asked 149k views
5 votes
Who in the Iliad best qualifies as a tragic hero?

asked
User WillD
by
7.8k points

1 Answer

6 votes

Final answer:

Achilles is the tragic hero in Homer's Iliad, exemplifying the qualities of nobility and hamartia that lead to his peripeteia, anagnorisis, and the audience's catharsis after his tragic demise.

Step-by-step explanation:

In Homer's Iliad, the character who best qualifies as a tragic hero is Achilles. This hero embodies the qualities outlined by Aristotle: he is a noble character with a tragic flaw, or hamartia, which is his heel. This flaw ultimately leads to his death. The peripeteia in Achilles' story comes when his close comrade Patroclus is killed, which changes his stance in the Trojan War. This leads to his moment of anagnorisis, realizing the ramifications of his actions and decisions. The story of Achilles fulfills the necessary components of a tragedy, culminating in the catharsis that comes with his eventual demise.

answered
User GeekMasher
by
8.7k points

Related questions

2 answers
2 votes
185k views
2 answers
0 votes
23.2k views
2 answers
1 vote
155k views
Welcome to Qamnty — a place to ask, share, and grow together. Join our community and get real answers from real people.