Emkay Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 I was thinking along the lines of comparing 'Voldemort and Macbeth as tragic heroes'. I was wondering if it was a legit topic? Voldemort fits all the characteristics of a tragic hero, but is it a strench to go on and label him that?I really want my EE to be on Macbeth or P&P. All I have for P&P is comparing the roles of social classes with Wuthering Heights... not very original. I also thought about doing one with A Walk to Remember, but can't think of anything to discuss besides love Thank yous[;. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedron123 Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 I think that you should narrow your thesis a bit. Why do you say that Voldemort is a tragic hero? Remember that your topic has to be original, something that not many people have analysed in depth. Try to find a point of comparison between the two characters other than if they meet the requirements to be a tragic hero or not. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinuxBeta Posted March 7, 2009 Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 Is it acceptable to analyze Harry Potter as literature? While the series is enjoyable, it's not exactly masterfully written. In my opinion, considering HP as literature is akin to considering American Pie as film...it just doesn't seem to be in the same category. But hey, if you get the green light from your adviser, then go for it. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashika Posted March 7, 2009 Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 ^ Hien wrote her EE on HP if I'm not mistaken.It's not unheard of and it's been done in my graduating class haha Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarz Posted March 8, 2009 Report Share Posted March 8, 2009 Voldemort is not a hero. He's a villain. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emkay Posted September 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2009 (edited) Okay, so I'm finally going to maybe start my EE (I know bad ). I was pretty set on comparing Macbeth and Voldemort as a tragic heroes. I know Voldemort is a villian but will that complicate things? I mean I think he fits under the guidelines for a 'tragic hero' and Macbeth wasn't exactly a good guy either. I'm not quite sure either how to make it more specific. I was also thinking if it was possible to just write the whole thing on arguing why Voldemort can be considered a tragic hero. I'm getting nervous about my topic since one of the teachers started talking about how you can't state any of your opinion in it and need hardcore evidence, but I'm pretty sure I can use the tragic hero guidelines as an argument (right?). Ahh. Edited September 25, 2009 by Emkay Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandwich Posted September 25, 2009 Report Share Posted September 25, 2009 Well how are you defining "tragic hero"?http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragic_heroIf you check that out, I think you'd have difficulty putting Voldemort in as a tragic hero, because he has none of the saving factors which're necessary for the "hero" part. Particularly as the difficulties in his childhood are actually reflected right back in the form of Harry as the person who went through the same (if not worse) and came out decently. He's portrayed with deep-rooted evil character flaws. I think it's a good topic if you can argue persuasively why he's a tragic hero with plenty of reference and analysis, but I'm curious as to how you'd ever really justify it.If you can do it satisfactorially, go for it, but if you're unsure whether your argument holds up, perhaps the same books but different question / Macbeth as compared with something different. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrypton Posted September 26, 2009 Report Share Posted September 26, 2009 As stated earlier, your research question must* be narrowed down for you to be able to write the essay within the limits. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emkay Posted October 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 5, 2009 I'm thinking of comparing Macbeth and Voldemort as similar characters instead. They have a lot of similarities such as their ambition, greed, the prophecies, how they tried/attempted to eliminate threats to their power/life among other things. That's specific enough right? Or I can write about the how the stories are parallel, but would this be too general? I don't really think so since I know people have done a lot of parallel comparisons for EEs.I feel Voldemort can be considered a tragic hero because he fits many of the 'traits'.. more of the the summed of version I learn in class though. He's from a noble family, male, has a tragic flaw - ambition/greed. Also the fact that Harry was marked as his opponent (trying to kill baby Harry) was the result of his actions after learning about the prophecy (supernatural aspect). The story of Merelope and Tom Riddle (love potion thing).. ended up with Voldemort being born to a mother who didn't care for him.. and ended up at a orphanage eventually. Dumbledore must see something redeeming in him, so he's not completely evil (Dumbledore calling him Tom). However, I'm starting to feel a bit intimidated about continuing with this topic and really like the idea of comparing Macbeth and Voldemort as similar characters instead/how the two stories are parallel. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deissi Posted October 5, 2009 Report Share Posted October 5, 2009 I'm thinking of comparing Macbeth and Voldemort as similar characters instead. They have a lot of similarities such as their ambition, greed, the prophecies, how they tried/attempted to eliminate threats to their power/life among other things. That's specific enough right? Or I can write about the how the stories are parallel, but would this be too general? I don't really think so since I know people have done a lot of parallel comparisons for EEs.How do you justify that Voldemort and Harry Potter are worth investigating? One of the EE criteria (intro, if my memory serves me) clearly states that you must be able to prove that your research question is significant and should be investigated. If you're unable to convince your examiner that HP is literature worth analyzing, your going to have a hard time in the actual main body of your essay. I'm not saying this can't be done, but you really should have a good reason for the investigation. Don't let your EE fall into the C pile!As for the research question in your post, it is not specific enough yet. You'll want to have one or two similar qualities that you will analyze in the essay. There is no chance you could cover all of them in 4,000 words, so you will have to carefully pick-and-choose the best attributes for your essay.In the words of my old IB Coordinator: "Hard, but, can be done!" Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emkay Posted October 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 Okay, so I've pretty much picked my topic. I decided to stick to the tragic hero thing with a different character - Snape. I didn't know how to word which 'similarities' I was comparing into a question for Macbeth/Harry Potter. I'm pretty confident I can write much about Snape being a tragic hero. My research question is "Can Severus Snape of the Harry Potter series be classified a Shakespearean tragic hero?" ... and now my final question is if the wording is okay? I think that's pretty specific enough :]. I'm actually a little excited to write it now, haha. I guess that's a good thing. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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