Has the time come to recognise that Manmohan Singh is a tragic hero cast in the same mould as the protagonists of some of Shakespeare’s great dramas such as Hamlet, Othello and Macbeth? From his recent interaction with the five editors it would seem so.
As we know, the term “tragic hero” was coined around 330 BC by Aristotle who, after studying the works of Sophocles, Euripides and other Greek playwrights, concluded that all tragic heroes bore certain similar traits, and of these four were intrinsic: they had to be men of position, leaders, kings or generals in the army; they had to possess human qualities that the masses could identify with; they were required to face their tragedy with great dignity and above all they had to possess a tragic flaw, an overarching significant shortcoming that caused their downfall and led to their tragedy.
The last was the most important characteristic that a tragic hero needed to possess because without that flaw the tragedy would not unfold. Each of Shakespeare’s tragic heroes could be identified with one such flaw: whereas Macbeth’s was ambition, King Lear’s was arrogance, Hamlet’s was revenge, while Othello’s was an extreme credulity and naiveté.
While this flaw (known by the literary term hamartia) was the pivot on which the plot turned, the high social standing of the tragic hero was also an important part of the formulae as a means to draw the audience in. By casting his heroes as generals in the army, like Antony, Othello or Macbeth, or from royalty, like Hamlet or Lear, their eventual fall from grace could be even more spectacular.
While crafting the characteristics of his tragic heroes Shakespeare made sure that besides their one fatal flaw, they were not cast as extreme in any other way. Thus in all other respects Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth and King Lear were not inordinately virtuous or heroic nor were they too sinister and unpleasant. If they had been, then audiences would not grasp the message about greed, ambition and pride that Shakespeare wished to highlight through his morality plays. The message he wished to impart through these was: “beware, the same fate could befall any of you too.”
Shakespeare took particular glee in writing damning comeuppances for his tragic heroes. Bloodshed, war, murder and suicide were all par for the course.
And this brought out the next intrinsic trait of the tragic hero: his forbearance in the face of suffering. According to Aristotle, all tragic heroes were expected to bear their tragedies with dignity.
So why does Manmohan Singh qualify as a great tragic hero? Firstly, he is a leader of men, of that there is no doubt. As prime minister of one billion people, his leadership is of epic proportions. Then, he possesses qualities that are immensely human, even his worst enemies vouch for his personal charm and appealing nature; and of course, from his pronouncements it is evident that he is facing his tragedy with great dignity and grace. For a man who has lived by such exacting standards of honesty and accountability to admit to heading a government that is seen as the most corrupt must be the ultimate humiliation.
So then what is that fatal flaw that Manmohan Singh possesses, that makes him the great tragic hero of our times and has led to his downfall? The fatal flaw, dear reader, is: decency.
Malavika Sangghvi is a Mumbai-based writer malavikasangghvi@hotmail.com
