{"id":455833,"date":"2021-11-06T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-06T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/?p=455833"},"modified":"2023-01-13T12:07:33","modified_gmt":"2023-01-13T12:07:33","slug":"how-to-write-a-believable-tragic-hero","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/how-to-write-a-believable-tragic-hero\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Write a Believable Tragic Hero"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Have you ever seen something terrible unfold right before your eyes? If so, you know that even if you want to, it\u2019s hard to look away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In stories, the embodiment of that irresistible dread is the tragic hero \u2013 or what I like to call \u2018the literary car crash\u2019. Every story has a protagonist<\/a>, or hero<\/a>, and that hero usually faces some kind of conflict<\/a>. Often they suffer hard lessons, but come out in the end with their conflict resolved<\/a>; the hero is fulfilled, and the story ends on a happy note.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, I love a happy ending \u2013 and absolutely refute the suggestion it lessens a work\u2019s importance. But what if you want your readers to have a different response to the end of your story? What if you want them to feel pity, fear, or devastation for your protagonist?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If that\u2019s your intention, you might consider writing a tragic hero.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this guide, you\u2019ll learn what makes a tragic hero, how those characteristics play out in some well-known examples, and how you can develop your own tragic hero with those examples in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a Tragic Hero?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The tragic hero is a classic literary archetype, one that inspires compelling drama, conflict, and pathos. What makes this character (usually the protagonist) so intriguing is that, while they have admirable traits, one or more of those traits, in the extreme, ultimately causes their downfall. This unhappy irony provides a moral lesson and<\/em> evokes sympathy<\/a> from the reader \u2013 two reactions that leave a strong impression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What’s the Difference Between a Tragic Hero and an Anti-Hero?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Every novel needs a hero, but what kind will the protagonist of your novel be? Unlike a tragic hero, an anti-hero<\/a> is someone who (even if they are the main character) lacks heroic qualities. They might do good things, but not necessarily for good reasons \u2013 think of Joe in the novel and TV adaptation, You<\/em>. On the other hand, the tragic hero remains heroic with strong morals and good intentions, with the exception of their fatal flaw that trips them up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Readers want to read about both types of hero, but unlike with the anti-hero, we suffer as we stand by and watch our tragic hero\u2019s demise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what are tragic heroes made of?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Characteristics of Tragic Heroes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to history books, Aristotle coined the term \u2018tragic hero<\/a>\u2019 (an archetype prominent in ancient Greek plays). He famously said that when a tragic hero meets his fate or demise, \u201cpity is aroused by unmerited misfortune, fear by the misfortune of a man like ourselves.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using the ancient Greek tragedies as an example, the tragic hero has six main characteristics:<\/p>\n\n\n\n