Utilitarianism is a moral theory that holds that the best action is the one that maximizes overall happiness or pleasure. It is a form of consequentialism, meaning that the moral value of an action is determined by its consequences. Proponents of utilitarianism argue that it provides a clear and objective way to determine right and wrong actions, and that it is the most effective way to promote the overall well-being of society.
However, utilitarianism has been subject to criticism on several grounds. One criticism is that it is overly focused on the consequences of actions, and does not take into account the moral intentions or motives behind those actions. For example, under utilitarianism, it might be considered morally acceptable to deceive someone if doing so leads to a net increase in happiness. This ignores the importance of honesty and trust in human relationships, and could lead to a society in which people are constantly scheming to achieve their own ends at the expense of others.
Another criticism of utilitarianism is that it is difficult to measure and compare the happiness or pleasure of different individuals. How can we accurately compare the pleasure of one person's vacation with the pleasure of another person's job promotion? Utilitarianism also ignores the fact that people have different values and priorities, and what brings one person happiness may not bring happiness to another.
A third criticism of utilitarianism is that it ignores the inherent value of individual human beings. Under utilitarianism, the value of a person is determined solely by their ability to contribute to overall happiness. This could lead to the exploitation and mistreatment of certain individuals or groups if their happiness is deemed less important than that of others.
Finally, utilitarianism does not account for long-term consequences or the needs of future generations. An action that maximizes happiness in the present may have negative consequences for the future, such as environmental degradation or economic instability.
Overall, while utilitarianism provides a useful framework for evaluating the consequences of actions, it has significant limitations and is not a sufficient moral theory on its own. It is important to consider the intentions behind actions, the inherent value of human beings, and the long-term consequences of our actions in addition to the happiness they may bring in the present.
Shakespeare’s Othello as a Tragic Hero
Gatsby's downfall is his unrelenting pursuit of a certain ideal—the American Dream—and a specific woman who he thinks fits within this dream. Writers therefore use tragic heroes for many of the same reasons they write tragedies—to illustrate a moral conundrum with depth, emotion, and complexity. Othello is a tragic hero because of his tragic flaw. If the conscience of a tragic hero lies, with a lone heart he bears the consequences. One of Shakespeare's writing were the dark play Macbeth. Therefore, to revive the mortal order in a tragic world, one must undergo wrestle between good and evil. The first act of the play sees Othello in a high-ranking social sphere, a well-respected man who is, for the most part, good.
It may be the everyday heroes that are seen rescuing a cat from a tree or helping an old lady cross the street. In Othello, for example, the tragic hero suffers mental anguish when he realizes that he has killed his wife Desdemona out of jealousy. Toronto, ON: Prentice Hall, 2002, Print. Tragic heroes typically have heroic traits that make the audience have sympathy for them, but also have flaws, or make mistakes, that ultimately lead to their own downfall. According to Bradley, the tragic hero have to be of an individual of excessive diploma or of public importance with exceptional nature, which raises person, in some respect a lot above the common stage of humanity.
Othello can be considered a noble character because he is one of high social ranking and he has a genuine heart. His reckless passion in love, which makes him a compelling character, also leads directly to the tragedy of his death. According to Aristotle; there are four characteristics that identify a tragic hero. There are many undesirable traits in Othello, like his jealousy and gullibility. The pity and fear, which are stirred by the tragic story, unites with profound sense of sadness and mystery gives impression of waste, and this impression of waste makes us realize the worth of that is wasted.
What Makes a Tragic Hero Tragic hero characteristics These heroes have been a staple of tragic narratives since the dawn of story-telling. There are four main aspects that represent a tragic hero. It may also be the heroes that are seen in movies and books rescuing the princess from the dragon or leading their country in battle. Stemming from early stageplays, this type of hero has made its mark as a literary tool not just on stage but in TV and film. As a result he endangers himself to protect someone who likely wouldn't do the same in return. Supernatural powers contribute to the fate of the protagonist. Tragedy builds, as hero endures calamity and faces fate.
Aristotle believed that by watching a tragic hero's downfall, an audience would become wiser when making choices in their own lives. But, who told the lie? His tragic downfall was dependent on some things over which he had no control. An example of dramatic irony is the last scene in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, when Romeo commits suicide because he thinks Juilet is dead. King Lear is a tragic hero, whose inability to read reality marks his tragic downfall. There is no escape for the tragic hero from the calamity facing him, even when he knows full well what that calamity will be and even its source. He wants the American Dream, which for him means financial prosperity, happiness, and good social standing. The Article, The Shakespearean According to Bradley, the tragic hero must be of a person of high degree or of public importance with exceptional nature, which raises person, in some respect much above the average level of humanity.
What is a Tragic Hero — Definition, Examples & Characteristics
The first characteristic typically seen in tragic heroes is that they begin their story as respected, noble people. So, Gatsby would be a modernized version of Aristotle's tragic hero—he still elicits the audience's sympathy—even if he is a slightly more flawed version of the archetype. The result of the external conflict is always in favor of the other party as it is the good party. Othello, despite coming from a rough past, is an honorable war hero and the general of the Venetian army. Meanwhile, the prospects for his sons, Biff and Happy, who seemed in high school to have held such promise, have similarly fizzled. At this point, we can see that Othello begins as a noble character, thereby meeting the first requirement to qualify as a tragic hero.
But what is a tragic hero compared to any other protagonist? Tragic Hero Definition What is a tragic hero? Shakespeare wrote 10 tragedies in all namely, Antony and Cleopatra, Coriolanus, Hamlet, Julius Caesar, King Lear, Macbeth, Othello, Romeo and Juliet, Timon of Athens and Titus Andronicus, out of which the four dark tragedies, Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and King Lear are the most admired. The motivations operate on the huma. With one of the greatest being Othello. Each artist had to follow a set of rules to achieve their desired effect on the audience. He slips between prose and verse, adapting his style to suit his different audiences and purposes.
The Tragic Hero: Morally Virtuous Or Deliberately Vicious?✔️
In poetry and prose, it has a consistent meter with 10 syllables in each line pentameter ; where, unstressed syllables are followed by stressed ones, five of which are stressed but do not rhyme. We, the human beings. Thus, Bradley ends with the conclusion, that the inexplicable fact or appearance of a world travailing for perfection, which brings birth to glorious goods and evil that is only able to overcome only by self-torture and self-waste is tragedy. A tragic hero also has a great deal of pride. If they are mighty, they are close to God. The idiom Othello uses is dignified, measured blank verse, matching the dignified and peaceful character that he starts off as. God, are you really there? Therefore, to restore the mortal order in a tragic world, one must go through struggle between good and evil.
Catharsis is the tragic representations of suffering and defeat. A tragic hero upholds and guides the narrative of the tragedy. What is a tragic hero? Aristotle and the Tragic Hero The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle was the first to define a "tragic hero. An aside is usually a brief comment, rather than a speech, such as a monologue or soliloquy. Tragedy is invoked when a character is ready to die to secure his one objective. Tragic heroes appear in the dramatic works of Shakespeare, Seneca, Marlowe, Webster, Strindberg, and many other writers. In other words, he is neither a saint nor a lifelong sinner.
