ENGLISH LITERATURE (CBSE/UGC NET)

Detailed explanation-1: -Rather, the term can only be used in the context of tragedies, or stories with tragic heroes (in which the protagonist incites his or her own downfall). Some characters may be deeply flawed, but do not have hamartia if their flaws don’t ultimately lead to their downfall.

Detailed explanation-2: -hamartia, also called tragic flaw, (hamartia from Greek hamartanein, “to err”), inherent defect or shortcoming in the hero of a tragedy, who is in other respects a superior being favoured by fortune.

Detailed explanation-3: -hamartia -mahr-TEE-uh noun. : a flaw in character that brings about the downfall of the hero of a tragedy : tragic flaw. Examples: Greed was the hamartia that ultimately brought down the protagonist. “Characters in Greek tragedies usually had a hamartia, or fatal flaw.

Detailed explanation-4: -The Greek word hamartia translates pretty directly as “error” or “shortcoming” without any necessary overtones of guilt or moral failure. Our modern conception of tragedy and the “tragic flaw” of the hero usually involves the concept of hubris, or overweening pride, that leads to disaster.

Detailed explanation-5: -Aristotle mentions hamartia in Poetics. He argues that it is a powerful device to have a story begin with a rich and powerful hero, neither exceptionally virtuous nor villainous, who then falls into misfortune by a mistake or error (hamartia).