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Hamartia (Ancient Greek: άμαρτία) is used in Aristotle's Poetics, where it is usually translated as tragic mistake or tragic flaw.
There is debate as to what exactly hamartia means in Aristotle's Poetics. The word, in Homeric Greek, refers to a warrior who has missed his mark. If an archer or a spear thrower misses, άμαρτες has occurred.
Hamartia as Tragic Flaw
Traditionally, it has been interpreted as referring to a 'tragic flaw' in the character of the protagonist (the tragic hero). More often than not, the tragic flaw is hubris, for example in Antigone and Oedipus Rex. Shakespeare's King Lear and Brutus in Julius Caesar are other famous tragic heroes whose flaws are hubris. An example of a protagonist with a tragic flaw in modern literature would be Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman. A more subtle example would be the fictionalized Antonio Salieri in Peter Shaffer's Amadeus.
It has been suggested by some that the modern idea of the "tragic flaw" is a mistranslation of the Greek. An alternative translation is "tragic mistake." This translation implies that the character makes one fatal mistake based on an incomplete self knowledge. Those who prefer this interpretation argue that the Greek tragedies contain no clearly identifiable tragic flaws, and have been twisted to fit the supposed 'tragic flaw' theory.
Regardless of what Aristotle actually meant, the term "tragic flaw" and the ideas behind it are firmly ensconced within traditional literary criticism.
See also
"Hamartia"