A Tragic Hero is someone who dies because of their weaknesses. So, Willy Loman (in Death of a Salesman) always wanted more than what he had, he wanted success, and even when he was doing well he wanted more; more for his sons, more for his wife, he wasn’t happy with what he had. In the end, it killed him. He died because he thought himself a failure, and he believed that he was worth more dead than alive, so he commits suicide.

Romeo is someone who falls in love too fast, and this flaw kills him in the end as well.

A tragic hero is usually someone who has a major flaw, who dies because of it.

Have you ever used a tragic hero in your writing? Do you think this is an aspect that is over used, or can be over used? Would you like to write about a tragic hero?

I have a few stories of tragic heroes floating around in my head. I don't think I'd be able to write a long novel on it very well because my fantasy tends to want for a happy ending. I think a lot of people today don't write tragic heroes because they want to feel good. Sometimes, even if the character learns nothing, they still get the happy ending.

My current novel has a tragic hero, Etavke, who is Tadix's brother, dies saving the other three characters. (He is trapped inside the ruins of a castle basement) Although you don't really know if he's dead, it is assumed that Etavke dies. However, he dies from making a decision to choose family over military orders (other soldiers of the same rank ordering him to take his friends to prison for trial), and so the gets everyone into a massive fight, which eventually destroys the castle. (Sounds a little cliche, but there's a person there who destroys the castle while trying to help. )

I like writing happy endings too, Rin.

You don't have to make it a main character though, so it wouldn't necessarily ruin the ending.

It can be hard to write in a tragic hero, but it can pay off I think. Especially if the readers really feel for the guy.

Question, Elanor. By your definition, would Marmita be a tragic hero? *is curious if she is understanding what you are talking about *