Hamartia in Greek refers to the commission of error on the part of the hero which causes his or her downfall or reversal of fate.

The term hamartia pertains to the specific wrong action or lapse in judgment and does not pertain to the character or the personal flaws of the error. The mistake can be caused by a moral flaw or even the lack of knowledge. The commission of error results in sorrow, reversal of fate, downfall and even death which are the opposite of what the super hero has expected.

Some define hamartia as “tragic flaw”, a definition which may be faulty given that the mistake of harmatia can be a result of other things aside from an inherent flaw in the character of the superhero.

In ancient stories, hamartia causes the main character to violate either a moral or divine law that will result in a disaster or tragedy. The hero of these stories may have sad endings, but the stories often highlight and celebrate the spirit of the superhero. The ancient stories also celebrate how the hero of the story owns up to his errors.

Examples of hamartia

In Sophocles, Oedipus the King, Oedipus met a tragic ending due to his ignorance. Oedipus killed Laius on his way to the road after a confrontation over the right of way. Oedipus did not know that Laius was his father.

In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the main character suffered because of his indecision. Hamlet hesitated in killing his treacherous uncle which resulted in his own destruction. The tragic flaw of indecision is the hamartia in this play.

Similarly, in Frankenstein, a book authored by Mary Shelley, the main character, Victor suffers from a moral flaw. Victor’s main flaw was an overwhelming presumption, arrogance and pride or hubris. Due to his flaw he has created a monster which is the opposite of what he wanted to achieve.