Old man and the sea, santiago
Old man and the sea, santiagoAristotle first discovered the idea of the tragic man and recorded it in The Elements of Drama. Although the characteristics that he drafted were based from his experience with the Greek theater, the tragic man exists in multiple forms of art and literature. For example, many scholars consider Captain Ahab from Moby Dick a tragic man. Ernest Hemingway embraces the idea of a tragic man to show how modern literature portrays heroes. The heroes of this era illustrate that life is a solitary struggle more likely to end in failure or defeat than in victory. Hemingway wrote The Old Man and the Sea in 1952, which has the main character Santiago alone for the majority of the novel. Santiago is a tragic man because of his capacity for suffering, sense of commitment, and refusal to surrender.
The tragic man has a high endurance for anguish. He believes strongly in what he is doing, feels guilt and guiltlessness at the same time and therefore, he suffers. He attempts to justify his behavior but does not convince himself. Santiago believes in killing the giant marlin but he knows the fish is his brother. He struggles over whether he should kill him or not. He decides to kill. " 'I'll kill him though,' he said. 'In all his greatness and his glory.' Although it is unjust, he thought." The tragic man can endure pain and does not fear death. The old man sits in his skiff with the fishing line wrapped around his back. He is in a very uncomfortable position and the moving rope slices his hands. "I must hold his pain where it is, he thought. Mine does not matter. I can control mine. But his pain could drive him mad." Santiago endures all his pain while fighting the fish just like a tragic man would always suppress it.
Another characteristic of the tragic man is his sense of commitment. As soon as a conflict arises, he is in its hold until the resolution of the conflict. Santiago stays on the raft for several days waiting for the fish to tire. He would never give up and head back to Cuba. When the fish bites into the hook, the conflict between the marlin and Santiago begins. The old man remains locked in the battle. He will not waiver until the denouement, even if it means death. " 'Fish,' he said softly aloud, 'I'll stay with you until I am dead.' " The tragic man can change his decision and stop the conflict, but he always asserts his freedom of choose in order...
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