In their season finale, Alicia and Sarah bring in special guest Christina Schuetz to discuss all things tragic hero through the lens of Star Wars and Anakin Skywalker. They look at classic tragic heroes from Othello to Oedipus and break down how Anakin fulfills the Greek model while also embracing the possibility of redemption. At the end of this week’s discussion, they talk about the things they've been reading, watching, and analyzing outside of the classroom.
Literary terms of the week: Tragic hero, Anagnorisis, Hamartia, Catharsis
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Music by Craig Harmann
Cover art by Matt Holman
Show Notes:
Intro notes:
Introduce Christina (Graceful Grief: Responding to Loss with the Heart of Jesus, published fall 2024)
Why Tragic Heroes (available wherever stories are told)
Star Wars (Anakin) & Othello
Literary terms of the week:
is noble
has a fatal flaw (and is aware of it)
suffers a fall from glory
Anagnorisis - moment when character realizes their fatal flaw
Hamartia - a character’s fatal flaw
Catharsis - purging of emotions through art
What are we enjoying right now?
Alicia: The Artful Dodger (Hulu), With a Little Luck (Marissa Meyer)
Sarah: We Were the Lucky Ones (Georgia Hunter), Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (HBO)
Christina: Elli’s House (Detroit support for trafficked women)
Related Episodes
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Chapter 4.17 - Anakin as the Tragic Hero