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Who in the Iliad best qualifies as a tragic hero?

User WillD
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Final answer:

Achilles is the tragic hero in Homer's Iliad, exemplifying the qualities of nobility and hamartia that lead to his peripeteia, anagnorisis, and the audience's catharsis after his tragic demise.

Step-by-step explanation:

In Homer's Iliad, the character who best qualifies as a tragic hero is Achilles. This hero embodies the qualities outlined by Aristotle: he is a noble character with a tragic flaw, or hamartia, which is his heel. This flaw ultimately leads to his death. The peripeteia in Achilles' story comes when his close comrade Patroclus is killed, which changes his stance in the Trojan War. This leads to his moment of anagnorisis, realizing the ramifications of his actions and decisions. The story of Achilles fulfills the necessary components of a tragedy, culminating in the catharsis that comes with his eventual demise.

User GeekMasher
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