Lesson Plan 6: Tragic Hero
Subjec
t: English
10th Grade
Overview:
The following lesson is designed to assist students in understanding the concept of tragic hero in Shakespeare's drama. Through analyzing the concept of tragic hero, students can understand Shakespeare's tragedies more deeply . The study of the tragic hero will also help them study Greek tragedies in the future.
Objectives: This lesson will help students analyze who is (are) the tragic hero(es) in Julius Caesar. Students will take notes and later develop the ideas from the class discussion into an analytical essay about the tragic hero in Julius Caesar.
Materials:
Shakespeare's Julius Caesar
Activities and Procedures:
Begin the class with the discussion about the concepts of tragedy, tragic hero, and tragic flaws.
What is a tragedy?-----A tragedy is a play that presents the eventual downfall of a great and worthy figure. Usually the actions are presented in a poetic, dramatic form. All true tragedies arouse pity and fear in the audience. The audience feels sorry for the tragic characters and hates to see them suffer. In addition, the audience feels fearful because under different circumstances, anyone could be caught up in the same web of tragic events.
What kind of character is considered a tragic hero?--------In Elizabethan and Greek tragedy, the tragic hero is a person who holds high ranks and has many admirable qualities, and whose basic goodness and nobility are undermined by a fatal flaw-an error in judgment that leads to the hero's downfall. The tragic hero usually dies in a tragedy.
What is tragic flaw?------It's a weakness-such as pride or shortsightedness-that eventually brings about his downfall.
Many people have different views about the identity of the tragic hero in Julius Caesar. Some argue that the tragic hero is Caesar, while others say it is Brutus. Which do you think is the hero of the play? What is the tragic flaw of the hero?
Use the chart to brainstorm on the characteristics of the two main characters:
|
|
Julius Caesar |
Brutus |
|
|
Act One |
Positive Traits
|
Flaws |
Flaws |
Positive Traits |
|
Act Two |
Positive Traits |
Flaws
|
Flaws
|
Positive Traits |
|
Act Three |
Positive Traits
|
Flaws |
Flaws |
Positive Traits |
|
Act Four |
|
|
Flaws |
Positive Traits |
|
Act Five |
|
|
Flaws |
Positive Traits |
- Compare the two characters and determine who is closer to the definition of a tragic hero.
- Write an outline of the essay.
- What should be included in the introductory paragraph?
---identify the tragic hero, and his goodness, nobility, and tragic flaw.
- What should be included in the body of the essay?
- Discuss the positive traits (goodness and nobility) in the hero's personality.
- Discuss the tragic flaws and what they lead him to.
- Discuss how the tragic hero arouses pity and fear in the audience.
- Conclusion--- Use different words to summarize the essay.
- Be sure to use specific references from the play and put them in " ".
Assessment measure
: the completed essay
Follow-up activities/extensions: Following this discussion, we will expand and apply the concept in the study of other plays, such as Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.
Click here and you will go to Lesson Plan VII on Julius Caesar
Click here you will view students' work on "Tragic Hero"