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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 99.67.238.57 (talk) at 05:12, 22 February 2012 (→Gollum as a tragic hero example). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Gollum as a tragic hero example

The addenda to "The Two Towers" describes gollum as a tragic hero. Would he be an good example? Jeffrey.Rodriguez (talk) 20:12, 13 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

No. The point is not to have an exhaustive list. The point is to have the basic examples that all the other candidates are compared to. Basically when one is talking about a "tragic hero" they are comparing a character to characters in Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Shakespeare. Personally I'd say it is debatable that Gollum can be compared to those. Ekwos (talk) 23:51, 14 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

What about Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader a few modern examples would make this page more relevant. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.67.238.57 (talk) 03:36, 1 December 2011 (UTC)[reply] 

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1/31/12

Wow, weird. I went ahead and added Gollum and Darth Vader before even reading this. It seems foolish to not include them because there more identifiable. Average people don't know who those other characters are. If you wish to remove their names maybe you should create a new little section area thingy for it and title it "Mondern Examples" or something. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 50.47.104.29 (talk) 02:58, 1 February 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Personally I don't see how Gollum is a "tragic hero" by any stretch of the imagination. He is a guy that chanced upon a cursed ring that ruined him. No tragedy there. The tragic hero is tragic because of their own actions. They aren't tragic because something bad happens to them and the audience feels sorry for them. The tragic hero drives the action; things just sort of happen to Gollum. 137.53.241.1 (talk) 19:27, 10 February 2012 (UTC)[reply]
Well actually Golem murdered his friend to get the ring. He choose to do the killing no one forced him. Many tragic heroes make bad choices for power or wealth. Golem is a perfect example of this killing to gain a magic ring. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.67.238.57 (talk) 03:21, 16 February 2012 (UTC)[reply]
Oedipus drives the action in Oedipus Rex by his ongoing pushing to find the king's murderer. Antigone drives the action in Antigone by her ongoing pushing to give her brother a proper burial. Hamlet drives the action in Hamlet by driving to avenge his father's murder. Gollum is a supporting character that adds a little color and is a bit of a stumbling-block for Frodo. Gollum could disappear from the book and the Lord of the Rings would be about the same, albeit shorter. He is no tragic hero. 24.21.175.70 (talk) 06:43, 17 February 2012 (UTC)[reply]
Oedipus sleeps with his mother for a throne, Hamlet kills for a throne, Antigone tries to bury a traitor, all of them make bad decisions for power or poor personal reasons. Also Gollum allows the reader to see the corrupting influence of the one ring without him the reader would wonder why the ring is so evil since whoever uses it does so with little change to their personality.
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