Comparative Character Analysis of Classical Vs. Modern Tragic Protagoni

Comparative Character Analysis of Classical Vs. Modern Tragic Protagonists. A hero/ heroine is described as the principal male/ female character in a literary or dramatic work or the central figure in an event, period, or movement. The classic tragic hero was defined by Aristotle in the fourth century as, â€Å"someone who is highly renowned and prosperous† (LATWP, 639), suggesting that there is a â€Å"natural right ordering and proportion of traits within the human being that if violated, produces calamity† (LATWP, 639). The book goes on to define classical tragedy as one that â€Å"involves the inevitable destruction of a noble person by means of character flaw, usually a disproportionate measure of a specific human attribute such as pride, jealousy or indecision† (LATWP, 639). On the other hand, another type of tragic hero exists, the modern tragic hero. This type of hero is a product of a clash between the individual and the social environment. Arthur Miller, the famous playwright said, â€Å"each person has a chosen image of self and position, tragedy results when the characters environment denies the fulfillment of this self concept.† (LATWP, 640). This is a contrast from Aristotle’s classic tragic hero because the hero is no longer born into nobility but gains stature in the action of pitting self against cosmos, and the tragedy becomes, â€Å"the disaster inherent in being torn away from our chosen image of what and who we are in this world.† (LATWP, 640). In the tragic play named after it...