Definitions for hamartia
ˌhɑ mɑrˈti əhamar·ti·a

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:4.0 / 1 vote

1. tragic flaw, hamartianoun

   the character flaw or error of a tragic hero that leads to his downfall

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. hamartianoun

   The tragic flaw of the protagonist in a literary tragedy.

   Creon's main and foremost hamartia was his excessive pride.

2. hamartianoun

   (Christian theology): sin

3. Etymology: From ἁμαρτία (hamartia), meaning error or failure. From the verb ἁμαρτάνω hamartanō, "to miss the mark".

WikipediaRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. Hamartia

   The term hamartia derives from the Greek ἁμαρτία, from ἁμαρτάνειν hamartánein, which means "to miss the mark" or "to err". It is most often associated with Greek tragedy, although it is also used in Christian theology. The term is often said to depict the flaws or defects of a character and portraying these as the reason of a potential downfall. 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.

ChatGPTRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. hamartia

   Hamartia is a term used in literary theory and criticism to define a character's error or tragic flaw that leads to his or her downfall in a tragedy. Derived from Greek, hamartia essentially means a mistake or error in judgment, often caused by a character's hubris or excessive pride. This flaw or mistake ultimately leads to their undoing, mishap, or death, making it an integral part of tragic narratives.

WikidataRate this definition:5.0 / 2 votes

1. Hamartia

   Hamartia is a word most famously used in Aristotle's Poetics, where it is usually translated as a mistake or error in judgment. In modern discussions of tragedy, hamartia has often been described as a hero's "tragic flaw." The word hamartia is rooted in the notion of missing the mark and covers a broad spectrum that includes ignorant, mistaken, or accidental wrongdoing, as well as deliberate iniquity, error, or sin. This form of drawing emotion from the audience is a staple of the Greek tragedies. In Greek tragedy, stories that contain a character with a hamartia often follow a similar blueprint. The hamartia, as stated, is seen as an error in judgment or unwitting mistake is applied to the actions of the hero. For example, the hero might attempt to achieve a certain objective X; by making an error in judgment, however, the hero instead achieves the opposite of X, with disastrous consequences. However, hamartia cannot be sharply defined or have an exact meaning assigned to it. Consequently, a number of alternate interpretations have been associated with it, such as in the New Testament where hamartia is the Greek word translated "sin". Bible translators may reach this conclusion, according to T. C. W. Stinton, because another common interpretation of hamartia can be seen as a “moral deficit” or a “moral error”. R. D. Dawe disagrees with Stinton’s view when he points out in some cases hamartia can even mean to not sin. It can be seen in this opposing context if the main character does not carry out an action because it is a sin. This failure to act, in turn, must lead to a poor change in fortune for the main character in order for it to truly be a hamartia.

Matched Categories

1. • Flaw

Anagrams for hamartia »

1. Mata Hari

How to pronounce hamartia?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

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   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

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   Neerja

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   Zira

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   Oliver

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   Wendy

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   Fred

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   Tessa

   South African

How to say hamartia in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of hamartia in Chaldean Numerology is: 1

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of hamartia in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=hamartia
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Hamartia
3. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamartia
4. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
5. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=hamartia