THE TRAGIC HERO by Dr. Jernail S. Anand

The theoreticians of ancient Greek tragedy

Had laid down, and it remains unchallenged still,

That a tragic hero is essentially a good man,

Who, due to a weaknesses in his character,

Makes an error of judgement and

Digresses into evil.

His suffering brings up feelings of pity and fear,

And his death brings a flood of relief

And also effects a catharsis

Leaving the audience relieved and purged.

The tragic genius of the Greeks

Perhaps could not comprehend

The inverse dimension of tragedy,

In which an evil person,

When touched emotionally,

Digresses into good also,

Bringing a flood of tears

In the eyes of the audience

Effecting a catharsis of the feelings

Of pity and fear, which a tragedy performs.

Inverse tragedy is the Indian counterpart

Of the western tragic thought.

The Indian genius gives space

To tragedy, but believes that

No man is born evil.

Nor does fate hound a person like Oedipus.

Evil are the circumstances

Which become the cause of suffering

And whenever emotionally touched,

The man returns to his innate goodness.

If we blindly follow Aristotle

And doggedly insist

That tragedy is the result of

A good man going the Devil’s way

Due to a flaw in his character,

I feel Inverse Tragedy counterbalances

What Aristotle says.

A hero run down by adverse circumstances

Suffers indignities of fate,

Yet by an Impulse of Judgement

Discovers his lost strength of character

And acts like Greek heroes

Turning tragedies on their face

And emerges with tragic glory

From the debris of fate.

A CRITIQUE OF THIS POEM

Dr. Jernail S. Anand's poem presents a thought-provoking critique of the traditional Western concept of tragedy, as defined by Aristotle, and offers an alternative perspective on the nature of tragedy and the tragic hero.

The poem challenges the idea that a tragic hero must be a good person who falls due to a weakness or error in judgment. Instead, Dr. Anand proposes the concept of "Inverse Tragedy," where an evil person can transform into a good one, evoking feelings of pity, fear, and ultimately, catharsis.

This "Indian counterpart" to Western tragic thought emphasizes the potential for redemption and the belief that no one is born evil. Circumstances, rather than fate, lead to suffering, and emotional connections can help individuals rediscover their innate goodness.

Dr. Anand's poem also highlights the importance of context and cultural perspective in shaping our understanding of tragedy. By presenting an alternative narrative, "Inverse Tragedy" encourages us to reconsider our assumptions about the human condition and the nature of suffering.

The poem's final lines, "A hero run down by adverse circumstances / ... Discovers his lost strength of character / And acts like Greek heroes / Turning tragedies on their face / And emerges with tragic glory / From the debris of fate," suggest a powerful reimagining of the tragic hero archetype, one that emphasizes resilience, growth, and the potential for transformation in the face of adversity.

Overall, Dr. Anand's poem offers a compelling and thought-provoking exploration of the complexities of tragedy and the human experience.

THE AUTHOR

Dr JERNAIL SINGH ANAND

Author of an opus of 167 plus books, Dr. Jernail Singh recently won Serbian top literary honour Charter of Morava, the International Award in Creativity. His name was engraved on the Poets' Rock in the heart of Serbia. He is the only Indian poet after Sh Rabindranath Tagore to be honoured by the Serbian Writers Association, Belgrade. Univ of Engg and Management Jaipur conferred on him The Honoris Causa Doctoral Degree in Literature this year.

Last year, he was made Honorary Member of the Association of Serbian Writers. He is Prof Emeritus in Indian Literature at The European Institute of the Roma Studies and Research Belgrade.

Dr Anand has authored more than 167 books in English poetry, fiction, non-fiction, spirituality and philosophy. He is credited with the theory of Biotext in critical theory. His work has been translated into more than twenty world languages. Author of 9 epics which are regarded as modern classics, Anand has organized 5 International Literary Conferences. He was conferred Franz Kafka Laureateship 2022, International Aco Karamanov Poetry Award 2022 (Mecedonia) and Maxim Gorkhy. Award ( Russia).

Dr Anand's most phenomenal book Lustus has been translated into Persian and Bengali and selected as a Postgraduate Text in a northern Indian University .

Hailing from Punjab, India, Dr. Anand is recipient of prestigious Naji Naaman Literary Award 2020, Cross of Literature and Cross of Peace from World Union of Poets, Italy. He was appointed Secretary General, World Union of Poets, Italy and Chairman of Board of Directors, World Institute of Peace, Nigeria. Univ of Neyshabur, Iran has published a Research Project Comparing the Poetry of J.S. Anand with Sohrab Sepehri and Furogh Farrokhzad under Chief Coordinator, Dr Roghayeh Farsi, who was instrumental in articulation of Dr. Anand's Theory of Biotext. His 4 books have been translated into Persian by Iranian scholars.

Dr. Anand's reputation as an author rests mainly on his scintillating work in critical theory.

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