Tragic Hero Outline

Aaron Rodriguez

Taummoepeau

AP Literature

September 25, 2014

Tragic Hero Paper Outline

Introduction

• Characters Willy and Okonkwo fit the definition of Aristotle’s tragic hero.
• Make transition into Willy’s paragraph

Willy

• Willy does fit the description of a tragic hero in some aspects but in others he does not  by Aristotle
• Hubris in  his son Biff: shows excessive pride in his son and fills Biff’s head with the false sense that he will be a success because he is Biff Lowman
• Flaw- thinks everything will go right for his son because he is well liked,
• Thinks that Howard owes him something when he is getting hired when he is getting fired
•  Anagnorisis – Willy never realizes that he is a failure and that no one owes him anything. He then kills himself in the effort to give his family the money he thinks will help them
• In the beginning Willy is not different than the average American. He has an average job as a salesman and loves his boys. This was  normal for the time period
• Stereotypical man of his time era
• Willy begins to lose his mind when Biff comes home
• Shows how other characters are also losing their minds
• Willy fits tragic hero definition however Okonkwo doesn’t in some ways

Okonkwo

·         Okonkwo is too manly he tries to use every opportunity to assert his manliness

·         Okonkwo is respected through the village but when he beats his wife during the time of peace he is exiled

·         Excessive pride in his manliness always is trying to assert his dominance over people

·         Fears being like his father and being weak

·         Like others of his tribe protective of masculinity

·         Okonkwo was seen as strong but when he beat his wife during the time of peace he was exiled and this began his downfall. Okonkwo then realizes his fault and hangs himself

Conclusion

·         Willy and Okonkwo fits definition of tragic hero by Aristotle

·         Okonkwo realizes he is weak and is what he feared to be

·         Willy Realizes that him and his family cant get what they want because they are Lowmans

·         Okonkwo and Willy both fit definition of tragic hero of Aristotle