An essential ingredient necessary for creating an Aristotelian tragedy is the tragic hero. Aristotle enforces this in ‘Poetics’, the recipe book of the tragic genre, a book which Shakespeare has clearly followed whilst constructing his tragedy ‘King Lear’. In Aristotle’s eyes, the plot is the soul of the tragedy, the outline that guides the particular chain reaction of events which enables the audience to receive their cathartic experience, the goal of any tragedy. Characters get regarded as second place, and here’s where I highly disagree with Aristotle, characters giving the essence and colour which allures us into investing in the plot in order to reach those cathartic moments in the tragedy, those that would “evoke a sense of pity or fear” within the audience. If the plot is the base of the tragedy, bland yet edible on its own, the tragic hero and the other supporting characters make up the sauce, primary to the unique identity of the tragedy and bringing bittersweet pleasures by their variety of flavours. Six key characteristics distinguish the main protagonist of a tragedy as a traditional Aristotelian tragic hero: hamartia, hubris, peripeteia, anagnorisis, nemesis and catharsis. My thesis follows. All six characteristics are embodied by King Lear, knowledge of each of them revealing Shakespeare’s intentions of reflecting Aristotle’s idea of a tragic hero in Lear, to not only achieve catharsis in the audience but to evoke thoughts surrounding ideas like the magnitude that errors can have, injustice and the breaking of the natural order.

Most believe that Shakespeare primarily studied Latin whilst receiving education in Stratford- upon- Avon, however, he most likely stumbled upon the works of many Greek philosophers and became particularly intrigued by the works of Aristotle. Though an ancient work of literature, Aristotle’s ‘Poetics’ continues to be praised to this day for introducing what it means for a text to be classified as a tragedy, “an imitation of an action that is serious, complete and of a certain magnitude.” The word ‘imitation’ implies that personas are acting to cause actions which are dramatised so that all success or failure depends on it and yet still remaining true to life. Again, the ultimate goal of any tragedy is for the audience to achieve a cathartic experience, and this is aided much in due part by the tragic hero, who represents the light and dark shades of human nature, imitating everyday men from both present and past times. Inspired by ‘Poetics’ whilst writing his famous tragedies, it’s likely that Shakespeare had built each of his beloved tragic heroes around Aristotle’s beliefs that a tragic hero is one “which reveals moral purpose, showing what kind of things a man chooses or avoids”. To elaborate on this, Aristotle sees the hero as having a morally good purpose despite being flawed, as well as being consistent and true to life despite imitating someone considered above the common level. Understanding Aristotle’s beliefs and how Shakespeare adopts them in his characters then gives insight into his commentary on human nature – his art imitating life – and how each of the six characteristsics has its roots in human nature. Perfectly encompassing Aristotle’s description of a tragic hero is Lear, who has good intentions in deciding to pass his power down to his youthful daughters but his natural ignorance and pride – qualities commonly encompassed by those in great power – gets in the way, resulting in the irreversible mistake of gifting power in the wrong hands.

This brings us to hamartia, the first characteristic of a tragic hero described by Aristotle as a character being “not eminently good and just, -yet whose misfortune is brought about by vice or depravity, but by some error or frailty.” Hubris or pride, the second characteristic, can be considered to be Lear’s hamartia, his constant demanding of affection and validation of his title causing him to be blind to the consequences of his actions. Holding the divine right to rule comes with a curse, Lear’s immense power and authority over everyone in his presence causing no one to question his decisions, thus preventing him from realising the consequences of his mistakes. Quick to believe the wrong people, Lear accepts love through the form of lies disguised as flattery as opposed to actions of loyalty, ordering his daughters to prove verbally “which of you shall we say doth love us most” in order to fuel his pride. Dramatic irony is deliberately used by Shakespeare in this first scene to reveal Lear’s hamartia to the audience, instigating fear for Lear for being so blind to the painfully obvious truth, that Regan and Goneril crave power and will deceive or banish anyone who comes in their way. Cordelia and Kent, two devoted followers who genuinely support and care for Lear, are then banished for attempting to aid in Lear’s recognition of the harsh truth, as opposed to Lear’s two vile daughters.
This false judgement is highlighted by Kent through dramatic irony, when he urges that “Thy youngest daughter does not love thee least, Nor are those empty-hearted whose low sounds reverb no hollowness”, alerting the audience that Lear has made a mistake but failing to warn Lear due to Lear’s pride and ignorance clouding his judgement. His excessive pride is also indicated by Shakespeare’s use of animal imagery, “come not between the dragon and his wrath” and “my breath and blood! Fiery?” to show how he perceives himself, a powerful creature which all should fear and steer clear of when wrathful. King Lear is a cautionary tale, Shakespeare intending to teach by example, warning the audience to be warier of the magnitude that our actions can have, Lear’s hamartia resulting in him wrongfully gifting power to Regan and Goneril, the action which sparks a chain reaction of negative consequences which follow. Similar downfalls have likely played out countless times throughout history because of the human tendency to be susceptible to the inner trappings of power and Shakespeare cautions the audience not to follow in their footsteps.

Beginning as if on the peak of Everest, Lear feels on top of the world, having authority, control and respect from others. However, his position rapidly changes as the play progresses, Lear finding himself drowning in grief over his mistakes and misfortunes, as if
delving deeper into the depths of the Pacific ocean, finally succumbing to a miserable fate at the end of the play. This drastic reversal of fortune, his peripeteia, is the third characteristic, described by Aristotle as “a change by which the action veers round to its opposite.” Despite the good intentions behind the action, the improper division of his kingdom bites Lear in the back, initiating a snowball effect, each loss increasing the severity of the next. Through the transition of verse to prose, Shakespeare reveals to the audience that Lear has lost three key possessions amidst his downfall, his authority, identity and sanity. During act 1, Lear states in verse “Give me the map there. Know that we have divided In three our kingdom and ’tis our fast intent To shake all cares and businesses from our age…”. Articulation of his words in such a formal and proper manner using iambic pentameter (lines of verse with five metrical feet, each consisting of one unstressed syllable, which is followed by a stressed syllable), indicates that Lear has great power, is listened to and is sane. Once his authority is snatched away by Regan and Goneril and he is left to fend for himself amidst a ravaging storm, Lear accepts that facing insanity – which would mean fully losing respect and humanity in that process – may lead to salvation in the discovery of his true identity. Shortly before tearing his garments, in an uncollected manner, Lear exclaims in prose “unaccommodated man is no more but such as a poor, bare forked animal as thou art. Off, off you lendings…” indicating the extent to which this drastic change in fortune has taken a toll on Lear’s mental state and social class. Act 3 scene 6, the ‘mock’ trial scene further validates the extent of Lear’s peripeteia, as he continues to speak in prose and desperately attempts to obtain justice through the fake trial of his daughters. Shakespeare’s use of the transition of verse (iambic pentameter) to prose is to enable the audience or reader to understand or distinguish Lear’s moments of sanity and clarity in the beginning and end of the play and how it contrasts with his insanity in the middle. Very little poetic justice is dealt, no good actions of Lear and his companions being rewarded, nor are the evil actions of the three villains punished. Shakespeare uses Lear’s steep peripeteia to convince the audience just how cruel the world can be and that in the battle of good vs evil, injustice isn’t uncommon and it only takes one glance at the world in which we reside to realise this.

Despite Lear’s seemingly endless piling of hardships and sufferings, there is a silver lining, Lear’s trials and tribulations bringing out the good in him, actions like sympathizing with ‘Poor Tom’ and stripping into a bare animal demonstrating that Lear is beginning to understand what true injustice is and who most suffers from it. Whilst his reign has ended, a learning process begins one that wouldn’t have occurred without his transformation from a well-respected ruler to a homeless madman. A journey of self-reflection and discovery of newfound compassion and tolerance for others aids in his recognition or anagnorisis, the fourth characteristic described by Aristotle as a “change from ignorance to knowledge”. Lear’s moment of anagnorisis comes when he reunites and reconciles with Cordelia in scene 7 of act 4, the type of recognition being one “which arises from the incidents themselves, where the startling discovery, made by natural means” which, in Aristotle’s opinion, is the best type. During this scene, Lear explicitly recognises his hamartia as his pride and ignorance, after setting eyes on Cordelia, admitting to her that “I fear I am not in my perfect mind. Methinks I should know you, and know this man; Yet I am doubtful; for I am mainly ignorant.” Naturally, emotions such as regret, remorse and relief overwhelm the mournful Lear and inciting him to urge for her forgiveness, begging “pray you now, forget and forgive. I am old and foolish.” and recognise that he was wrong to banish Cordelia and that he ultimately caused his own peripeteia. Notably, Shakespeare reveals to the audience that this anagnorisis is a moment of clarity and sanity for Lear, through his return to speaking in verse, him doing so until the end of the play. Lear’s anagnorisis in part way, redeems him from his past mistakes since he has now acknowledged his wrongings and is prepared to transfer to a path of benevolence. Lear’s tragic hero status is now fully realised. Nor I, you or anybody who has stepped foot on this Earth is perfect. Flaws are in our nature, recognising mistakes allowing us to learn from our sufferings in order to improve and better ourselves. Through Lear’s recognition, Shakespeare proves to audience that even in the lowest of circumstances it is possible to regain control, inspiring the idea that suffering is a healthy part of life.

Lear’s final chance for redemption seems to dangle in front of him in the form of Cordelia, however, just as the audience hopes he can make matters right with her, the two birds find themselves imprisoned in a cage. Snatched away, with the cutting of a rope, this opportunity vanishes from his grasp after Cordelia is hung. Nemesis is the fifth characteristic, described by Aristotle as the inevitability of the “Scene of Suffering…. a destructive or painful action, such as death on the stage, bodily agony, wounds and the like…” which typically occurs towards the end of the tragedy. Audiences and readers fearfully anticipate this moment, wherein all hope for prosperity is obstructed for Lear and his loved ones When this moment arrives, an intense sensation of pity and utter devastation is experienced in the form of catharsis, the final characteristic of a tragic hero. Aristotle defines catharsis as the sensation of “pity and fear, affecting the proper purgation of emotions” in the audience. In order to achieve catharsis in the audience, Shakespeare must allow the audience to agree with Lear’s belief that he’s “a man more sinned against sinning”, meaning that he has been undeservedly wronged. Since hamartia is built into Lear’s character, his peripeteia is a natural and unavoidable occurrence which leads up to his nemesis, resulting in cathartic emotions like sympathy and sorrow being felt by the audience because Lear’s miserable fate is out of his control. Lear is initially deplorable, Shakespeare causing discomfort in the audience (particularly an Elizabethan one, who depended and looked up to nobles so highly) and alienating us from Lear and preventing us from sympathising or caring about Lear or his undeserved fate. However, the redeeming actions which lead up to his recognition slowly begin to humanise Lear, Shakespeare’s building of Lear to become a direct contrast of the character at the beginning of the play drastically alters the audience’s view of him, making Lear seem more undeserving of his fate than reality.
Elizabethan audiences, who hold the natural order of the world as an important ideology, would question how fragile this order is and become more wary of how disastrous a ruler’s mistakes can be. Amidst a time of uncertainty surrounding Queen Elizabeth’s successor not being a Tudor monarch or not being English, the Elizabethan audience was vulnerable to feeling such cathartic emotions and Shakespeare toys with this through the character of King Lear’s downfall and it’s chaotic effect on England. Helplessness, sympathy and anxiety are among the cathartic feelings that Shakespeare intends the audience to feel as we witness the dominoes slowly fall in an uncontrollable manner and it is this safe purgation and release of emotions which makes tragedies so addictive.

Throughout Lear’s journey, the audience gets a taste of both sides to his character, malevolence and benevolence, pride and pity and it is this perfectly imbalanced mix of sweet and sour which makes Lear such an intriguing character. Each of Shakespeare’s tragedies intends to give insight into human nature, commenting on our tendency to hold inner trappings and innate characteristics which make us prone to committing drastic mistakes. Each of his audience members can recognize some of the five characteristics of a tragic hero in themselves (hamartia in particular) and though not to the dramatic extent of Lear, initiates thoughts surrounding the possible magnitude of negative consequences that our actions are capable of causing. Like all humans, Lear is imperfect and despite being an adequate ruler whilst serving his period, he becomes prone to the common human error of being blind and ignorant to what we don’t want to see. Shakespeare’s commentary on humanity and how flawed we are is just as relevant in modern times, the human ignorance for climate change being evidence for this, proving that his plays are “not of an age but for all time.”