Why is Barry “The Flash” Allen a
Tragic Hero?
In the television series The Flash the main character Barry Allen
also known as “The Flash” plays the role of a superhero in Central City, where
the show takes place. Central city is a fictional location that has similar
characteristics as the real world city of Chicago. Set in the DC Comic Universe,
this place is not your average metropolis. The city is a regular society
until a man by the name of Dr. Harrison Wells attempted to create a Particle Accelerator.
The Accelerator had a meltdown and in a strange turn of events, gave various
citizens of the city superpowers, including the main character- Barry. After
the meltdown, the citizens of the city with enhanced abilities started to form-
most with intentions to harm society. The ability that Barry received was the
capacity to, after training and practicing, run faster than the speed of light and
along with this ability, came superhuman agility and stamina.
Barry Allen is a twenty-six years old
man. He is white with dark brown, almost black hair. His mother died when he
was younger due to a supernatural cause and Barry in turn, joined the police as
a forensic scientist. After his mother’s death he went to live with a family
friend, named Joe West. West is a detective which helped Barry when growing up
to pursue his goal of finding his mother’s killer.
Barry is intelligent and slightly socially
awkward. After he became imbued with his supernatural speed, Barry met Dr.
Wells, who urged him to use his powers to help others. He explained to him the
rise in “metahumans”, a term coined by Dr. Wells to describe humans with superhuman
abilities. Barry Allen was soon given the superhero alias, “The Flash” due to
the fact that when seen, all people can comprehend is the “flash” he leaves behind.
He also dubs himself “The Flash” after his favorite comic book hero Jay Garrick
nicknamed “The Flash”. Barry’s character is one who puts others before himself
which made him such a great example of a tragic hero in the show. His one major
flaw is that most of the decisions he made are based on instinct, which is both a good and bad thing. In the series, he is constantly learning from each
fight in both a mental and physical way. With each fight he learns of various
abilities as well as how to make better choices that are non-biased. An example
of this is when The Flash learns how to throw lightning. Preceding this event,
he had lost all trust in people and himself. He learns to trust others and
himself and defeats his foes.
In the television series, Barry Allen is depicted as a tragic hero. A tragic hero is defined in general as a character
who makes a judgement error that inevitably leads to his or her own
destruction. The six traits of a tragic as defined by Aristotle are anagnorisis,
catharsis, hamartia, hubris, nemesis, and peripeteia. Anagnorisis is the moment
when the hero makes an important discovery in the story. Catharsis are the feelings
of pity and fear the audience feels for the protagonist after his fall.
Hamartia is the tragic flaw that causes the downfall of a hero. Hubris is the
excessive pride and disrespect the hero has toward natural order. Nemesis is a
fortune that the protagonist cannot avoid, usually due to retribution of his
hubris, it may also be seen in a sense as karma. And finally, periperteia,
which is the reversal of fate that the hero experiences. All of these traits
can be seen in the television series.
Hamartia can be seen in multiple episodes,
and in every episode where the hero, Barry, has to make a tough decision.
Barry’s tragic flaw is that his decisions were swayed by his emotions and
often led to a destructive or unfortunate outcome. For instance, in one episode
Barry defeats one criminal and solves a lot of problems that the city was
having, but uses his ability to travel back in time and change the past to save
his friend. This alteration of time causes far more problems to occur with even
worse consequences. The most notable case is the final episode of season two
where Barry had essentially solved all of Central Cities problems. However, his
family had been killed and he travels back in time to save his mom, but this
ends up completely altering the future. The next season will show how he plans
on fixing this, but it still stands to show Barry’s tragic flaw that repeatedly
leads to the downfall of him, Central City, or both.
Another one of Aristotle’s traits a tragic
hero must have, hubris, can be detected from the very beginning of the series.
The very concept of the show is an example of hubris. Barry disrespects and
defies nature with every action he takes. Barry’s powers are supernatural, therefore,
every time he uses them, he is defying nature. Barry changes natural order with
every villain that he stops, but results in a change of order in the extreme
when he switches events in time, saves someone important, or stops a critical
catastrophe or events such as this. Barry doesn’t necessarily disrespect the
laws of nature; he simply paid no attention to the laws when he worked.
The third trait that can be seen is Barry
Allen as The Flash through peripeteia, the reversal of fate the hero experiences.
This can be seen many times when Barry travels through time as it often leads
to more problems than solutions. This can also be seen in many situations where
Barry trusts his instincts and does something risky. For example, in an episode
he is given the choice to either give up his speed or save a friend. It is
instances such as these that show just how tragic of a hero Barry really is.
The fourth trait that Aristotle used to define
a tragic hero that Barry possess is anagnorisis. Almost every episode is an
example of this or had an example of this in it. Anagnorisis can be seen every
time Barry learns how to defeat a villain and every time he solves a problem. A
major example of anagnorisis is when Barry discovers the Speed Force. The Speed
Force is essentially the ability to access and control the motion and
progression of the universe to move time and space itself forward. This is the simplest
example to recognize of anagnorisis.
The fifth trait Barry possesses is
nemesis. Instances of nemesis occur when Barry runs into Zoom. Zoom stands in the way of Barry on many of
his missions. Zoom is Barry’s long-standing rival and the
inescapable agent of his downfall. His goal is to reap as much havoc to Barry’s
life as he can, ranging from harming his friends to the loss of his powers. Zoom is the exact definition of nemesis due to the fact that he is
from the future. Because he is from the future Barry can never truly stop him, which
leads to the future failure of The Flash.
The sixth and final trait Barry possesses
are catharsis. Catharsis are the feelings of pity and fear the audience feels
for the protagonist after his fall. The audience feels these emotions after
every loss and often during and after a fight when it looks like Barry might
lose or is losing. The producers throw in these scenarios to obtain a reaction
from the audience to keep them interested in the story. An example of this is
when Zoom beats up Barry and “breaks” him. After
this, Barry feels lost as if he cannot accomplish much after this. This also
causes him not to be able to move as fast and results in a weaker form of
himself. These moments make the audience fear for his well being and pity him
due to his loss in speed and ability.
Barry is a tragic hero because all six of
Aristotle’s tragic hero traits can be seen in multiple episodes of The Flash and
can be applied to him. He uses his emotions to control his actions and often times
this leads to his downfall. Because of his nature as a tragic hero Barry has
constantly and will continuously put himself in precarious positions. These
positions will make him have to make a choice and that choice will always bring
out his qualities as a tragic hero.
thank you! You really helped me. I needed and article about the flash for school. We had to choose a hero and write an essay comparing him to Odysseus from The Odyssey. I couldn't find any good article about the flash until now! Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteis it barry "the flash"allen, or barry "the allen" flash?
ReplyDeleteor allen, "the barry" flash?
DeleteI think it's flash barry the allen
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ReplyDeleteWhen in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
ReplyDeleteWe hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.–Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
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ReplyDeleteHe has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
ReplyDeleteHe has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
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For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
ReplyDeleteFor imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
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He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
ReplyDeleteNor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.