Hamartia
conceptHamartia was the tragic hero's fatal flaw or error of judgement — the concept Aristotle identified as the hinge on which tragedy turns.
The Myth
Aristotle in the Poetics describes hamartia as the quality that causes the hero's downfall. It is often translated "tragic flaw" but more accurately means "missing the mark" — an error of judgement rather than a moral deficiency. Oedipus's hamartia was his determination to discover the truth. Achilles' was his wrath. Creon's was his inflexibility. The concept implies that the hero is not simply punished by fate but contributes to their own destruction through a quality that in other circumstances might be a virtue.
Symbols
Fun Fact
In Christian theology, hamartia was adopted to mean "sin" — literally "missing the mark" of God's law.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth:
Explore Further
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