What is a tragic flaw?
A fatal flaw in the protagonist's character that leads to their downfall.
The Fatal Misstep: Exploring the Tragic Flaw in Creative Writing
A tragic flaw, a term coined by Aristotle, refers to a fatal or critical error in a protagonist's character traits that eventually contribute to their downfall.
Examples of such flaws include pride, ambition or selfishness. This concept offers writers a crucial element that leads to character development, as well as the thematic impact of the story. By creating a tragic flaw, writers add complexity to their character, and leave room for them to grow and make errors.
The use of tragic flaw in storytelling is a device that can create tension and dramatic storylines. It creates a sense of empathy with the reader, as they can see the downfall of the character from a mile away, but continue to follow their journey through the story.
A tragic flaw is a device used in literary works to create tension and dramatic storylines. Here are two examples of how it has been used in literature:
The play follows Oedipus, who unknowingly murders his father and marries his mother as foretold by a prophecy - a fate he was trying to avoid due to his pride and arrogance.
Macbeth's ambition leads him to commit regicide in order to become king, causing a chain of murders and lies. His insatiable desire for power leads him towards his inevitable and tragic downfall.