ENGLISH LITERATURE (CBSE/UGC NET)

Detailed explanation-1: -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-2: -Hamartia is a Tragic Flaw, Not Just a Flaw 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-3: -Hamartia arose from the Greek verb hamartanein, meaning “to miss the mark” or “to err.” Aristotle introduced the term in the Poetics to describe the error of judgment which ultimately brings about the tragic hero’s downfall.

Detailed explanation-4: -tragic flaw. noun. : a defect in the character of a good person (as the hero of a tragedy) that causes his or her destruction.

Detailed explanation-5: -In ancient Greek tragedy, a hamartia is a fatal mistake that a character makes that brings about their downfall. In Oedipus Rex, for instance, Oedipus’ hamartia is killing his father and marrying his mother, which he does without meaning to.