So much to think about in this post! It turns out I'd been thinking of hamartia as an ingrained tragic flaw for many years (a conviction no doubt ingrained by a well-meaning English teacher). To think of it as simply an error changes everything, and suggests that any of us—whether a king or an ordinary mortal—can make a mistake leading to a cascade of tragic consequences.
I read this post out loud to my husband as we were driving, and we proceeded to have a long discussion about fate and free will and prophecies, not just in Sophocles' plays but also in the Oresteia. I'm so glad to have this new perspective—and I'm adding Fintan O'Toole to my reading list.
Hi Irena! Just saw this. I think about mistakes a lot. I wish there were an easier way to learn important things! I love the picture of you reading the post to your husband! I wrote my second post ever on the Oresteia and will be coming back to the trilogy again.
So much to think about in this post! It turns out I'd been thinking of hamartia as an ingrained tragic flaw for many years (a conviction no doubt ingrained by a well-meaning English teacher). To think of it as simply an error changes everything, and suggests that any of us—whether a king or an ordinary mortal—can make a mistake leading to a cascade of tragic consequences.
I read this post out loud to my husband as we were driving, and we proceeded to have a long discussion about fate and free will and prophecies, not just in Sophocles' plays but also in the Oresteia. I'm so glad to have this new perspective—and I'm adding Fintan O'Toole to my reading list.
Hi Irena! Just saw this. I think about mistakes a lot. I wish there were an easier way to learn important things! I love the picture of you reading the post to your husband! I wrote my second post ever on the Oresteia and will be coming back to the trilogy again.
Ooh, I’m going to find the original post. A thousand times yes to wishing there were an easier way to learn important lessons.
This is a fab post worth repeating. I am an inveterate reader of Fintan O'Toole and this is another of his best.
Thank you, Mary! So looking forward to being a guest on Inner Life! Tweaking my final draft now. xo