Saturday, May 16, 2015

Is Troy considered a tragic hero?

Some say Troy is a classical tragic hero.  Some say he is a modern tragic hero.  I tend to think he is more the latter than the former.  Key questions: does Troy reach an epiphany before his death?  Is Troy an emblem of suffering for his people?


Here are the distinctions for you to decide:


Modern Tragic Hero


1.  Person of less worth consideration


2.  May not have the needed catharsis to bring story to a close


3.  May die without any epiphany of his destiny


4.  May suffer without the ability to change the events around him.


5.  A failure, crude, sometimes stupid or even dishonest


6.  Often angry


Classical Tragic Hero


1.  Of noble birth


2.  Suffers from a tragic flaw (hubris) or makes a tragic mistake


3.  Makes others around him suffer


4.  Has a realization (epiphany) about his life before his death


5.  The suffering of the hero is important to his culture; he is looked to as an emblem of of both greatness and suffering


6.  Often persecuted by the supernatural, or fate

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