1. THE TRAGEDY & THE TRAGIC HERO

2.  What should I know? You should be able to understand what a tragedy is and what a tragic hero is and be able to explain why John Proctor is a tragic hero.  Why should I know it? Understanding what a tragedy and what a tragic hero is will help you understand certain character’s motives and why the authors decided to write their plots in such a way.

3. Who came up with ‘Tragedy’?  The Greek philosopher Aristotle came up with the first definition of what a tragedy is.  “It is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete and of a certain magnitude; with incidents arousing pity and fear.” - Huh?

4. What is a Tragedy?  Basically, to be a true tragedy, a play (or story) must make the audience pity the characters and make them fear the same consequences the character (usually the protagonist) experiences.  What is a protagonist?  The main character in the story. The plot revolves around this character and the audience is intended to share sympathy for.

5. What is a Tragic Hero?  This is the protagonist with a fatal (also called tragic) flaw which eventually leads to his downfall.  The protagonist is usually introduced as happy, powerful, and privileged and ends up dying or suffering immensely because of his own actions or mistakes.

6. The Four Traits of a Tragic Hero  Goodness – A moral and ethical person  Superiority – someone with supreme or noble authority or control  Tragic Flaw – Will eventually lead to his own demise  Realization of his actions – realizes that his own actions or decisions have caused his downfall where he will face death or suffering with honor