CharacterIntermediate
Fatal Flaw
A trait that produces the protagonist's defeat or transformation.
Principle
A flaw is fatal only when the world stops indulging it.
Takeaways
- Hamartia is closer to error than evil.
- The flaw should be inseparable from the character's strengths.
- If the flaw never costs anything, it is not a flaw.
Overview
The fatal flaw — Aristotle's hamartia — is the trait, error, or blind spot that brings about a tragic outcome or forces the transformation. Its strength as device lies in being intrinsic, not bolted on.
Examples
- A general's loyalty becomes the means by which he is betrayed.
- A mother's love refuses the truth her child is telling.
- A scholar's caution costs them the only living source.