Hamartia’ first described in literary criticism by Aristotle in his ‘poetics’.

It is the term used by Aristotle in

his poetics. Hamartia is also known as ‘Tragic flaw’ and “error of judgment”. it is the Greek word
describes many people refer to as the tragic flaw of hero of Greek tragedy, Hamartia means ‘sin’, error’,
’trespass’ and ‘missing the mark’. The mistake of hero has an integral place in the plot of tragedy. The
logic of hero’s descent into misfortune is determined by the nature of his or her particular kind of
hamartia. hamartia means ‘error of judgment’, ’mistake’ of the tragic hero.

 Definition of Hamartia

“A fatal flaw leading to the downfall of a tragic hero”

Hamratia is the deadly flaw in a protagonist or hero that leads to this characters downfall. Aristotle first
used in his essay ‘Poetics’, the first treatise on literary theory. Aristotle describes the function of
Hamartia, in Greek Tragedy as that aspect of the hero or perhaps an error of hero makes that sets into
motion a chain of unavoidable incidents that change the hero’s fortune from good to bad.
Function of hamartia

Hamartia gives a sense of pity and fear in the audience identified with the tragic hero as, like them, his
character was good and bad qualities they felt pity and fear for the reversal of fortune that he
undergoes similarly, witnessing a tragic hero due to his own flaw, the audience and readers may fear
the same fate could befall them if they indulge in resembling kind of action. So that hamartia may be a
moral aim, to encourage people to rectify their characters by removing the flaws that can cause a
tragedy in their lives.
Significance of hamartia in literature
Hamartia is a significant topic in literature. While hamartia was first applied to characters in Greek
Tragedies, It is related to and present in known characters throughout the history of literature. Most
teachers gives advise that a protagonist with no flaw is, really, quite a boring character and
inappropriate of being written about it is really more difficult for the reader to relate to hero with no
flaws , because that simply is not common or realistic in ordinary life. • Doctor Faustus a tragic hero
with Hamartia
The aspiring nature of Doctor Faustus is the Hamartia or the tragic flaw of Doctor Faustus. He wishes to
possess ultimate power, worldly delight for that he sells his soul to devil Lucifer though a contrast.
Lucifer, the soul of Dr .Faustus takes away to hell and Dr. Faustus suffers eternal downfall because of his
ambition.

The answers are;

• The meaning of catharsis
The meaning of catharsis by F. U. Lucas in his Quito’s. He tells controversy about Aristotle’s meaning, he
gives example of catharsis, as purification or ‘corrections or refinement’, ‘Reinigung’ or the like. It has
suggested that our our pity and fear are purified in the theatre by becoming disinterested.

• How far is a Aristotle’s view of Catharsis true? he tells his observation that the sort of relaxation or
release after a prolonged that is build up and maintain during the Drama, through a welcome feeling, is
not a purgation or moderation but fulfillment or satisfaction with conclusion.
• The third: what led to adopt this theory? Talks on his master Plato, has attacked poetry in general
including tragedy from moral and philosopher point of view. And had to defend poetry against his
master’s attack on moral and philosopher ground. He has to refute Plato’s charges.

• What is catharsis?
A catharsis is an emotion discharge due to one can achieve a state of moral or spiritual renewal,
or achieve a state of libration from anxiety and stress.
How do you identify Catharsis in writing?

Aristotle is a Greek philosopher and a playwright. He address the role of Catharsis in his work ‘poetics’.
He believed that the main aim of Drama and comedy is to purge and purify the audience feeling and
emotion, mostly those of pity ad fear. Through imitating dramatic circumstances, a work of literature
allows its reader to live vicariously by the situation and process their own feeling, Aristotle does not
invariably say this, Many now feel that catharsis also permit the reader to come at a greater
understanding of the world as well.

• Function of catharsis: Dramatic use

The term catharsis persuaded the impact of Tragedy, Comedy or any other form of art on audience and
in some cases even on the performs themselves in The Dramatic art, Aristotle did not elaborate on the
meaning of ‘Catharsis’ and way he used it in defining in his tragedy.

D. W. Lucas’s, an authoritative version in poetics thoroughly covered, in an appendix dedicated to pity,

fear and Katharsis, the different shades of meaning and aspects inherent in interpretation of the word,
Lucas identifies that there is a chance that catharsis may have aspect of meaning like ‘purification’,
intellectual clarification’, and ‘purgation’.

Hubris, also referred to as hybris, is excessive pride or confidence in oneself, and it usually leads to the
downfall of the character. The term itself comes from the Greek word meaning “insolence.” Hubris, in
classic literature, is the protagonist’s tragic flaw and ultimately leads to the fall or demise of that
character. A character or person who has this excessive pride is described as hubristic. In many stories, a
hubristic protagonist or character is given a warning by a wise man, prophet, god, or important character.
The hubristic character usually ignores this warning, stemming from their pride and arrogance, and
violate a moral law or try to go beyond human limitations to be god-like.

There are many examples of hubristic characters in classic mythology, because the Greeks thought hubris
was a punishable crime. They thought it a great mistake to try and make oneself equal or as powerful as
the gods. They also thought it punishable be so prideful as to ignore or change fate.

One such famous Greek tragedy is Oedipus Rex. In this play, Oedipus is told by a prophet that he would
marry his mother and murder his father. Oedipus, in his pride, believes he can defy fate and leaves the
city he is in and travels to the city of Thebes. While he is traveling, he kills a man, and he later marries the
queen of Thebes. The old man was actually his father and the queen was his mother. Realizing his fate
came true, Oedipus blinds himself. The immoral and criminal acts committed by Oedipus are blamed on
his hubris and his desire to change or avoid his fate.

While hubris may seem to lead to tragedy, the point of depicting hubris is to communicate and
demonstrate to the audience a moral. The hubristic characters in most plays or novels are punished for
their arrogance. Sometimes they do not realize they are being punished at the time, or they may realize
their punishment at the conclusion of the narrative. The depiction of this excessive pride is intended to
influence the audience to improve their behaviour and analyze their levels of pride.

We may even look at individuals in our real world that may possibly affected by Hubris. Some critics
look at Mel Gibson and Tom Cruise as individuals suffering from hubris and feeling the consequences of
their excessive pride. Critics note instances where Tom Cruise appeared on television and seemed
arrogant about himself and believed his views to be the correct views of the world. After these incidences,
his audience was upset and did not watch as many films in which he was the star. Perhaps Tom Cruise
can serve as a real-life example of a hubristic individual receiving punishment for arrogance.

We can see hubris in examples of history as well. Historians often describe the French invasion of Russia
in 1812 as a result of great hubris. Napoleon Bonaparte, at the time, was ruler of the Empire of France and
King of Italy. With his huge army, he decided to wanted to conquer yet another nation, which was
Imperial Russia. Scholars believe that Napoleon’s confidence blinded him to the realities of how difficult
it would be to conquer Russia. His excessive pride caused him to make poor decisions. This campaign in
Russia caused a swift change in the Napoleonic Wars where French allies began breaking from France,
along with a drastic reduction of soldiers

Many examples in literature, history, art, and film demonstrate that a tragic flaw in human character is
hubris. Nearly all characters who demonstrate hubris end in weakened states or with severe financial or
physical injuries. All the examples work to convince an audience or a viewer to regulate their own
pride.Phrase AnalysisEssay WritingWhat are Literary DevicesCitation

Anagnorisis[Recognition]
Definition of Anagnorisis

Anagnorisis is a moment in a plot or story, specifically a tragedy, wherein the main character either
recognizes or identifies his/her true nature, recognizes the other character’s true identity, discovers the
true nature of his situation, or that of the others – leading to the resolution of the story.

Aristotle discussed anagnorisis in his Poetics in detail. He defines it as “a change [that] occurs from
ignorance to knowledge, creating love or hate between the individuals doomed by the poet for bad or
good fortune.” Simply, it is a startling discovery, which brings a change from ignorance to knowledge.

For instance, in William Shakespeare’s “The Winter’s Tale,” a recognition scene occurs in the final act,
which reveals that Perdita is the daughter of the king, and not a shepherdess – the reason that she is
suitable for a royal lover.

Function of Anagnorisis

The use of this literary device is very common in plays and novels. It is a very important part of the plot
in a tragedy, in which the protagonist recognizes his tragic flaw. This happens at the climax, leading to his
eventual downfall. The end of anagnorisis leads to catharsis in the readers. The ideal moment for this
device to happen is the moment of peripeteia, a reversal of fortune, where the protagonist realizes some
important insight or fact, human nature, his own situation, or a truth about himself. It, in fact, unravels all
the major complexities of the plot.

Example #3: Macbeth (by William Shakespeare)

One such moment in “Macbeth” occurs in the final scene when Macbeth, on the battlefield,
encounters vengeful Macduff, who declares that he is not “of woman born,” but instead
“untimely ripped” from the womb of his mother – which is now called a C-Section. This is the
moment when Macbeth learns that the prophecy of witches is about to come true, and that
Macduff would kill him. Though Macbeth realizes that he is destined, he continues to fight with
Macduff, who eventually kills him