Example: Brutus in Julius Caesar. Vengeful – seeking ramifications for others as a form of revenge. Humorless – having no sense of humor; solemn. Example: Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights. Your character could have intense feelings that hinder them, keeping them from interacting with something in a normal way. 15. The hero Achilles' tragic flaw is his pride. 35. Become a member today to discover how we can help you publish a beautiful book. For example, extreme introversion might lead to poor social skills for lack of practice. Although a quick reading of the play might suggest that Hamlet's madness – feigned or real – is to blame for his downfall, his true tragic flaw is being overly hesitant . 5. 51. 8. 48. That said, if you’re looking for a challenge (or aiming to create that once-in-a-blue moon egregious antihero who’s just sympathetic enough to work), have at it. These are all things people have trouble dealing with. However, note that the outcome of a flaw depends entirely on the character’s handling of it! 25. As you’d expect, minor flaws are typically things like poor hygiene and forgetfulness. Even if it’s technically by the hand of someone else, if it can be traced back to the flaw of the hero, it makes the situation tragic. 13. 61. Words. Example: Sherlock Holmes in Sherlock Holmes. Pride and Prejudice is a good example of different example of the varying importance of character flaws. Neglectful – failing to give proper care or attention to someone or something. Macbeth. Characterization – how you make a fictional character seem like a real, living, breathing person – is tricky. While pride could be a good thing, excessive pride proves to be fatal to their character. A minor character flaw is an imperfection which serves to distinguish the character in the mind of the reader / viewer / player / listener, making them memorable and individual, but otherwise does not affect the story in any way. He then becomes paranoid, which causes him to … Looking for creative writing classes to sharpen your skills? Manipulative – conniving and controlling others to get what one wants. Some readers may be unable to forgive protagonists who demonstrate these flaws, even over the course of multi-book character arcs to show they’ve changed. Example: Amy March in Little Women. In Macbeth, Macbeth's tragic flaw is his own ambition. A story must also have flesh. Machiavellian – cunning, manipulative, and unscrupulous in one’s schemes. 20. Leave a comment. But before we get to our extensive list of character flaws, let’s go over what a character flaw is and the different types you’ll see in stories. Without those flaws to make heroes and villains likable or relatable, you wouldn’t read a story. Example: Javert in Les Misérables. Those character flaws push the story forward. Logical flaws in writing are common with new writers and those who just wish to fill the sheets or screens with some words without thinking if they add any value to a reader. Other common character trait flaws found in literature include: It’s important for a character to have some flaws. While sometimes, the book is about the main character overcoming addiction, other stories have a character with both addictive and abusive tendencies. Obsequious – so deferential and flattering as to be unsettling. 66. If you want to use introversion as a character flaw, it has to harm a character’s wellbeing. Others do have the potential to harm, but rarely evolve to that extent. Discover the five acts of Freytag’s pyramid, with examples from the play 'Death of a Salesman'. 10. A helpful or scrupulous character may inadvertently find out information when they are lending a hand. Top Tag’s. Bonus!) Keep your character exploration going by looking at examples of personality traits. Treacherous – deeply disloyal and traitorous, usually for personal gain. For your reference, here are some examples of the term fatal flaw being usedin sentences. You’ll notice characters in books are full of flaws, even the seemingly flawless ones. 54. Weak-willed – timid and spineless. 26. Pride is a big one when it comes to character flaws. Each of these has certain expected consequences — but the beauty of flaws is that each will still present differently in different characters, depending on that character’s other traits, background, and circumstances. He’s a young and foolish Hobbit, making him incompetent at many tasks. 2. Examples: Hercules, Odysseus, Aragorn from Lord of the Rings, and any Tom Cruise character. All humans are flawed in one way or another, and it is often easy to recognize character flaws in others. Discipline Character building implies some degree of discipline whereby an individual makes sacrifices and faces hardship to solve a problem or achieve a goal. analysis of flaws of character Essay Examples. A character flaw is a negative quality in a character that affects them or others in a detrimental way. Find the perfect editor for your book. 18. In the play Oedipus the King, the protagonist flaw of irritability and a bad temper is portrayed, for example, in such episode: he heard a prophesy from the Delphi Oracle, left Corinth as fast as possible and on nearing Thebes a caravan cut him off, infuriated him and … Pro tip: Choose a flaw for one of your characters, then try a few character development exercises to see how it might manifest. Example: Valentine Michael Smith in Stranger in a Strange Land. Example: Tom Ripley in The Talented Mr. Ripley. Hypocritical – acting in opposition to one’s beliefs or proclamations about others, typically because one believes they are “above” them. (That second one hints at some bigger issues, too! other traits, background, and circumstances, Character Development 101: Writing Characters Readers Won’t Forget, Character Questionnaire: 50 Juicy Questions To Ask Your Characters, How to Write Character Descriptions in 3 Simple Steps. Discuss the Fatal Flaws in the Characters of Othello and Macbeth. Example: Dorian Gray in The Picture of Dorian Gray. Paranoid – unusually suspicious, mistrustful, or nervous that something bad will happen to them. Explore some of the most common character flaws along with common examples of character flaws in literature. Vanity, like many other character flaws in this list, is everywhere in stories. 64. While those might be the most common character flaw examples you come across in literature, it is far from a comprehensive list. Examples. 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