Introduction → High Status → Middle Goodness → Hamartia → Change of Fortune → Conclusion
Aristotle describes the tragic hero in Chapter 13 of the Poetics. He says the hero must be chosen with great care. The hero decides how much pity and fear the audience feels. So his qualities are very important.
(বাংলায়: আরিস্টটলের নায়ক মহৎ কিন্তু দুর্বল; তার ভুলই তার পতন ঘটায় এবং দর্শক করুণা ও ভয় অনুভব করে।)
The tragic hero should be a man of high rank and good fortune. Oedipus is a good example. He is a famous king. Such a man falls from a great height. His fall shocks the audience deeply. A poor or unknown man would not give the same strong effect. Aristotle says such a fall teaches a strong lesson about the weakness of human life.
(বাংলায়: ট্র্যাজিক নায়ক উচ্চ পদের ও সৌভাগ্যবান হবেন, যাতে তার পতন দর্শকদের গভীরভাবে নাড়া দেয়।)
The hero should not be perfectly good. He should not be a very bad man either. He is a man like us, with some weakness. If a good man suffers, we feel shock, not pity. If a bad man suffers, we feel no pity. This is why a middle man is the best choice. We can feel close to him and understand his pain.
(বাংলায়: নায়ক সম্পূর্ণ ভালো বা সম্পূর্ণ খারাপ হবেন না; তিনি আমাদের মতোই কিছু দুর্বলতাসম্পন্ন মানুষ।)
The hero falls because of hamartia. Hamartia means a mistake in judgement. It is not wickedness. Oedipus kills his father without knowing who he is. His error brings his ruin. This shows that the fall is not fully deserved. Aristotle says the fall comes from some great fault in judgement. It is a human mistake, so we can forgive it.
(বাংলায়: নায়কের পতন ঘটে হ্যামারশিয়া বা বিচারের ভুলের কারণে, দুষ্টতার কারণে নয়।)
The hero moves from happiness to misery. This change comes through the plot. The audience sees a man like themselves suffer. They feel pity for his undeserved pain. They feel fear because the same may happen to them. This leads to catharsis. The fall must come step by step, in a believable way, so that the audience feels it is real.
(বাংলায়: নায়ক সুখ থেকে দুঃখে পতিত হন; এতে দর্শকের মনে করুণা ও ভয় জাগে এবং ক্যাথারসিস ঘটে।)
So the tragic hero is a noble but weak man. He is neither perfect nor wicked. His mistake brings his fall. His suffering gives the audience pity, fear and catharsis. This is Aristotle's idea of an ideal tragic hero.
(বাংলায়: আরিস্টটলের মতে ট্র্যাজিক নায়ক মধ্যম মানের ভালো মানুষ, যার ভুলেই পতন হয়।)
| N | Noble status | উচ্চ পদ |
| M | Middle goodness | মাঝারি ভালো |
| E | Error (hamartia) | বিচারের ভুল |
| S | Suffering and fall | দুঃখ ও পতন |
- Define hamartia in one simple line and give the example of Oedipus.
- Must mention: not perfectly good, not wicked, falls by an error.
- Easy term to use: pity, fear and catharsis.
Source: NU Guide · nuguidebd.com · #q-4440