Aim: How can an analysis of both Aristotle’s definition of the “tragic hero” and an evaluation of the main themes found in Julius Caesar, be applied to the character’s in the play?
Do Now: Why do you believe that some author’s like to utilize having a tragic hero in their stories?
The Do Now is asking for why some authors like to use “tragic hero” in their story. In the meeting, our class discussed that perfect heroes would not be as interesting, so having a tragic hero would help keep the readers interested in the story. A “tragic hero” would also create pity for the hero, which would make the readers want the hero to succeed.
Notes:
We started off the lesson by discussing what a tragic hero is. A tragic hero is a hero that makes a mistake, a terrible mistake that could ruin themselves. They could even die because of their terrible mistake.
Generally, we think of heroes as people who overcome any struggle and in the end, no matter what happened, they win in some way. However that is not always the case.
The tragic hero is just like a hero, but they have a major flaw. Heroes are great, and the tragic hero is no exception. However, their tragic flaw leads to their destruction. Even though they are not the perfect heroes that we generally think of, the tragic hero is a hero, because “moral victory” is won. Their greatness still survives.
The tragic hero is an imperfect character that realizes that they have made a mistake. This mistake is the moment where the hero realizes they messed up and it could be fatal. They accept that their fall from greatness is their fate. “Accepting death with honor” is what makes them a hero. Even though the hero has met their end, they bravely accept their fate.
The audience has seen the greatness of the tragic hero, accomplishments, bravery, etc. Pity and possibly fear is felt by the audience when they see the hero make a mistake that leads the hero towards his or her destruction.
Heroes have successful endings. Usually. The tragic hero is special. They do not find success but but a terrible ending waiting for them. They do not know until they realize their mistake. The way heroes are created makes the audience want to see them succeed. So when the hero makes a possibly fatal mistake, where the hero cannot fix it, fear and pity is created. This uncertainty in the fate of the hero that the audience has been watching over from the beginning of the story creates an uneasy feeling.
Going back to the Do Now question, authors use tragic heroes to create pity and keep the readers interested. The audience knows that the hero is going to have a tragic end. This uneasy feeling and fear that the author has created makes the audience want to know what will happen.
The tragic hero is definitely different from the regular hero. They do not have the perfect ending. That means the audience has to wait to find out more about the fate of the hero. The uncertainty over the hero’s fate is what makes the story interesting.
This lesson is preparation for Julius Caesar, where we will use what we have learned in this lesson about the tragic hero to create a better understanding of Julius Caesar, who is a tragic hero.
Reflection:
I learned about what the tragic hero is. The tragic hero is like a hero in most ways, but is different in that they have a tragic ending. They make a mistake that they cannot fix, so the hero accepts their end. The tragic hero can be used by authors to create pity and fear. Using a tragic hero can make the story interesting. We learned about the tragic hero to understand the play, Julius Caesar better. The characters in the play are related to the concept of the tragic hero, so in order to better understand the play, we have to understand what a tragic hero is. This information can be used when reading Julius Caesar, or any other story with a tragic hero to get a deeper understanding of the story.
What are updates around the world/community regarding the virus?
The virus seems to be slowing down in many countries. New Zealand has declared that they are coronavirus free and lifted their lockdown. In the U.S. there are spikes in cases in some states. There are many reasons for this. Many states are attempting to reopen. Also, there are many protests going on currently about the Black Lives Matter movement. The gathering of people at these protests is a perfect place for the virus to spread.
What are you learning about your world/community based on their reactions?
I have learned that we are not prepared for emergency situations. The cases of coronavirus have spiked in some states which is concerning. Many states are trying to reopen. If the amount of cases rises, then reopening is not a good choice. Our community should focus on making better decisions.
Your own personal feelings about what is happening right now.
I feel frustrated about what is happening right now. The U.S. was not prepared for this situation which is why the cases of coronavirus is not decreasing in the U.S. I think our country is rushing to reopen which is not exactly a good thing, since this could make the pandemic worse.
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