A hero whose weakness contributes to his downfall is called?

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks for the term used for a hero whose weakness leads to his downfall. This is a literary terms question from drama (tragedy).

Step 2: Explain the concept In tragedy, the tragic hero is a noble or admirable protagonist who falls from greatness because of a hamartia, a "tragic flaw" such as pride (hubris), ambition, jealousy, or poor judgment. The idea comes from Aristotle's Poetics. Examples you may meet in your literature texts:

• Macbeth (ambition)
• Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart (fear of weakness, rashness, and pride)
• Oedipus (hubris and ignorance)

Step 3: Check each option

• A. Deuteragonist: the second most important character in a play, after the protagonist. It does not describe a hero's weakness.
• B. Periaktos: a triangular rotating prism used in ancient Greek theatre for changing scenery. It is a stage device, not a character type.
• C. Tragic hero: a hero whose flaw contributes to his downfall. This matches the question exactly.
• D. Tragic flow: this is not a literary term. It looks like a distortion of "tragic flaw." Even if it were spelled correctly, a tragic flaw is the weakness itself, not the hero who has it. The question asks for the hero.

Step 4: Answer The correct option is C. Tragic hero.

Tip: Read the question for what it asks you to name. If it asks for the person, the answer is the tragic hero. If it asks for the weakness, the answer is the tragic flaw (hamartia). JAMB often places a near-miss option like "tragic flow" to catch students who read too fast.