There are many characteristics that complement Aristotle's definition of the tragic hero; these being the presence of hamartia and peripeteia, a feeling of self-awareness, the audience's pity for the character and hero is of noble birth. Aristotle's Definition: The definition of a tragic hero is quite self-explanatory, however, Aristotle's definition of the term is the best description. He writes that a tragic hero is a literary character who makes an error of judgment or has a fatal flaw that, combined with fate and external forces, causes tragedy. When referring to the play Oedipus the King, many people wonder if Oedipus should have the title of tragic hero based on the events that take place in the play. To decide whether this label is true, we must examine some of the significant elements that make up the character of a tragic hero. The Five Main Characteristics of a Tragic Hero: There are five important foundations that I will focus on that distinguish a tragic hero from a regular character in a play. Hamartia, peripeteia, noble birth, self-awareness and public pity are five central elements of the story. These five elements are equally crucial and are very important elements of the character's identity and the final outcome of the story. The first aspect of the characterization of a tragic hero is the presence of hamartia, which by definition is the fatal flaw leading to a hero's tragic downfall. This fatal error is often also known as the climax of the tragedy. The presence of hamartia is common in most, if not all, plays of Greek tragedy. Oedipus proclaims: “Apollo, when we sent him, sent back to us the word that this great plague would live, but only if we clearly established its identity. ..... middle of paper ......bel of a tragic hero because by saving everyone around him, he caused pain and heartache to himself.Works CitedKennedy, XJ and Dana Gioia. Literature: an introduction to fiction, poetry, drama, and writing. New York: Pearson Longman, 2007. Print. Java, Amy. “Critical Analysis of “Oedipus the King”” HubPages. HubPages, June 23, 2009. Web. February 28, 2014. Storr, F. "The Internet Classics Archive | Oedipus the King by Sophocles." The Internet Classics Archive | Oedipus the King by Sophocles. NP, 2013. Web. February 26, 2014. McManus, Barbara F. “Plot Structure of Oedipus the King.” Plot structure of Oedipus the King. Aristotle's Theory of Tragedy, November 2000. Web. February 28, 2014. “Tragic hero”. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, 2014. Web. February 28, 2014. “Oedipus Rex or Oedipus the King Summary.” Study guides and essay editing. Note Saver, 2014. Web. February 28. 2014.