A tragic hero is the character who is between two different extremes. He's not "preeminent in virtue and justice," but, isn't guilty of "vice or depravity," just a bad "mistake." He is a person of importance, from a "highly renowned and prosperous place," a king,such as Oedipus. The best tragic plot moves the hero from prosperity to misfortune, not by bad luck but by some great mistake he makes. Aristole's four characteristics for "the …showed first 75 words of 357 total…

…showed last 75 words of 357 total…for his people. He's also very proud, a little arrogant, and he has a real temper. All of these character traits never fade, they all remain close to Oedipus' self image and personality. It is not ironic that Oedipus fits each description that Aristotle depicts of a tragic hero . The trusth is that this play served as Aristotle's model for a great tragedy. His theory is set to incorporate every aspect of Sophocles' great play.