View synonyms for hamartia

hamartia

[ hah-mahr-tee-uh ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

hamartia

/ həˈmɑːtɪə /

literature the flaw in character which leads to the downfall of the protagonist in a tragedy

First recorded in 1890–95; Greek hamartía “failure, fault,” derivative of hamartánein “to miss the mark, fail, err” + -ia noun suffix; -ia

C19: from Greek

Hamartia means originally a 'bad shot' or 'error', but is currently used for 'offence' or 'sin'.

That is not unmotived, however; it is of Aspatia's own choosing and of Amintor's hamartia.

The pathetic devotion of Aspatia is essential to our understanding of Amintor's tragic weakness, his hamartia.

April 19, 2024tortuous

[tawr-choo-uhs ]

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