Hamartia
Literary term · say it huh-MAR-tee-uh
Hamartia is an error, mistaken judgment, or personal failing that helps bring about a tragic character’s downfall. Often called a tragic flaw, it can be a disastrous action rather than a lasting weakness in someone’s character.
Ways hamartia appears
Mistaken judgment
A character misreads a person or situation and makes a choice with terrible consequences.
In King Lear, Lear treats Cordelia’s refusal to flatter him as a lack of love and disowns her, trusting her flattering sisters instead.
In King Lear by William Shakespeare
Action without full knowledge
A character acts without knowing a crucial fact. The mistake can be tragic even when the character does not intend the harm that follows.
In Oedipus Rex, Oedipus discovers that the man he killed at a crossroads years earlier was his own father.
In Oedipus Rex by Sophocles
A destructive personal failing
A lasting weakness helps drive a character toward ruin. This is the sense most closely associated with the phrase tragic flaw.
In Othello, Othello’s jealousy helps him accept Iago’s false claims about Desdemona, and he kills her despite her innocence.
In Othello by William Shakespeare
How to spot hamartia
- Find a choice or failing that helps lead to the central character’s downfall.
- Check what the character knows and what they misunderstand.
- Trace the consequences of that mistake through the story.
Is hamartia the same as a tragic flaw?
Hamartia is broader than a tragic flaw, though the terms are often used as if they mean the same thing. A tragic flaw is usually a lasting weakness in character. Hamartia can also be a single mistaken judgment or an action taken without crucial knowledge.
What is the difference between hamartia and hubris?
Hubris is excessive pride or overconfidence, while hamartia is an error or failing that contributes to a tragic downfall. Hubris can lead to hamartia, but the two are not interchangeable: a tragic mistake might come from ignorance, jealousy, or misplaced trust rather than pride.
Related terms
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