In tragedies, the tragic hero is a noble character but has a fatal flaw that causes him to suffer a reversal. In a reversal, the tragic hero goes through many events that not only make him suffer, but also disrupt the natural order of things and cause the audience a feeling of pity and fear. Before the tragic hero dies, he must recognize his fatal flaw, which restores order and provokes a feeling of catharsis in the audience. A Greek philosopher, Aristotle, observed the tragic hero and collected his conventions. In tragic plays, the tragic hero must fulfill all the conventions to be considered a tragic hero. In William Shakespeare's King Lear, these conventions were incorporated into the main tragic hero, Lear. However, although Lear is the tragic hero of the play, Shakespeare rejected the norms of a tragedy by adding a secondary tragic hero, Gloucester. Gloucester can be considered a secondary tragic hero because he strongly manifests Aristotle's tragic hero conventions of nobility, fatal flaw, reversal, and suffering, while failing to follow the conventions of disrupting the natural order and recognition. Say no to plagiarism. Get Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get Original EssayGloucester can be considered a secondary tragic hero because he is a noble character who suffers from a fatal flaw. There are two ways to be considered noble: noble by birth and noble by character. Gloucester is noble by birth, hence his title "Earl of Gloucester", but it can be argued that Gloucester is also noble by character, meaning that he is a relatively virtuous person. Gloucester's nobility is evident in the opening of the play when Gloucester explains to Kent in dialogue that he loves Edmund like Edgar. As Gloucester says, "who is yet not dearer in my eyes", he explains that although Edmund is a bastard child, he loves him no less than his lawful elder brother, Edgar. Gloucester's nobility shines through in his selfless duty to accept Edmund, regardless of the consequences of being known as the father of a bastard child. However, despite its noble appearance, Gloucester suffers from a fatal flaw. A fatal flaw is an exaggerated personality trait that unbalances the tragic hero. In the same dialogue between Gloucester and Kent, Gloucester blatantly reveals his fatal flaw of adultery, after Kent asks Gloucester if Edmund is his son. Gloucester remarks, "a son for her cradle before she had a husband," confessing his sin of adultery by declaring that he had Edmund before marriage. This act of adultery is Gloucester's fatal flaw which produces an imbalance in his character and leads to his overthrow. Therefore, Gloucester can be considered a secondary tragic hero as he is a noble character in accepting Edmund but still suffers from his fatal flaw of adultery. Gloucester can also be seen as a tragic hero because he goes through a reversal of his fatal flaw, which then causes him to suffer. In a tragedy, a reversal occurs when the tragic hero turns to the opposite state of affairs, moving from positive to negative experiences. In Act 3, Scene 5, Gloucester's overthrow is evident when he loses his title of "Earl of Gloucester". After Gloucester leaves to help Lear, Edmund informs the Duke of Cornwall of Gloucester's aid to Lear and that Gloucester has received an incriminating letter from the French regarding an invasion. This information makes Gloucester a criminalresearch. Furthermore, as Cornwall says, “you have been made Earl of Gloucester.” (3.5.18), Edmund is promoted and he wins the Gloucester title. Gloucester's overthrow is clear as he goes from being a ruling nobleman to a wanted criminal. Gloucester's reversal in social class was due to his fatal flaw, for it was the product of his adultery, Edmund, who betrayed him. It is this reversal of social class that makes Gloucester suffer. In a tragedy, the tragic hero must suffer physically or emotionally from something he usually does not deserve. In Act 3, Scene 7, Gloucester is in great pain as Cornwall gouges out his eyes. As Gloucester is now a wanted criminal, the servants take him back to his castle for questioning. During interrogation, Gloucester explains that he was simply trying to protect Lear from what Goneril and Regan might do to him in the future. In response to this, Cornwall declares, "upon thy eyes I will set my foot," and painfully forces Gloucester's eyes out. Although Gloucester's physical suffering is evident, he also suffers emotionally because he does not deserve this cruel punishment and no one helps him. After all, Gloucester only aimed to protect Lear from Goneril and Regan. Therefore, Gloucester can be seen as a secondary tragic hero as he experiences a reversal in social class when Edmund takes his title, which causes him to suffer both physically and emotionally. Although Gloucester can be considered a secondary tragic hero, he is not a primary tragic hero. hero because he does not manifest all of the Aristotle conventions of a tragic hero. Gloucester does not manifest the conventions of disrupting nature and recognizing a fatal flaw, unlike the main tragic hero, Lear. In a tragedy, the fatal flaw and overthrow of the tragic hero shifts natural and social systems from order to chaos. Unlike Lear, Gloucester's overthrow does not disrupt the natural order. An example of the divergence between Lear and Gloucester's overthrow can be found in Act 3, scene 2, where Lear's rage and despair cause a storm, effectively disrupting the natural order. Lear is angry that Cornwall has put his servant Kent into stock. Regan and Cornwall then explain to Lear that he does not need any servants. Lear then begins to break down trying not to cry. As he cries, “This heart will break into a hundred thousand faults or before I cry,” a storm begins. We see pathetic fallacies come into play as the storm resembles Lear's wrath. Lear's anger was so powerful that it disrupted the natural order, causing a storm. This is a convention that Gloucester does not show, making him a secondary tragic hero. Furthermore, Gloucester does not follow the convention of recognizing a fatal flaw, thus demonstrating that Gloucester is not a primary tragic hero. In a tragedy, the tragic hero must recognize his fatal flaw before he dies. Unlike Lear, Gloucester never realizes that it is his fatal flaw of adultery that has caused him all his troubles. Gloucester's ignorance is demonstrated in Act 3, Scene 4, when Regan states that Edmund was betraying him. As Gloucester has his eyes removed, he calls for help from Edmund. Regan then explains that Edmund was betraying him. While Gloucester exclaims: “Oh my follies! Then it was Edgar who was mistreated. Gracious gods, forgive me for this and make him prosper. He prays for Edgar's well-being. Gloucester realizes that Edmund was betraying him, but he fails to recognize that it was his act of adultery that ultimately caused his downfall. If Gloucester had not..