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Hubris definition (this is Hillary)
literary devices dot net ^ | 3-14-15

Posted on 03/14/2015 2:39:20 PM PDT by doug from upland

Hubris Definition

Hubris is extreme pride and arrogance shown by a character that ultimately brings about his downfall.

Hubris is a typical flaw in the personality of a character who enjoys a powerful position; as a result of which, he overestimates his capabilities to such an extent that he loses contact with reality. A character suffering from Hubris tries to cross normal human limits and violates moral codes. Examples of Hubris are found in major characters of tragic plays.

Definition of Hubris by Aristotle

Aristotle mentions Hubris in his book “Rhetoric”:

“Hubris consists in doing and saying things that cause shame to the victim…simply for the pleasure of it. Retaliation is not hubris, but revenge. … Young men and the rich are hubristic because they think they are better than other people.”

Aristotle thus believed that people indulge in crimes like sexual misconduct and maltreating others only to fulfill their basic desire to make themselves feel superior to others.

The Concept of Hubris in Greek Mythology

Similarly, Greek mythology depicts it as a great crime and demands a severe punishment. Generally, the Greek idea of Hubris is that a character in an authoritative position becomes so proud of his exceptional qualities that he forms a delusion that he is equal to gods and eventually he tries to defy the gods and his fate.

Hubris Examples in Literature

Hubris examples are also examples of “Hamartia”, a tragic flaw in a character that brings about his tragic downfall.

Example #1

In a famous Greek Tragedy “Oedipus Rex” by Sophocles, the character of the “King Oedipus” provides a classic example of a character who suffers from Hubris or excessive pride. Due to his “hubris”, he attempts to defy prophecies of gods but ended up doing what he feared the most and what he was warned against. “The Oracle of Delphi” told him that he would kill his father and marry his mother. Overcome by Hubris, he tries to avoid this. He leaves “Corinth” and travels towards “Thebes”. On his way to the neighboring city, he kills an old man in a feud and later marries the queen of “Thebes” as he was made king of the city after he saved the city from a deadly “Sphinx”. One can say that he commits all these sins in complete ignorance but nevertheless he deserves punishment because he became so proud that he does not shy from attempting to rebel against his fate. His reversal of fortune is caused by his Hubris.

Example #2

In his famous epic “Paradise Lost”, Milton portrays “Satan” as a character that suffers from Hubris. His loses his glorious position through giving in to his excessive pride. It was his Hubris that made him try to take control over Heaven. Although he failed miserably, his pride lasts:

“Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heav’n.”

The reason of his desire to rebel against his creator originates from his reluctance to accept the authority of God and His Son because he believed that angels are ”self-begot, self-raised” and hence bringing his downfall in being thrown out of Paradise.

Example #3

An instance of Hubris can be spotted in Marlowe’s “Doctor Faustus”. Faustus’s arrogance and extreme pride in his scholarship and his irresistible desire to become superior to all other men of his age forces him to sell his soul to “Lucifer” by signing a contract with his blood. He learns the art of black magic and defies Christianity. Finally, he has to pay for his arrogance and pride. The devils take away his soul to Hell and he suffers eternal damnation.

Example #4

Likewise, “Victor” the protagonist of Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” exhibits Hubris in his endeavor to become an unmatched scientist. He creates a “monster” named “Frankenstein” which ultimately becomes the cause of his disaster.

Function of Hubris

In literature, portrayal of hubristic characters serves to achieve a moralistic end. Such characters are eventually punished thus giving a moral lesson to the audience and the readers so that they are motivated to improve their characters by removing the flaws that can cause a tragedy in their lives. Witnessing a tragic hero suffering due to his hubristic actions, the audience or the readers may fear that the same fate may befall them if they indulge in similar kinds of actions.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: blueturban; email; evil; hillary; hubris; miraclewhip
Hubris destroyed Niobe. Waiting for it to destroy Hillary.
1 posted on 03/14/2015 2:39:20 PM PDT by doug from upland
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To: doug from upland
A picture is worth a thousand words. Here's one of hubris:


2 posted on 03/14/2015 2:41:35 PM PDT by 9thLife ("Life is a military endeavor..." -- Pope Francis)
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To: 9thLife
I remember seeing that immediately after the election and thought.....the next four years are going to suck worse than I thought. Little did I know, it would turn into 8.
3 posted on 03/14/2015 2:43:33 PM PDT by liberalh8ter (The only difference between flash mob 'urban yutes' and U.S. politicians is the hoodies.)
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To: 9thLife

Bingo!!!!


4 posted on 03/14/2015 2:44:29 PM PDT by Fungi (Evolution is piece by piece over billions of years. At what point did a precursor become a human?)
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To: doug from upland

Those the gods destroy they first make proud...


5 posted on 03/14/2015 2:45:48 PM PDT by freedumb2003 (islam: The hands of the Chinese, the mouths of the arabs, the minds of the French.)
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To: 9thLife

6 posted on 03/14/2015 2:47:28 PM PDT by Diogenesis ("When a crime is unpunished, the world is unbalanced.")
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To: Diogenesis
o.

m.

g.

7 posted on 03/14/2015 2:48:10 PM PDT by 9thLife ("Life is a military endeavor..." -- Pope Francis)
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To: liberalh8ter

Hillary! thinks she is Antigone, but she is Polynices.


8 posted on 03/14/2015 2:49:03 PM PDT by chajin ("There is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12)
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To: Diogenesis

A pitcha be worth 80,000 words.


9 posted on 03/14/2015 3:00:22 PM PDT by OKSooner ("Remember Fort Hood, Boston, and Moore, Oklahoma.")
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To: doug from upland
Hubris or not, it's TIME for Hillary! Didn't you people get the message?

It's her turn, she has waited long enough. Why, we shouldn't even have an election, she should just take office as soon as the Islamic Kenyan leaves. Why? Because it's time for Hillary.


10 posted on 03/14/2015 3:02:28 PM PDT by GrandJediMasterYoda (She comes out of the sun in a silk dress running like a watercolor in the rain)
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To: GrandJediMasterYoda
Yeah, she's waited long enough alright. She's waited a long time.

She's waited a long, long time... a really long time...

11 posted on 03/14/2015 3:21:43 PM PDT by OKSooner ("Remember Fort Hood, Boston, and Moore, Oklahoma.")
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To: OKSooner
I wonder if she'll have a "Listening tour" like her extremely arrogant "Listening tour" when she decided to run for Senator of New York. Oh thank you Hitlery for bestowing the ultimate gift on the people of New York with your presence! And these a-holes actually voted for her. She did absolutely NOTHING when she was Senator other than vote yes to every spending bill that crossed her ugly mug, then she went on a never ending book tour for promote her crap book "Lying History" with her Beatlemania photo on it. Yes Hillary, it's Hillarymania!


12 posted on 03/14/2015 3:39:48 PM PDT by GrandJediMasterYoda (She comes out of the sun in a silk dress running like a watercolor in the rain)
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To: GrandJediMasterYoda
"Lying History" with her Beatlemania photo on it.

Wash keyboard and monitor...too much spittle and bile.

FMCDH(BITS)

13 posted on 03/14/2015 4:07:26 PM PDT by nothingnew (Hemmer and MacCullum are the worst on FNC)
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To: doug from upland

14 posted on 03/14/2015 4:25:35 PM PDT by JPG (The GOPe will always find a way to surrender)
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To: GrandJediMasterYoda
Re: The cover on Killary's book: The person who took the photograph and the person doing the airbrushing should win an award. Killary hasn't looked that good or that awake or that sober in 30 years.
15 posted on 03/14/2015 4:53:07 PM PDT by upchuck (The current Federal Governent is what the Founding Fathers tried to prevent. WAKE UP!! Amendment V.)
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