This article is about the classical Greek term. For the medical term, see Hamartia (medical term). For the album by Novembers Doom, see Hamartia (album). For the moth genus, see Hamartia (moth).
"Tragic flaw" redirects here. For the wider concept, see Tragedy.
Protagonist's error in Greek dramatic theory
The title page of Aristotle's Poetics
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The term hamartia derives from the Greek ἁμαρτία, from ἁμαρτάνεινhamartánein, which means "to miss the mark" or "to err".[1][2] It is most often associated with Greek tragedy, although it is also used in Christian theology.[3] The term is often said to depict the flaws or defects of a character and portraying these as the reason of a potential downfall.[4][5] However, other critics point to the term's derivation and say that it refers only to a tragic but random accident or mistake, with devastating consequences but with no judgment implied as to the character.
^"Hamartia". Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 28 September 2014.
^Hamartia: (Ancient Greek: ἁμαρτία) Error of Judgement or Tragic Flaw. "Hamartia". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2014. Web. 28 September 2014.
^Cooper, Eugene J. (1973). "Sarx and Sin in Pauline Theology". Laval théologique et philosophique. 29 (3): 243–255. doi:10.7202/1020369ar.
^"Hamartia - Definition of Hamartia and Literary Examples". Literary Devices. 2020-12-29. Retrieved 2021-04-19.
^"Aristotle's Definition of Tragedy". tragedy.ucsc.edu. Retrieved 2021-04-19.
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