Hamartia is a tragic hero’s error of judgment resulting in pain, downfall, or death. It can be due to a lack of knowledge or moral flaw, and the results are usually opposite of expectations. The term is not synonymous with “tragic flaw” and can result from ignorance or accident. Aristotle believed hamartia must bring about a reverse of fortune for the hero, who should not be all good nor all bad. Most ancient tragedies involve breaking divine or moral law, but celebrate the human spirit and responsibility for actions.
Hamartia, from the Greek for “error”, is an error of judgment committed by a tragic hero. While the character’s intentions and personal flaws play a central role in this process, this word refers specifically to the character’s wrong action. This mistake can be the result of a lack of knowledge or a moral flaw and usually results in the hero’s pain, downfall, or death. The results are usually the exact opposite of the character’s expectations.
Hamlet, for example, suffers from the tragic flaw of indecision. She hesitates to kill her cruel and evil uncle, which leads to the final tragedy of the game. Struggling with an inherent moral flaw, Hamlet brings about his own destruction. His hesitation, therefore, is the action to which the term hamartia applies.
In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Victor suffers from the inherent moral flaw of arrogance, or pride, conceit, or arrogance. Because of this tragic flaw, he strives to be a great scientist, creates a monster, and brings about his own downfall.
The term “tragic flaw” is often taken as synonymous with this term, but the fallacy of hamartia need not be the result of an inherent flaw in character. Instead, it can result from ignorance or accident, and in some cases, it can be the result of good intentions or courage that result in dire consequences. So while such a mistake may indeed stem from a tragic character flaw, the two terms are not strictly equivalent.
For example, in Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, Oedipus inadvertently kills his own father. On the road to Thebes, the two men argue over the right of way, and as he does not realize that Laius is his father, Oedipus kills him. This example comes from the character’s ignorance.
Aristotle argued that hamartia must bring about a reverse of fortune for the tragic hero, and that this hero must be neither all good nor all bad so that the audience could identify with the character’s plight. Thus, audience members feel a feeling of pity for the character, as well as a sense of dread that the same doom may one day afflict them.
In most ancient tragedies, this mistake causes the protagonist, or main character, to break a divine or moral law, which leads to dire consequences. Despite the horrific events befalling the tragic hero, the tragedies celebrate the human spirit, confronting difficult situations and a character’s responsibility for their actions.
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