tragic hero

[traj-ik heer-oh]

noun

1. a great or virtuous character in a dramatic tragedy who is destined for downfall, suffering, or defeat.

   Oedipus, the classic tragic hero.

Word History and Origins

Origin of tragic hero¹

First recorded in 1710–20

Example Sentences

Which raises the question: Might a gay actor get more credit if he opted to play our community’s most notorious supervillain, instead of another tragic hero we’re determined to uplift?

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But Davis had the “exciting revelation” that the art form best suited to telling this story was opera, with Malcolm X cast in the role of a tragic hero.

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Though the 1745 rising failed, the prince, Charles Edward Stuart, was immortalized in the popular imagination as a tragic hero, nicknamed Bonnie Prince Charlie for his good looks.

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And Gosling steals the movie by playing Ken as a cluelessly tragic hero.

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Audubon’s birds are tragic heroes, greater than life but also doomed even before the painter set to work painting their lifeless bodies.

Read more on Washington Post

When To Use

What is a tragic hero?

A tragic hero is a character in a dramatic tragedy who has virtuous and sympathetic traits but ultimately meets with suffering or defeat.Something tragic is sadly disastrous, such as the untimely death of a loved one. A hero is someone who has accomplished special achievements and is viewed as a role model for others. In literature, tragic specifically refers to a play that is a tragedy (as opposed to a comedy), and a hero is the protagonist.You’ll see a tragic hero in many dramas, such as Oedipus in Sophocles’s Oedipus Rex or Romeo in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Outside of classic literature, however, tragic hero is used more generally for characters who have a dark past or experience a downfall, such as Batman in DC Comics or Severus Snape in Harry Potter.