Welcome to Wondrous Words Wednesday, a great meme for exploring new words. Visit Kathy at Bermuda Onion to find more interesting vocabulary.
Last week, I was listening to an episode of The Narrative Breakdown called “Character Flaws.” The hosts, Cheryl Klein and James Monohan, tossed out references to classic literature and modern TV as they discussed the role of character flaws in a good story. (If you write, The Narrative Breakdown is a great podcast to follow. Thanks to Andrea Badgley for this tip!)
Two important literary terms popped up often. The first one I looked up to check pronunciation and meaning: hamartia (I always pronounced it \ha-mar-sha\ but I was wrong!)
Hamartia \ha-mar-‘tē-ǝ\ noun from the Greek hamartanein, to miss the mark, err
- A tragic flaw that causes a character’s downfall
Hubris \’hyu-brǝs\ noun from the Greek hybris
- Exaggerated pride or self-confidence
Hubris could be a character’s hamartia.
Word Nerd Workout
Think of a character with a tragic flaw or hamartia. Hint: go back to the classics! For example, Jay Gatsby’s hamartia is his obsession with his past relationship with Daisy Buchanan.
Also, practice saying hamartia so you can impress your friends!
Thanks for getting nerdy with me!
Julia
Hi,
Frankestein can be thought as a hamartia story too.:)
Excellent example! Thanks for “playing”! 🙂
Hamartia – I love that word! Hubris is the harmartia of many literary characters. And here’s an easy one: Narcissus’ hamartia was his vanity.
Hi Julia,
A couple of great words this time, which really set me thinking.
I have come across hubris before, in fact I could probably point to a few people I know, who have an excess of it, although to see the exact definition written down is always good.
I was surprised that hamartia was of Greek origin, as to me it almost sounded Egyptian, but then I realised that I was probably thinking of Hamunaptra, the fictional city of the dead in the film ‘The Mummy’!
The only example of a character I can think of to illustrate your two words is; Christopher Marlowe’s ‘Doctor Faustus’, whose hubris in making a deal with the Devil, led to his hamartia and an eternity in hell!
What an interesting and informative post, thank you so much 🙂
Yvonne
Doctor Faustus is an excellent example! Glad you enjoyed the post, and thanks for adding to the conversation.
I would really have to practice hamartia a lot to be able to say it easily. Great words today!
I knew hubris – I actually use that one all the time. LOVE that word. I’m such a nerd.
Hamartia. I’d say MacBeth’s hamartia was his thirst for power. That excessive desire for position drove him to trust the witches’ predictions and create havoc all around him, particularly for MacDuff and his family.
I knew hubris but not the other.
Violet’s hamartia was her refusal to see herself as half Chinese. She thought the American half of her made her better than everyone else. (Violet is the main character in Valley of Amazement by Amy Tan.) Thanks, Word Nerd, for hamartia. Thanks also for the tip on the podcasts.
Great example- thanks for working out with me. 😉