What constitutes the dramatic function of 'hamartia' in classical Aristotelian tragic dramaturgy?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. fatal error or misjudgment of hero
- Step 1: 'Hamartia' is often translated as 'tragic flaw', but Aristotle specifically defines it as an error in judgment or crucial mistake made by a noble protagonist. It is this fateful misjudgment, rather than sheer wickedness, that initiates the tragic reversal of fortune (peripeteia). Answer: fatal error or misjudgment of hero. Why not the others: "inherent moral depravity and evil" contradicts Aristotle's rule that the tragic protagonist must be basically virtuous and noble; "accidental loss of ancestral wealth" reduces profound existential tragedy to mere material financial misfortune; "supernatural curse by hostile god" removes human agency and ethical choice, which are vital to Aristotelian tragic pity.
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