The Tragic Hero of the Post―Classical Renaissance.docVIP

The Tragic Hero of the Post―Classical Renaissance 　　[a]　Department　of　Communication　Studies，　Christian　Service　University　College，　Kumasi，　Ghana. 　　*　Corresponding　author. 　　Received　18　October　2012；　accepted　20　December　2012 　　Abstract 　　English　drama　spearheaded　by　William　Shakespeare，　is　dominated　by　the　Post-Classical　Renaissance.　Pre-renaissance　drama　in　England　was　essentially　allegorical　plays　extolling　Christian　values.　This　paper　therefore　critically　looks　at　how　Shakespearean　tragic　hero　is　defined　and　portrayed.　The　paper，　using　textual　analysis，　provides　extracts　from　William　Shakespeare’s　King　Lear　as　the　main　text　to　present　King　Lear　as　tragic　hero.　The　study　shows　that　the　post-classical　renaissance　period　portrays　the　tragic　hero　on　the　basis　of　weakness　of　character　and　is　different　from　the　Aristotelian　concept　of　tragedy　as　hamartia，　a　going　wrong. 　　Key　words：　Shakespeare；　Renaissance；　Moral　theory；　King　Lear 　　Asuamah　Adade-Yeboah，　Adwoa　S.　Amankwaah　（2012）.　The　Tragic　Hero　of　the　Post-Classical　Renaissance.　Studies　in　Literature　and　Language，　5（3），　-0.　Available　from：　http：///index.php/sll/article/view/j.sll.1923156320120503.996　DOI：　http：///10.3968/j.sll.1923156320120503.996 　　INTRODUCTION 　　Contrary　to　Greek　classical　tragedy　in　which　the　tragic　fall　has　nothing　to　do　with　moral　flaw　（character），　the　Shakespearean　tragic　hero’s　character　（moral　flaw）　is　so　crucial.　This　is　so　because　the　meaning　of　hamartia　as　understood　in　the　Aristotelian　sense　in　respect　of　the　tragic　hero，　found　change，　during　the　Renaissance　period.　The　Italian　scholars　of　the　period　misrepresented　the　concept　of　hamartia　and　translated　it　as　“a　weakness　of　character”.　Tpounded　the　moral　theory　and　insisted　on　the　reading　of　the　tragic　hamartia　as　being　inherent　in　the　character　of　the　hero.　In　the　light　of　this，　the　tragic　flaw　theory　was　popularized　and　became　more　acceptable　in　characterizing　the　post-classical　renaissance　tragic　hero.　With　the　advent　of