Hamartia

A Greek term from Aristotle’s Poetics referring to the tragic error or flaw that leads to a protagonist’s downfall. It is sometimes translated as “fatal flaw,” though scholars debate whether it describes a character defect or simply an error of judgment. Aristotle used it to argue that the tragic hero is neither entirely virtuous nor entirely wicked — their fall stems from a human mistake, which makes their fate both plausible and emotionally devastating.