What is a fatal flaw in a tragedy?

Essentially, fatal flaw refers to a character trait possessed by a person that ultimately leads to his downfall. The term fatal flaw generally implies that the character is heroic and admirable in many other ways, and even that the fatal flaw itself would perhaps have been admirable within a different situation.


What is a fatal flaw in a story?

Tragic/fatal flaw

It is a flaw which causes an otherwise noble or exceptional character to bring about their own downfall and, often, their eventual death. Examples of this could include hubris, misplaced trust, excessive curiosity, pride and lack of self-control.

What is a tragic flaw example?

Some examples of a tragic flaw include cowardice, ambition, over-protectiveness, and self-sacrifice.


What is a fatal flaw called in literature?

hamartia, also called tragic flaw, (hamartia from Greek hamartanein, “to err”), inherent defect or shortcoming in the hero of a tragedy, who is in other respects a superior being favoured by fortune.

What is a fatal flaw Shakespeare?

The word 'tragic flaw' is taken from the Greek concept of Hamartia used by Greek philosopher Aristotle in his Poetics. Shakespeare's tragic hero Hamlet's fatal flaw is his failure to act immediately to kill Claudius, his uncle and murderer of his father.


Macbeth Act 1 Scene 2 What is Macbeth’s Fatal Flaw (Hamartia)?



What is Romeo's fatal flaw in Romeo and Juliet?

Romeo's fatal flaw is his rashness; in a sense, his passion can be seen as both his greatest strength and his greatest flaw. As the friar warns Romeo: "violent delights have violent ends" (2.6. 9). Romeo is introduced to the audience when he proclaims his passionate, yet unrequited, love for Rosaline.

What is Macbeth fatal flaw?

For Macbeth, the fatal flaw is ambition.

What is another word for fatal flaw?

The word hamartia refers to a flaw or mistake that leads to a fictional character's downfall. Classical tragedies revolve around the main character's hamartia, the tragic flaw that sets a series of disastrous events in motion.


How do you find the fatal flaw of a character?

To find the two components of your character's fatal flaw, examine their emotional shielding. Do you already know which of those behaviors is constantly tripping them up? Then start there and work backward, looking for the mental component at the root of that habit.

What is a fatal flaw in someone's character?

Fatal: As the name implies, this is the kind of flaw that leads to a character's death. It's sometimes referred to as 'hamartia' and we often associate it with tragedies. In a fatal flaw, your character possesses some trait that brings an otherwise upstanding person to their downfall and eventual demise.

What is the most common tragic flaw?

The most common tragic flaw is excessive pride, also known as hubris. However, characters can have other flaws, including stubbornness and emotion, that lead to their downfalls. This literary device allows the author to create well-rounded characters that appear fully human.


What are the seven fatal flaws?

The 7 fatal flaws of thinking (and how to fix them) include:
  • Leaping. ...
  • Fixation. ...
  • Overthinking. ...
  • Satisficing. ...
  • Downgrading. ...
  • Not-Invented Here (NIH) ...
  • Self-Censoring.


What makes a tragic flaw?

A tragic flaw is a literary term that refers to a personality trait of a main character that leads to his or her downfall. In other words, a character with a tragic flaw is in need of some kind of attitude adjustment.

How do you make a fatal flaw?

Tips for Writing a Fatal Flaw

Choose a fatal flaw that naturally leads to the internal journey you want for your character. Your character arc is naturally connected to where the character begins. Their fatal flaw is a major player in how they develop as a character.


Is fatal flaw a tragic hero?

In literature, a tragic hero is a character with heroic or noble traits, but also a fatal flaw that ultimately leads to their downfall.

Do tragic heroes have fatal flaws?

A tragic hero is the protagonist of a tragic story or drama, in which, despite their virtuous and sympathetic traits and ambitions, they ultimately meet defeat, suffering, or even an untimely end. They are often imperfect or wounded with some sort of fraught experience, and typically have some sort of fatal flaw.

What are examples of flaws?

List of character flaws
  • Arrogant or vain.
  • Conceited or self righteous.
  • Narcissistic or self centered.
  • Libidinous or having excessive desire.
  • Predatory.
  • Excessive pride.
  • Deluded.
  • Boastful.


What is the fatal flaw for a protagonist?

Your Protagonist's fatal flaw is simply his or her way of doing things, i.e., their way of tackling the obstacles that you keep throwing in front of them throughout your story. Where we will now part ways with the tragic hero story is that at some point in YOUR story, YOUR Protagonist learns from his or her mistakes.

What are some examples of characters flaws?

Examples of Character Flaws
  • Socially awkward. Maybe they make people uncomfortable, but they're not being intentionally malicious.
  • Dull. Again, it might be hard to have a compelling conversation with them, but they aren't doing anything wrong.
  • Gossip/busybody. ...
  • Lazy. ...
  • Squeamish. ...
  • Mischievous.
  • Gullible.
  • Spoiled.


What was Oedipus's fatal flaw?

Oedipus fits this precisely, for his basic flaw is his lack of knowledge about his own identity. Moreover, no amount of foresight or preemptive action could remedy Oedipus' hamartia; unlike other tragic heroes, Oedipus bears no responsibility for his flaw.


How do you use fatal flaw in a sentence?

Examples of fatal flaw
  1. This is by no means a fatal flaw, i but it is a missed opportunity. ...
  2. It seems to speak of a fatal flaw in the system of punishment that unravelled the whole. ...
  3. This idea initially seems promising, but it has a fatal flaw centring around the problem of the domain of conjunction.


What was Achilles fatal flaw?

It can be argued that Achilles's fatal flaw is that of hubris, excessive pride and overconfidence. This is what prevents Achilles from making amends with Agamemnon when he steals Briseis from him, refusing to accept his offer of recompense for the humiliations he inflicted upon him.

What is Prince Hamlet's fatal flaw?

The character with a tragic flaw that is portrayed most vividly by William Shakespeare is Hamlet. Hamlet's tragic flaw is his tendency to overthink scenarios and decisions, while procrastinating any real action, which leads in part to his eventual murder.


What was Lady Macbeth's fatal flaw?

Lady Macbeth's two, intimately interwoven, fatal flaws are her sweeping ambition and her cynical view of politics; for the latter she can hardly be blamed, however.

What is Romeo's fatal flaw that causes all his troubles?

In Romeo and Juliet Romeo is known to be a Tragic Hero. Although Romeo doesn't know, his tragic flaw is that he is impulsive. Some examples of him being impulsive throughout the play include Romeo immediately falling in love with Juliet, him willing to die for her, and him killing himself.