In any tragedy, the tragic hero is the protagonist in the story who the author decides to give catastrophic human qualities. The tragic hero ends up being the cause of his own fate because of his human nature, but even through the hero’s death, their humanity is enlightened and proven to have redeeming qualities. Three main theories of the tragic hero are the Aristotelian model, the Shakespearean model, and the modern tragic hero. Each model has five defining characteristics, which are nobility, hamartia, downfall, anagnorisis, and suffering. In the Shakespearean mode of tragedy, the play The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet best models the tragic hero. For instance, nobility is characterized by being upper class and having elevated character. Romeo …show more content…
For example, Robin Williams was an iconic comedian born in Chicago Illinois, July 21, 1951. He grew up like an average child with one brother, a mother, and a father, and went to school and college like many other Americans (“Robin Williams Biography” biography.com). However, Williams also had hamartia in that he put others before himself so much that he did not worry about his own needs. Furthermore, Williams had depression, 2 divorces, and drug addictions that many people were unaware of (Tohid, Hassaan). Eventually, his mental issues and his self-neglect were his downfall, and those event led to his inevitable suffering (Corliss, Richard). Towards the end of the downfall, Williams had an anagnorisis, but he never realized his tragic flaw which was also a major cause of his suffering (Corliss, Richard). Finally, Robin Williams committed suicide on August 11, 2014 causing a chain of suffering around the world for friends, family, and his fanbase and his lasting legacy (“Robin Williams Biography” biography.com). Thus, Robin Williams is an accurate image of a tragic