Question Details

Who defined ‘hamartia’ as ‘tragic flaw’?

Options

Aristotle

Dr. Samuel Johnson

Matthew Arnold

A.C. Bradley

Show Answer

Correct Answer :

Aristotle

Solution :

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Let's double-check the literary history:
Aristotle introduced the term "hamartia" in his work *Poetics* to describe the error or misjudgment of a tragic hero that leads to their downfall. Later translators and critics (especially in the English-speaking world) frequently interpreted and translated this concept as a "tragic flaw", although modern scholarship often clarifies it means an error in judgment or misstep. Nevertheless, the definition and conceptual origin of "hamartia" in literary criticism is universally attributed to Aristotle.

Let's draft the response:$ The correct option is Aristotle.
Step-by-step Explanation:

1. Origin of the Term: The term hamartia originates from ancient Greek, where it root-conceptually means "to err" or "to miss the mark."

2. Aristotelian Tragedy: In his seminal work on literary theory, the Poetics (circa 335 BC), Aristotle used hamartia to describe the inherent error in judgment or character defect of the tragic hero that inevitably leads to their downfall (catastrophe).

3. Translation as 'Tragic Flaw': Over centuries of literary criticism and translation, Aristotle's concept of hamartia became widely popularized and defined in English literary studies as the tragic hero's "tragic flaw" (such as Macbeth's ambition or Othello's jealousy).}}