Final answer:
The main character in a traditional tragedy is a tragic hero of noble birth, facing moral dilemmas due to a fatal flaw, which leads to their downfall. Over time, this concept evolved to include ordinary characters in realistic settings, allowing for broader audience identification. Aristotle emphasized the plot's primacy in driving the emotional power of a tragedy.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Tragic Hero in Traditional Tragedy
The main character in a traditional tragedy is classified as a tragic hero. This concept was established by Aristotle in his work Poetics, presenting a set of criteria that define this central figure. The traits of a tragic hero include being of noble birth or high status and facing a series of ethical choices, often relating to commonwealth issues rather than personal gain. Classic tragic heroes are male characters who possess admirable qualities but are flawed by a fatal weakness or hamartia, leading to their downfall through events such as peripeteia (reversal of fortune), anagnorisis (recognition of truth), and catharsis (emotional purgation).
Most notably, Greek dramas often depict these characters in scenarios that critique contemporary society despite using mythological or ancient settings. This protagonist, often a king or military leader, experiences significant success before hubris or an equivalent flaw results in self-destruction and tragic consequences. These characters' actions and the resulting narrative emphasize the importance of fate and moral lessons over personal attributes.
While classic tragedies focused on the aristocracy, modern playwrights like Henrik Ibsen revolutionized the genre by introducing protagonists of ordinary birth, expanding the tragic hero's definition. Characters facing extraordinary moral dilemmas in everyday settings became a new focus, allowing for a broader audience identification, including female tragic heroes. Such changes paved the way for modern tragedies, emphasizing realism, relatability, and the impacts on personal and societal levels.
Ultimately, Aristotle reasoned that tragedy is an imitation of action more significant than individual characters, with the plot being the driving force of tragedy, supported by the character portrayed. Accordingly, the emotional power of a tragedy primarily lies within the story's construction, marked by pivotal moments like peripeteia and anagnorisis, more so than in expressive speeches or the portrayal of nuanced personalities.