HAPPINESS WAS BUT THE OCCASIONAL EPISODE IN A GENERAL DRAMA OF PAIN MICHAEL HENCHARD AS A TRAGIC HERO
In Thomas Hardy's The Mayor Of Casterbridge, Michael Henchard represents an incarnation of the Classical 'tragic hero.' In Greek literature, a tragic hero is a well-known and respected individual whose tragedy usually involves some kind of fall from glory. His downfall has been precipitated by his own flaw of character or judgment, some mistake or series of mistakes that has serious consequences. A key element is that the hero's experiences don't simply end with the mistake or catastrophe; true tragic heroes must come to discover or recognize what has happened to them and ultimately pay their ramifications. Surely such a description fits the hubristic Michael Henchard and maps out the tale of events set forth in The Mayor Of Casterbridge. The definition of a tragic hero includes his fall from glory, which in early 20th century literature would be social-class related. Henchard's rapid decline from Mayor to pauper qualifies as such a fall. It is even more of a tragedy since ther
'" Page 25) But, as the reader begins to realize, Henchard has only gone through the motions of repentance, and as soon as he is faced with adversity, his rougher qualities still surface. "Everybody else, from the Mayor to the washerwoman, shone in new vesture according to means; but Henchard had doggedly retained the fretted and weather-beaten garments of bygone years. On page 259 he indignantly proclaims: "'I'll welcome his royal highness, or nobody shall!'" showing his childish need for control and superiority. The theme and spirit of tragedy found a new vehicle in the novel in the 19th century, its form being originally used only in plays. In Henchard's case, the original mistake was the sale of his wife Susan two decades prior. Often he displays impulsiveness, which always results in bringing him closer to his demise. He is also a very proud man, which turns into simple stubbornness. His affliction begins almost immediately as his mistake is realized; he vows to abstain from alcohol for twenty-one years ("'. Though modern usage of the word 'hero' indicates a nobler persona, at its roots a hero is simply the main character of any story, and not necessarily a knight in shining armor. e was so much embarrassment and scandal surrounding his deterioration from a pillar of the town of Casterbridge. it was still a part of his [Henchard's] nature to extenuate nothing, and live on as one of his own worst accusers. being a year for every year that I have lived. The final characteristic of a tragic hero's saga is his realization of his mistake as well as the endurance of the consequences.
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Acceptance Essays
