What does a tragic hero have according to Aristotle?

Aristotle's definition of a tragic hero can be found in his work "Poetics". According to Aristotle, a tragic hero is a person who is not wholly good or wholly bad, but instead is a mixture of both good and bad qualities. The tragic hero is also typically of high status or noble birth, and their downfall is often brought about by their own flaws.

Aristotle suggests that the tragic hero should have the following characteristics:

1. Hamartia: This refers to the tragic flaw or error of judgment that leads to the hero's downfall. The hero's hamartia is usually a result of their own choices, rather than being caused by external factors.

2. Hubris: This refers to the hero's excessive pride or arrogance. Hubris often leads the hero to overreach themselves and make mistakes.

3. Peripeteia: This refers to the sudden reversal of fortune that occurs in the hero's life. The peripeteia is usually brought about by the hero's hamartia.

4. Anagnorisis: This refers to the hero's moment of self-recognition or realization of their own mistakes. Anagnorisis often occurs at the end of the play, and leads the hero to feel remorse for their actions.

Aristotle believed that the tragic hero should evoke a sense of pity and fear in the audience. Pity is the feeling of sympathy that the audience feels for the hero's suffering, while fear is the feeling of anxiety that the audience feels about the hero's potential fate. Aristotle also believed that the tragic hero should be relatable to the audience, so that they could identify with the hero's struggles.