ENGLISH LITERATURE (CBSE/UGC NET)

Detailed explanation-1: -The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle was the first to define a “tragic hero.” He believed that a good tragedy must evoke feelings of fear and pity in the audience, since he saw these two emotions as being fundamental to the experience of catharsis (the process of releasing strong or pent-up emotions through art).

Detailed explanation-2: -Though Sophocles crafted Oedipus long before Aristotle developed his ideas, Oedipus fits Aristotle’s definition with startling accuracy. He is the tragic hero par excellence and richly deserves the title as “the ideal tragic hero."

Detailed explanation-3: -Aristotle was one of the first individuals to analyze and describe the qualities of a tragic hero who, in Aristotle’s mind, is the most crucial part of a tragedy. A tragedy should revolve around a tragic character who is noble in both birth and manner.

Detailed explanation-4: -A tragic hero is a longstanding character type that originated from some of the earliest documented story-telling. Stemming from early stageplays, this type of hero has made its mark as a literary tool not just on stage but in TV and film.

Detailed explanation-5: -He defines tragedy as an. “Artistic imitation of an action that is serious, complete in itself, and of adequate magnitude”. The function of a tragedy should be to arouse emotions of pity and fear in the audience to bring out emotional relief (Catharsis).