English Literature A-Level
Tragic villain or opponent
What Tragic villain or opponent means in English Literature A-Level, as defined for AQA.
Definition of Tragic villain or opponent
Check what you remember
Read the wording for your board, then hide it and explain Tragic villain or opponent in your own words. Rough notes are fine. This is a self-check, with no mark or grade.
Reference: AQA
A figure who directly affects the fortune of the hero, engages in a contest of power and is partly responsible for the hero's demise.
Topics that use Tragic villain or opponent
- Aspects of tragedy (AQA A-Level)
Related terms
- Ambiguity and unresolved endings
- Audience expectation and response
- Catharsis
- Classical tragedy
- Complication, climax and catastrophe
- Determinism and free will
- Domestic tragedy
- Hamartia
Using Tragic villain or opponent in the exam
Check the command word and mark scheme for your exact question. After comparing your explanation with the reference, use the term in an answer on the linked topic. This practice does not predict an exam mark.
Practise English Literature questions
Create a free account to answer exam-style questions on this topic and get feedback on your answers.
Start free
All English Literature A-Level termsA week of Premium from your first lesson · Then the free plan continues · No card, no charge