tragic flaw
Hero's fatal flaw
A tragic flaw is a character trait that leads to the downfall of an otherwise admirable person, especially in classical drama.
The concept comes from Aristotle's analysis of tragedy, where a hero's hubris, jealousy, or blind ambition sets in motion their destruction.
Macbeth's tragic flaw was his unchecked ambition.
The term extends beyond literature to describe any personal weakness that undermines someone's success or reputation despite their other qualities.
Fatal error causing downfall
- AristotleGreek founder of formal logic
- catharsisPurification through emotional expression
- protagonistStory's central figure
- heroOne admired for courage
Oedipus · Macbeth · Othello · Hamlet · drama · pathos · dramatic irony
Complete destruction or collapse
- undoingCause of destruction
- demiseCessation of existence
- destructionAct of completely ruining
- doomUnavoidable grim fate
catastrophe · collapse · defeat · overthrow · fall · disaster · nemesis · comeuppance
Critical personal weakness
- vulnerabilityOpenness to harm
- imperfectionFault or shortcoming
- shortcomingA fault or weakness
- frailtyWeakness of body
deficiency · limitation · defect · foible · failing · blind spot · fault · blemish
Excessive self-importance
- prideSatisfaction from one's achievements
- overconfidenceUnjustified certainty in oneself
- conceitExaggerated self-admiration
- vanityExcessive pride in oneself
haughtiness · presumption · self-importance · egotism · smugness · narcissism · boastfulness · pomposity
Faulty evaluation of something
- mistakeWrong action or decision
- blunderFoolish, costly mistake
- misstepError in action or judgment
- oversightSupervision or inadvertent omission
miscalculation · lapse · folly · indiscretion · poor judgment
hamartia
Fatal error causing downfall
- AristotleGreek founder of formal logic
- catharsisPurification through emotional expression
- protagonistStory's central figure
hero · Oedipus · Macbeth · Othello · Hamlet · drama · pathos · dramatic irony
ruin
Complete destruction or collapse
- undoingCause of destruction
- demiseCessation of existence
- destructionAct of completely ruining
doom · catastrophe · collapse · defeat · overthrow · fall · disaster · nemesis · comeuppance · fate
Achilles' heel
Critical personal weakness
- vulnerabilityOpenness to harm
- imperfectionFault or shortcoming
- shortcomingA fault or weakness
frailty · deficiency · limitation · defect · foible · failing · blind spot · fault · blemish · infirmity
arrogance
Excessive self-importance
- prideSatisfaction from one's achievements
- overconfidenceUnjustified certainty in oneself
- conceitExaggerated self-admiration
vanity · haughtiness · presumption · self-importance · egotism · smugness · narcissism · boastfulness · pomposity · superiority
misjudgment
Faulty evaluation of something
oversight · miscalculation · lapse · folly · indiscretion · poor judgment
- dramaTV drama, acting, television drama, drama school, playwright
- drama themesrevenge, betrayal, forbidden love, love triangle, family conflict
- human follyhubris, pride, vanity, greed, arrogance
- story tropesquest, hero's journey, plot twist, chosen one, red herring
- tragedycatharsis, hamartia, hubris, downfall, noble suffering
- legendsKing Arthur, Robin Hood, Hercules, Merlin, Excalibur
tragic flawsaving grace
Compensating good quality
redeeming quality · cardinal virtue · heroic virtue · strength · gift
flaw, tragic, tragedy, flawless, flawed, flaws, flawlessly, tragically, tragedian