concept of the tragic hero in epic poetry and other stories. An epic poem

consists of a hero of high caliber whose actions affect a nation or a group of

people. The deeds of this hero must be exceedingly brave and have

supernatural elements. Many of these stories first began as an oral

tradition then eventually became written pieces of literature. "Oral

literature comprises a vast range of verbal products, including modern

blues lyrics, African drum songs, ancient Greek epic poetry, folk tales, etc."

Even when the heroes are characters of different authors, they share

common characteristics and abide by certain personality traits which

define them as heroes. A hero is an example of valiancy and intelligence.

In times of danger a hero must remain strong, brave, and audacious.

Many epic poems consist of tragedy's. Tragedies contain several key

points. First, they cannot be discussed and must be able to be acted out.

They also include a hero of high stature and nobility. The tragic hero must

have a tragic flaw, such as an excess of pride, ambition, passion, or some

other trait that leads directly to disaster. Aristotle describes that the key

my power and my throne are supreme." Oedipus is then encountered by a

participation in the drama. In the Greek times, these plays were the center

is not about what decisions he should take but rather whether he will be

Rex. These stories show how the tragic hero had evolved throughout

then neither could they. It also enforced the theory that no one is above

man. He is confused, paranoid, and angered about the circumstances

Though he accepts the Ghost's orders, he senses the evil in his duty sent

so oblivious about Laius' death. The oracle informs Oedipus that the

around Hamlet's quest to avenge his father's death by killing his uncle.

magnitude. The characters are supposed to be of high nobility. Hamlet is

a wealthy prince, however he deals with similar problems as the common

able to make any decisions at all. Jean-Louis Barrault said of him that "he

idea that he might have fulfilled the prophecy. When Teiresias tries to warn

Some common words found in the essay are:
Thebes Sphinx, , Shakespeare Hamlet, Tragedy Aristotelean, Boyce Hamlet's, Oedipus Rex, tragic hero, Sophocles Oedipus, Oedipus Hamlet, Jean-Louis Barrault, tragic flaw, hamlet tragic hero, tragedy invoke, led downfall, uncle hamlet, father's death, hamlet tragic, negligence led, fear pity, oedipus rex, negligence led downfall,
Approximate Word count = 1217
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)