One famous character who portrayed tragic heroism in classical tragic plays is Romeo Montague.
Romeo Montague is one of the protagonists in Shakespeare's famous tragic play, Romeo and Juliet.
In the play, Romeo plays as Juliet's love interest.
He willed he'd rather die than live without her in his life.
He was indeed one of a kind of tragic hero for that reason.
On the other hand, Aristotle laid his concepts of a tragic hero that could better classify Romeo as one.
One concept he introduced is that a tragic hero (or heroine) must possess a "high" status position.
He or she must embody nobility and virtue in his innate character.
Romeo is evidently characterized with this concept.
He plays a Petrarch of the Montagues, and in the play the Montagues were described by Shakespeare as a family with prestige in the city of Verona.
They owned large houses.
They owned servants.
They were successful merchants.
Thus, Romeo falls in this concept for he was described as to have been belonging to a well-off family.
(Act I, Scene I, Line 141) Aristotle's second concept suggests that, although a hero (or heroine) must be of noble stature, he or she must be imperfect in order for the audience to relate themselves with the hero or heroine.
Romeo, though belonging to a prestigious clan, still has his own imperfections.
He was a young man, an adolescent who was still on the phase of taking things the way people of his age do.
He was mercurial, as recognizable as when he said he fell in love with Juliet's beauty, when prior to that, he was claiming he was "in love" with Rosaline, Juliet's cousin.
Other than that, his repeated reliance on fate was also his imperfection.
He relied on chances when he was "in love" and then defies it when conflict(s) struck him.
It was apparent after he killed Tybault for avenge of Mercutio's death, calling himself a "fortune's fool".
(Act III, Scene I, Line 132) In Aristotle's third concept he points out that a tragic hero (or heroine) causes his or her own downfall, whether of his or her free choice, and not a result of an accident or villainy or malignant fate.
This is what he termed as "hamartia" or tragic flaw.
Romeo's tragic flaws were a mix of his impulsiveness and immaturity caused by his deep reliance on fate.
His impulsiveness, which Juliet willingly dealt in with her growing maturity, was evident in many scenes in the play.
One was when he fell in love too quickly and deeply for Juliet, forgetting instantly about his feelings for Rosaline.
(Act I, Scene V, Line 52) Another was when he killed Tybalt, Juliet's cousin, to avenge for the death of his friend, Mercutio (Act III, Scene 2).
Aristotle's fourth concept implies that the hero (or heroine), due to his or her tragic flaw, receives punishment that exceeds the crime, or that is not wholly deserved by him or her.
In the play, because of his impulsiveness and immaturity, Romeo was banished from the city of Verona; thus, forced to put away from Juliet.
Aristotle's last concept of a tragic hero (or heroine) entails that despite the downfall and punishment brought about by his or her tragic flaw, it was not pure loss after all.
Something positive, something good would have still been gained by the hero.
In the play, regardless of his impulsiveness, Romeo finally grew into maturity after hearing rumors about Juliet's suicidal death (although it was a falsely death because the minister gave Juliet a sleeping potion rather than a poisonous drink).
He was finally able to reunite with Juliet, the love of his life, with no one to judge or stop him after committing suicide.
Romeo Montague is one of the protagonists in Shakespeare's famous tragic play, Romeo and Juliet.
In the play, Romeo plays as Juliet's love interest.
He willed he'd rather die than live without her in his life.
He was indeed one of a kind of tragic hero for that reason.
On the other hand, Aristotle laid his concepts of a tragic hero that could better classify Romeo as one.
One concept he introduced is that a tragic hero (or heroine) must possess a "high" status position.
He or she must embody nobility and virtue in his innate character.
Romeo is evidently characterized with this concept.
He plays a Petrarch of the Montagues, and in the play the Montagues were described by Shakespeare as a family with prestige in the city of Verona.
They owned large houses.
They owned servants.
They were successful merchants.
Thus, Romeo falls in this concept for he was described as to have been belonging to a well-off family.
(Act I, Scene I, Line 141) Aristotle's second concept suggests that, although a hero (or heroine) must be of noble stature, he or she must be imperfect in order for the audience to relate themselves with the hero or heroine.
Romeo, though belonging to a prestigious clan, still has his own imperfections.
He was a young man, an adolescent who was still on the phase of taking things the way people of his age do.
He was mercurial, as recognizable as when he said he fell in love with Juliet's beauty, when prior to that, he was claiming he was "in love" with Rosaline, Juliet's cousin.
Other than that, his repeated reliance on fate was also his imperfection.
He relied on chances when he was "in love" and then defies it when conflict(s) struck him.
It was apparent after he killed Tybault for avenge of Mercutio's death, calling himself a "fortune's fool".
(Act III, Scene I, Line 132) In Aristotle's third concept he points out that a tragic hero (or heroine) causes his or her own downfall, whether of his or her free choice, and not a result of an accident or villainy or malignant fate.
This is what he termed as "hamartia" or tragic flaw.
Romeo's tragic flaws were a mix of his impulsiveness and immaturity caused by his deep reliance on fate.
His impulsiveness, which Juliet willingly dealt in with her growing maturity, was evident in many scenes in the play.
One was when he fell in love too quickly and deeply for Juliet, forgetting instantly about his feelings for Rosaline.
(Act I, Scene V, Line 52) Another was when he killed Tybalt, Juliet's cousin, to avenge for the death of his friend, Mercutio (Act III, Scene 2).
Aristotle's fourth concept implies that the hero (or heroine), due to his or her tragic flaw, receives punishment that exceeds the crime, or that is not wholly deserved by him or her.
In the play, because of his impulsiveness and immaturity, Romeo was banished from the city of Verona; thus, forced to put away from Juliet.
Aristotle's last concept of a tragic hero (or heroine) entails that despite the downfall and punishment brought about by his or her tragic flaw, it was not pure loss after all.
Something positive, something good would have still been gained by the hero.
In the play, regardless of his impulsiveness, Romeo finally grew into maturity after hearing rumors about Juliet's suicidal death (although it was a falsely death because the minister gave Juliet a sleeping potion rather than a poisonous drink).
He was finally able to reunite with Juliet, the love of his life, with no one to judge or stop him after committing suicide.