The Old Man and the Sea Tragic Hero with a Tragic Flaw Essay

The Old Man and the Sea In the novel â€Å"The Old Man and the Sea† the main character, Santiago is a tragic hero with a tragic flaw. His hubris ultimately leads him to triumph for a few reasons. Santiago’s hubris helps him to develop into a passionate, optimistic and determined individual, this is what ultimately helps lead him to his triumph. Santiago was not only proud but he was also very passionate in fishing. This is evident in his statement, â€Å"I must be worthy of the great DiMaggio who does all things perfectly even with the bone spur in his heel.† (68). This quote is indirect however it displays Santiago’s passion. It is evident that Santiago’s passion for fishing derives from his long history of engaging in the activity as well†¦show more content†¦This quote shows that despite his weariness and weather conditions, like his hero DiMaggio and any hero in general, every individual must endure harsh experiences in order to succeed and to accomplish one’s goals. This also helps Santiago in the long run because his determination spurred optimism, this ultimately helps lead him to triumph. From the beginning of this novel, Santiago’s pride, passion, and determination is accompanied with optimism as well. Santiago’s optimism is evident in the quote â€Å"‘Eighty-five is a lucky number,’the old man said. ‘How would you like to see me bring one in that dressed out over a thousand pounds?’† (16). This clearly shows Santiago’s optimism about the journey he is about. This quote also reflects Santiago’s pride due to the fact that after forty days without any success in catching fish, the young boy’s, Manolin’s, parents say that the old man is salao, also known as the worst form of luck. This is extremely detrimental to the old man’s pride, therefore he wants to prove that he is not salao, so with optimism he is able to bandage his wounds to become even more passionate and determined than ever before. Although at the end of the novel Santiago does not return home with the full fish, his pride, passion, determination and optimism ultimately leads him to triumph because he uses these qualities to succeed in catching the Marlin. He is able to prove himself to those who doubt him and have no faith in him throughout the entireShow MoreRelated Epic of Beowulf Essay - Beowulf as Tragic Hero1432 Words   |  6 PagesBeowulf as Tragic Hero By definition, a tragic hero is a protagonist that due to some tragic flaw loses everything he has. Throughout history, literature has always been filled with main characters possessing some tragic flaw. In Macbeth, Macbeth’s tragic flaw is his enormous ambition to become king. In Hamlet, Hamlet’s tragic flaw is his need for revenge for the death of his father at the hands of his uncle. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh’s tragic flaw is his need to be remembered. 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