Meaning & use
tragic flaws
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“tragic flaws” is a form of “tragic flaw”.
Meanings
nounpluralliterary
Personal weaknesses of a hero in a drama or story that lead to the character's own downfall.
Grammar: Singular is tragic flaw: Macbeth's tragic flaw is ambition.
Patterns
- the tragic flaws of someone
- a character's tragic flaws
Pride and jealousy are the tragic flaws that destroy many classic heroes.
The essay compares the tragic flaws of two Shakespearean kings.
His tragic flaws are obvious from the first scene.
nounpluralfigurative
Serious character weaknesses in a real person that eventually cause failure or ruin despite great talent.
Grammar: Figurative use for real people, often in journalism and biography.
Patterns
- tragic flaws in someone
- suffer from tragic flaws
The coach's tragic flaws were stubbornness and an inability to listen.
Biographers often explore the tragic flaws of famous leaders.
Her tragic flaws cost her the company she built.
Word forms
| singular | tragic flaw |
|---|
Common combinations
- fatal tragic flaws
- The hero's fatal tragic flaws are clear by act three.
- explore tragic flaws
- The play explores tragic flaws in people of power.
- hero's tragic flaws
- The hero's tragic flaws seem small at first.
- identify tragic flaws
- We were asked to identify the tragic flaws in the novel.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hamartia
- Hamartia is the Greek term used by critics for the error or flaw that brings down a hero, and it is more technical than tragic flaw.
- fatal flaw
- Fatal flaw can describe any weakness that ruins a plan or person, whereas tragic flaw is tied to heroes in tragic stories.
- weaknesses
- Weaknesses is general and mild, while tragic flaws are major traits that cause the downfall.
Opposites
Word family
- flaw noun
- a fault or weakness
- flawed adjective
- having a fault
- tragedy noun
- a serious drama or sad event
- tragically adverb
- in a very sad way
Commonly confused: tragic flaws or flaws?
tragic flaws vs flaws
Do not confuse with floors, which sounds the same in some accents but means the bottom surfaces of rooms.
Practice
What is a tragic flaw in a play?
Choose one answer.
A tragic flaw is a trait of the central character that causes ruin. The other options are production or editing problems.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “tragic flaws”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.