Tragic Hero Compare and Contrast Essay

by | Mar 21, 2018 | Essays

The Greek Tragedy set the stage for all of the modern day books, movies, and television shows featuring tragic endings due to an error the protagonist, or tragic hero, made. You have most likely already seen or read a tragedy containing a tragic hero without even realizing that the ideas came originally from Aristotle’s theories about tragedy! After fully understanding the Greek Tragedy and tragic hero, you will view a modern-day film that is a tragedy and features a tragic hero. Then, you will examine the film and write an analysis essay that compares and contrasts the tragic hero in your chosen film and the tragic hero in your chosen play from the module (either Oedipus or Antigone). The Tragic Hero Compare and Contrast Essay should answer: How are the two tragic heroes the same? How are the two tragic heroes different?

Before Beginning the Essay:
1. Choose and view a film that is a tragedy and includes a tragic hero
2. Locate evidence in the film that aligns with the elements of a tragedy/tragic hero (you can paraphrase the evidence from the film but remember that paraphrases require citations)
3. Begin crafting a compare/contrast essay

*Remember that in order to receive a passing grade, your essay MUST include specific, cited evidence as detailed in the Research and MLA Module. Essays without specific, cited evidence will not receive a passing grade*

Organizing a Compare/Contrast Essay:
• Thesis: Should include both titles and both authors of the works being compared and contrasted plus the essay topic
o For Example: __________ by ___________ and ____________ by _____________ reveal protagonists with similarities and differences who serve as tragic heroes according to the ideas of Aristotle.
• Organization Option 1: Block Approach
o One paragraph comparing both tragic heroes and the next paragraph contrasting both tragic heroes
o For Example: One body paragraph analyzing the similarities of both tragic heroes and the second paragraph analyzing the differences of both tragic heroes
• Organization Option 2: Point by Point Approach
o One paragraph talking about a point of one tragic hero (such as the tragic flaw) from the first work and the next paragraph talking about the same point (such as the tragic flaw) from the second work (this would include similarities and differences from the first tragic her)
o For Example: One body paragraph analyzing the tragic flaw of the first tragic hero and the next body paragraph analyzing the tragic flaw of the second tragic hero

Proofreading Checklist: Look for the following errors when proofreading
• Spelling errors
• Comma, Semi-Colon, and Colon errors
• MLA format errors
• Fragment and Run-On errors
• Apostrophe errors

Remember the following requirements while polishing the final essay:

• MLA format
• Introduction
• Paragraph form
• Proper thesis statement
• Topic sentences that relate to the thesis statement
• On topic development and transitions
• Evidence that supports claims
• Integrated evidence
• Correct in-text citations
• Analysis of evidence that does not summarize
• Conclusion sentences for each body paragraph
• Conclusion paragraph that does not summarize
• Proper Works Cited page

Submit your completed assignment when finished. For grading criteria, refer to the assessment rubrics included in the sidebar of the course module.

Sample Solution

Sample solution

Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.


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God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

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