Question

'Hamartia' refers to a trait in the protagonist in plays, that are:

• A. Comedies
• B. Tragedies
• C. History plays
• D. Morality plays

Hint:

Remember the classic example of hamartia: Oedipus's pride (hubris) in Oedipus Rex. His determination to find the truth, a seemingly virtuous trait, is his flaw that leads to the tragic revelation and his downfall. Associating 'hamartia' with 'tragic flaw' and famous tragedies like those of Shakespeare or the ancient Greeks will solidify the concept.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
'Hamartia' is a literary term derived from Greek, meaning "to miss the mark" or "to err." In literature, it refers to the tragic flaw or error in judgment of a protagonist that ultimately leads to their downfall. [2, 5, 10, 14, 15]

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The concept of hamartia was first described by Aristotle in his work Poetics. He argued that a tragic hero should be a character of noble stature who is not inherently evil but whose misfortune is brought about by a specific mistake or flaw (hamartia). [2, 5] This flaw makes the hero's fall from grace more relatable and evokes pity and fear in the audience, which is the central purpose of a tragedy. While characters in other genres can have flaws, the concept of hamartia as the direct cause of a protagonist's ruin is a defining characteristic of tragedies.

Step 3: Final Answer:
Therefore, 'hamartia' is a trait specifically associated with the protagonist in tragedies. Option (2) is the correct answer.