Who is the most tragic character?

[lareine]

With regards to the concept of the 'tragic hero.' My undergraduate degree is in theater and I almost minored in classics.

The 'tragic hero' is a very specific character in ancient Greek drama. There are many characters in ASOIAF who would meet the Aristotelian criteria of 'tragic heroes'; Ned, Robert, Theon and Rhaegar would all qualify. But other characters could still be tragic, even if they weren't considered to be the actual 'tragic hero' of the play.

Elia is a tragic character in the same way that Andromache is a tragic character in Trojan Women. Andromache's baby son was thrown off of the walls of Troy by the Greeks and she winds up enslaved as the concubine one of them. Both were the innocent victims whose only sin was to end up on the wrong side of war.

[The Wolf Lord's Daughter]

Theon, Arya, Catleyn

Elia, Jeyne Poole, Tysha, the small folk

[the_scream]

Vargo. Getting pieces of you carved off and fed to you is pretty awful.

[Four-Eyed Raven]

Catelyn, followed by Arya and Theon.

[Davos's Missing Fingers]

I think Sansa, Jeyne Poole, and Rickon got super shafted in life in ways where they didn't really have control over it.

Theon's dealt with the most, but also was directly responsible for what happened to him by deciding to take Winterfell in the first place. Sansa was groomed to be the perfect highborn lady and ended up as a pawn and hostage in a power struggle, Jeyne Poole was Sansa's friend and had her father killed, then was subject to Ramsay, and Rickon was a little kid that had everything he knew ripped away from him (personally I don't think Rickon has a role to play in the story).

So Theon doesn't get my vote.

[The Stannis Inquisition]

I think Sansa, Jeyne Poole, and Rickon got super shafted in life in ways where they didn't really have control over it.

Theon's dealt with the most, but also was directly responsible for what happened to him by deciding to take Winterfell in the first place. Sansa was groomed to be the perfect highborn lady and ended up as a pawn and hostage in a power struggle, Jeyne Poole was Sansa's friend and had her father killed, then was subject to Ramsay, and Rickon was a little kid that had everything he knew ripped away from him (personally I don't think Rickon has a role to play in the story).

So Theon doesn't get my vote.

This is one of the defining elements of tragedy.

[Lars Penry]

Lyanna Stark, no question.

[Anath]

...are you not getting what "destined" means?

Would you explain what you think "destined" means?

Because the way you say it, it looks like the only one "destined" to suffer was Rhaegar who was born in grief and relaxed best in the place many of his family members died at, howling at the moon, singing sad songs. One could say that he destined himself for his downfall because I am of the opinion that so much self-induced sadness is detrimental to one's psyche. He chose to be this sad romantic hero, so he was destined to be one.

[UnViserion]

Obivously Rhaegar B)

[Nictarion]

Vargo. Getting pieces of you carved off and fed to you is pretty awful.

It is. I still find it hard to have any sympathy for him though.