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The name “tragic hero”, which has become synonymous with Shakespearean dramas, was developed before Hamlet, Macbeth or any of Shakespeare’s well-known plays were written. The literary term was actually discovered around 330 BC by the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle. Through his theory of catharsis, Aristotle debated that the great plays of Sophicles, Euripides, and other Greek playwrights contained tragic heroes similar to each other, which all portrayed four basic characteristics (“English Lit.”). These qualities were …

…characterized the tragic hero, it was Shakespeare that made the tragic hero famous (“English Lit.”). Through his great many tragedies Shakespeare developed each tragic hero beautifully, making sure that each harbored a tragic flaw, were from the nobility, with identifiable human qualities, and faced their down fall with dignity. It is hard to believe such simple characteristics are the backbone for some of the most profound and complicated dramas the world has ever known (Desjardens).