Hubris: Difference between revisions

Excessive pride. A concept introduced in Greece, '''Holman''' and '''Harmon''' state that it is the "overweening pride or insolence that results in the misfortune of the [[protagonist]] of a [[tragedy]]" (250). Humans who suffer from ''hubris'', or ''hybris'', often believe that they can accomplish more than the universe itself will allow. '''Roger Fowler''' defines ''hubris'' as "a man's denial of his own mortality" (198). Indeed it seems that the only way for a person to obtain such pride is to lose all sense of fear for his own wellbeing. After all, if a person has no fear at all, then he may have a perfect pride in himself, and in some ways, may even believe that he is perfect. '''Baldick''' asserts that "''hubris'' is the Greek word for 'insolence' or 'affront'," often times making it "the pride that comes before the fall" (260). Even though an overpowering sense of pride is healthy for one's self esteem, others might consider such pride insolence, or a negative trait.