

4. Anikan Skywalker In Star Wars, Anikan, the promising young Jedi, makes one bad decision after another, which eventually leads to his downfall as a hero and his rebirth as the villainous Darth Vader. Tragic flaw: the desire for control

5. Shakespeare’s Romeo Romeo’s lovesickness and long-standing quarrels with the Capulet family cause him to seek revenge for Mercutio’s death (ending any chance at reconciliation between the two families) and then commit suicide since he cannot be with the woman he loves. Tragic flaw: overly dramatic

6. Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe was one of the most notable female celebrities of all time. She changed the way the world saw women, but her dependence on drugs and alcohol eventually led to her untimely death. Tragic flaw: drug abuse.

7. Oedipus Oedipus was born into royalty and spent his life trying to avoid the fate of marrying his mother and killing his father. Every action he took, ironically, led him closer to his destiny. Tragic flaw: Pride

8. Antigone As we read, your job is to determine how Antigone is an example of a tragic hero. Consider her social standing, tragic flaw, and eventual downfall.

9. As you read, make notes in your writer’s notebook over the following: Location/lines of important quotations Literary elements Predictions Character development Questions Unknown vocabulary