The characteristics that a tragic hero must possess were put forward by Aristotle.
He said believed that all tragic heroes must belong to a noble family or have a high stature in society. This made their tragedy/downfall affect a lot more people than an ordinary man's.
The tragic hero must have a fatal flaw of character. This flaw did not necessarily have to be negative, such as pride. It could be positive too, such as courage or honesty.
Although fate cannot be overcome and must result in the tragic heroes fall, there must be an element of choice so that it appears that the hero chose a particular path of action.
The hero must come to an understanding and know what exactly was his fault that had led him to his own tragic downfall.
Catharsis was an important trait of a tragic hero. The audience must feel sympathy for the hero and be able to relate to his story and plight.
