Similarities Between Romeo And Juliet Tragic Hero

Vincent Dattilo

Ms. Jozwiak

Honors English, 1P

1 March 2023

Working Title A tragic hero is a literary character who possesses heroic qualities but also a tragic flaw that leads to their destruction or at least a great amount of suffering. The purpose of a tragic hero is to make the audience experience catharsis by showing the redeeming qualities of humanity. 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 Romeo and Juliet best models the tragic hero/ For instance, nobility is characterized by being upper class

His hamartia is his overwhelming obsession with becoming a great artist and to an extent, the women he fell in love with. For example, when Eugenie Loyer rejected him, but he continued to pursue her, possibly even more than before, but eventually he realized that she would never feel the same way, so he fell into a deep depression but found solace in religion (this was one of the main reasons he became a minister). Not learning his lesson, he fell in love with his recently widowed cousin and when she said she didn't feel the same way, Van Gogh followed her, burst into her home, and put his hand in an oil lamp and said he would keep it there untill she appeared. In his last actual relationship, he fell in love with an alcoholic prostitute named Clasina Maria Hoornik, who he dated for 19 months and then became extremely depressed when they split. In other words, none of van Gogh's relationships worked out well because he became too obsessive and clingy which became overbearing. After all his heartbreaks, Van Gogh developed a very unhealthy lifestyle subsisting off of coffee and bread, and he started to drink and smoke excessively. This evidence highlights van Gogh was a caring and loving man but that also made him hurt all the more. Needing more fresh air and sunlight, Gogh moved to Arles in southern France where he bought his now famous “yellow house”. Loving the town, he sent

After a heated argument, Gauguin left the house to clear his mind, but when Gaugin looked back he saw van Gogh following him and he had cut off his left earlobe with a razorblade. Afraid and in shock, Gauguin fled and checked himself into a hotel and a few hours later van Gogh went to the local brothel and handed his ear to a prostitute and told her to keep the object safe (Biography). The next morning, the police found van Gogh in his room where they submitted him to the hospital where he would experience chronic seizures. Looking back, we can see that all the suffering and depression that happened to him in his life built up to this tragic moment that he would never be able to fully recover from. Now questioning his sanity, van Gogh submitted himself to the Saint-Remy-de-Provence asylum where he was diagnosed with epilepsy, which was most likely the cause of his seizures. Unwavering in his pursuit of art, van Gogh continued to paint possibly more than ever making creations like Starry Night and a portrait of his doctor and friend, Dr. Gachet. Later, he sent a note to his sister about him saying, “I have found a true friend in Gachet. He is something like a brother, we resemble each other physically and spiritually as well,”(Crispino). It could be argued he has an actual connection with Gachet but it is more likely his illness and starvation for human connection that caused these