Explanation: In Greek tragedy, a <em>hamartia</em> (also known as "fatal flaw") is the protagonist's flaw that affects the chain of events in a plot. Their flaw or mistake can be ignorance, a lapse of jugdement, a wrongdoing, or simply a flaw in their character.
Laura Bates is an assistant professor at Indiana State University. Her new book, Shakespeare Saved My Life: Ten Years in Solitary with the Bard, is out now. She joined us from member station WFIU in Bloomington, Indiana.
