Personal Essay: My Hamartia
Hamartia
Greek for “error”. An offense committed in ignorance of some material fact (without
deliberate criminal intent) and therefore free of blameworthiness. A big mistake
unintentionally made as a result of an intellectual error (not vice or criminal wickedness) by a
morally good person, usually involving the identity of a blood relation. The
hamartia of Oedipus, quite simply, is based on his ignorance of his true parentage;
inadvertently and unwittingly, then, he commits the hamartia of patricide and incest.
Your Assignment:
For this ONE PAGE PERSONAL ESSAY, you’ll provide an introspective look inside and reflect on
you, on why you do what you do. Chose a moment when you fell victim to hamartia. Analyze your
behavior and decision making in this moment and reflect on what happened in its aftermath. Consider:
 What is at the root of your decision?
 Have we seen this flaw in class?
 Is there an area in which you’d like to improve? Are you taking steps to do so?
 What did you learn about yourself in this moment?
Some Ideas:
Perhaps your misjudgment came from one of the following traits:
 Excessive pride (hubris)
Jealousy
 Impatience
Excessive bravery which became foolishness
 Sloth
Mistrust
 Insecurity
Vanity
 Drive for power
Procrastination
 Naiveté
Selfishness
 Greed
Avarice
 Obsession (over a goal)
Disrepect
 Selfishness
Over confidence
The Skinny:
 Final paper should be ONE PAGE, double spaced, 12pt Times New Roman font
 You will be graded using the MYP criterion C and D rubrics
 No need to use the word Hamartia, though the idea should be clear
 Follow MLA formatting guide lines
 Show more than tell
 Include a thesis, though not necessarily in your introduction
 Avoid TO BE verbs, as always
 Submit to Turnitin.com
 Avoid wordiness – you have limited real estate
 Employ vivid verbs
 Turn in Hard Copy to your teacher