“Tragedy is the imitation of an action of great importance. . .” states Aristotle in his book Poetics (cited in Kennedy & Gioia, 2010). No doubt, throughout his life he observed and analyzed countless plays, and in the Poetics he wrote an extensive description of what a tragedy should contain (Kennedy and Joy). Specifically, for Aristotle, tragedies require a “tragic hero.” What makes this literary character unique compared to other literary heroes? The most obvious and central difference is that the hero in question always experiences a disastrous reversal of fortune, which follows the recognition of a previously unknown truth (Kennedy and Joy). He must be "a man not pre-eminently virtuous or just" (Poetica part XIII, trans. 1909), but he must nevertheless be a "good person" whom the public learns to respect and for this reason feels deep pity and fear throughout the world. show (Poetica part XIII). Despite being a high-ranking and influential person, surprisingly, the hero of Greek tragedy is someone we can relate to in his humanity. Furthermore, his fall “from happiness to misery” is “brought upon him not by vice or depravity but by some error of judgment” (Poetics part XIII): his hamartia. The Oxford English Dictionary translates this Greek word as “The fault or mistake, resulting in the destruction of the tragic hero” (Oxford English Dictionary, 1989). With this in mind, many believe that King Oedipus in Sophocles' play, Oedipus the King, is the perfect example of Aristotle's tragic hero. But does he really satisfy all the "requirements" described in the Poetics or is there something that escapes us in the depths of his fascinating and multifaceted character that does not fit into the Aristotelian scheme? Without a doubt, Oe...... middle of paper...... death, a memory without pain” (Oedipus exodus. lines 297-300). Works Cited Dodds, E. R., (1966). On Oedipus' misunderstanding. In Kennedy, X. J. and Gioia, D., Literature, an introduction to fiction, poetry, drama and writing (6th ed.). (pp. 900-901). Boston: Pearson error. (n.d.). In the Macmillan Dictionary. Retrieved December 14, 2011, from http://www.macmillandictionary.comHamartia. (1989). In the Oxford English Dictionary. Retrieved December 10, 2011, from http://www.oed.com/Kennedy, X. J., & Gioia, D. (2010). Literature an introduction to fiction, poetry, drama, and writing (6th ed.). Boston: Pearson-Knox, BMW (1998). Oedipus in Thebes: Sophocles' Tragic Hero and His Times. Retrieved from http://ehis.ebscohost.com.proxy033.nclive.orgPride. (2007). In the Oxford English Dictionary. Retrieved December 10, 2011, from http://www.oed.com