A hero is defined as a person who is admired or idealized for courageous actions, or noble qualities. There are many types of heroes in the world of literature, like superheroes, classical heroes, tragic heroes, and byronic heroes. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby portrays the protagonist Jay Gatsby as a tragic hero, rather than a byronic hero. While they both are a type of hero, they have their fair share of differences. A tragic hero possesses the traits of having a noble status, possessing a vital flaw, catering a moment of recognition, and meeting their significant downfall. A byronic hero’s flaws are more recognizable than their achievements, and the hero is considered to be a rebellious and mysterious character, along with self-destructive …show more content…
In short, a tragic hero is a heroic person who is blinded by a flaw, which leads to their downfall. Jay Gatsby is a well-known man because of the parties he holds on the weekends. The man was not born rich, but he gained his wealth, which then led him to his nobility. “…and I came into a good deal of money” (Fitzgerald 65). As Gatsby was revealing the story of his past years, he states that he wasn’t born rich, but he gained his wealth. The man can flaunt his riches on Long Island and promote them even more with the events he holds. Gatsby is considered to be noble because of his wealth, but he was flawed. His flaw was the belief in repeating the past. “‘Can’t repeat the past?’ He cried incredulously. ‘Why of course you can!’” (Fitzgerald 111). Gatsby wishes to get his lover back once again. He believes that Daisy still loves him and he won’t let that go. Gatsby later begins to stir the argument between him and Tom as he declares his statement. “Just tell him the truth—that you never loved him…” (Fitzgerald 132). Gatsby is blinded by his fatal love for Daisy, which is causing his sense of mind to be in chaos. The character is not idle or passive; he is unable to make reasonable actions and becomes blinded by his past. Gatsby’s downfall was eventually brought up. Gatsby understands the dear situation and ultimately decides to take the blame. “…but of course I’ll say I was” (Fitzgerald 143). As Jay takes the blame …show more content…
Fitzgerald created Gatsby’s character as a tragic hero because the character cointains the charactersitcs of the hero. He is a decently known person who secretly built on his past. Gatsby’s character traits were picked out very carefully by Fitzgerald and he made Jay a unique character because his actions plays an important role in the novel’s progression. As Gatsby plays his role, many events begin to lay in place, meaning that her will soon be under the impression of being a tragic hero. Throughout all the events, Fitzgerald managed to accomplish his goal of making Gatsby meet all the criterias for a tragic