What is ‘Tragic Flaw’?

In previous class with Dr. Edwin, he did mention about the term to the class. As all of us listen to his explanation, he explains that it meant “the principal defect (weakness in character) which leads to destruction. When I study the term, I found out that it has same meaning as the Greek term which is hamartia. It means “fault,” which represents a fatal weakness that causes the downfall of a protagonist in tragedy. It is also equivalent to the meaning of “error of judgment.” It was first use by Aristotle (384-322) in the Poetics. For example, in Shakespeare’s King Lear, the misfortune of the main character is brought about Lear’s own folly by hand in his kingdom to his evil daughters and misjudges his own good daughter Cordelia. He was truly heart-broken by his daughter’s and leads to his insanity.