Hubris: Definition and Examples from Literature

For book-lovers, nothing can be more heartbreaking than reading a story where a beloved character makes one wrong choice after another because of a character flaw.

Among the most common character flaws readers might encounter is hubris.

What Is Hubris?

Hubris is defined as excessive pride in a character, which leads them to act foolishly or rashly. It usually comes when a character is in a position of power, and their pride causes them to overestimate their capabilities. When a character suffers from hubris, they tend to overstep normal limits and violate moral standards.

This character flaw was common in classical Greek tragedies, such as Achilles and Oedipus. The basic premise behind it might be summed up with the old saying, “Pride goes before a fall.”

Hubris in Ancient Literature

In his book Rhetoric, Aristotle brings up the topic of hubris:

“Hubris consists in doing and saying things that cause shame to the victim … simply for the pleasure of it. Retaliation is not hubris, but revenge. … Young men and the rich are hubristic because they think they are better than other people.”

Here, Aristotle says that when people do things out of hubris, it comes from a desire for pleasure, or the desire to feel that they are better than others.

In Greek mythology, hubris is considered a crime that must be severely punished. This usually comes in the form of a character so blinded by pride that he thinks himself equal to the gods. This leads him to defy even fate and the gods, which leads to his downfall.

Is Hubris Positive or Negative?

Based on the ancient Greek meaning, hubris is always seen as negative. It refers to too much pride or arrogance, and does not refer to simple self-confidence or ambition, traits which can be neutral or even positive.

The thing to remember about hubris is that it refers to a character thinking too much of themself, which causes them to make decisions that cause harm to themself or to others.

How Hoes Hubris Lead to Downfall?

The problem with hubris is that the overinflated view of self causes a character to be blinded to the risks involved. Without hubris, a person would normally go through a process of analysis before making decisions, and this process is most often based on logic.

But with an excessive trust in one’s own strength, many of the questions that would’ve kept the person in line are totally ignored. This leads to a faster spiral down to destruction than we would have seen otherwise.

Examples of Hubris in Literature

To give you a clearer picture of how this excessive arrogance works and leads to downfall, take a look at these examples below.

Example #1. Oedipus Rex by Sophocles

King Oedipus is one of the most legendary characters tagged as having hubris, or too much pride. When the Oracle of Delphi predicts that he will marry his mother after killing his father, he refuses to believe that he is bound by that destiny.

His pride leads him to defy the prophecies made by the gods, and he ends up doing what he dreaded the most, and the very thing he was warned against.

Exmaple #2. Ellidyr in The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander

In this second installment of The Chronicles of Prydain, Lloyd Alexander introduces a character named Ellidyr, whose first appearance immediately signals his arrogance. He despises the hero Taran as a pig-boy and boasts of his family line.

Throughout the book, he makes cutting remarks and scorns his companions, eventually making the wrong choice of leaving the group for his own glory. His actions cause grief and serious consequences not just to himself, but also to the other characters.

Example #3. Satan in Paradise Lost by John Milton

In this epic poem, John Milton describes Satan as suffering from hubris. He has a high position in heaven, but because of his excessive pride, he wants to gain control over all of Heaven. Because he fails, he loses his glorious position.

Look at how he responds to his failure:

“Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heav’n.”

From this line, we can see that he still believes he deserves to rule, holding on to his pride.

Example #4. Scarlet O’Hara in Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

In this epic coming-of-age novel set in the deep South, Scarlet O’Hara is this over-confident teenaged girl who knows she can get whatever she wants—and makes sure she does.

She makes one decision after another without regard for other people’s feelings: first she marries Charlie out of spite for the news of her first love Ashley marrying Melanie. Later, she scorns her widowhood and joins in dances and parties with arrogance. Much later, she steals Frank from her sister just for his money.

Example #5. Tom Fitzgerald in The Great Brain Reforms by John Fitzgerald

Even a character in a children’s book can suffer from hints of hubris. Throughout this children’s book series, Tom Fitzgerald is the manipulative older brother who always gets the best of deals with his brothers and his friends.

In this book in the series, he continues to be an arrogant know-it-all, but his pride leads him to put the lives of his friends at risk, which is the last straw for the whole neighborhood.

Example #6. Hubris: The Tragedy of War in the Twentieth Century by Alistair Horne

In this book, the author takes a look at the effect of hubris on world leaders and how it led to aggression and the six major wars in the century.

Example #7. Hubris: The Inside Story of Spin, Scandal, and the Selling of the Iraq War by Michael Isikoff

This book gives us a behind-the-scenes look at what went on before George W. Bush invaded Iraq, with the premise that the war began with faulty information and possible internal turmoils.

Using Hubris in Writing

When you write a story or novel, consider hubris as one fatal flaw that you can give your characters, whether they be your tragic hero, villain, or any other character in between.

Read plenty of books, especially those that have excellent character development, and see if you can identify hubris in any of the characters. Study how their pride leads to their downfall.

Whatever flaw you give your characters, remember to make them a three-dimensional being by adding both positive and negative traits to the mix; but be aware that that hubris can easily overpower everything else!

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