Top Gun, released in 1986 starring Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis, is a truly great movie. The main character, Maverick (Cruise), has characteristics that are very similar to a classical tragic hero, like Oedipus in Oedipus the King. The characteristics are Hamartia, Até, Hubris, Nemesis, Até, and Pathemathos, and they go in that order. Maverick in Top Gun and Oedipus both mirror these traits, but often in different ways than the other.
Hamartia
The first characteristic of a tragic hero are Hamartia (Finiteness). In Top Gun, Maverick's realization of Hamartia is in Cougar, when he turns in his wings. This has an apparently insignificant affect on Maverick at first, but it really comes back up later on. In Oedipus the King, Oedipus goes through Hamartia when he is a very young boy and is abandoned by his parents at a young age. If it weren't for the shepherd family that took him in, he could have died. These near-death experiences are supposed to be a wake-up call for the hero, but in both cases lead to nothing.
Até
The second requirement of a tragic hero is Até, or self-delusion. Maverick's self-delusion is very straightforward; he thinks he is the best fighter pilot there is. He begins to get cockier, little by little. Oedipus's Até is after his encounter with the sphinx. Supposedly only the wisest of men could answer one of the sphinx's questions correctly, and when Oedipus did he began to become much more confident in himself. This self-delusion differs between stories but leads up to the next step in the tragic sequence.
Hubris
Third in the order in Hubris: tempting of the gods. The word “gods” can be interpreted as several different things, and in both of our cases here it is shown through overconfidence. In Maverick's case, it is the instructors and other commanders with high positions at Top Gun. His actions, especially his fly-by on the command tower and the infamous “I'll hit they brakes and he'll fly right by” maneuver are in direct defiance of the way things are run at the school. Oedipus, however, isn't so blatant in his disregard. He kicks Tiresias out of the palace (after Tiresias warns him not to continue his investigation of Laius's murderer) on the premises that he his working in coalition with Creon to overthrow his throne. These actions show that he plans to stay and that he thinks he is even more powerful than an oracle speaking the word of a god.
Nemesis
The fourth element of a tragic hero is a nemesis, or rival. For Maverick, his nemesis is definitely Iceman. Their struggle and battle not only in the classroom and in the skies, but also shown in the volleyball court is an example of their rivalry. Oedipus's rival on the other hand isn't as plain. There is no distinct person that rivals him, but it is more of a story about his battle with fate. Oedipus is always trying to escape his fate, by leaving home and promising to exile Laius's murderer, but he cannot manage to get away from it.
Até
The next characteristic is Até again, but this time it means the doom of the hero. This doom is the lowest point of the story, but is not always death. Goose's death is Maverick's doom. It was not his fault, but he still feels like he is responsible and that he could have saved him. Oedipus's doom is not in the self-mutilation of his eyes, but when he finds out his true ancestry. This leads him to take such drastic actions against himself for committing incest.
Pathemathos
The aspect of a tragic hero is the Pathemathos. This is the knowledge the hero gains through his suffering and troubles. Maverick's Pathemathos is his realization of how fragile life is and how dangerous flying really can be. This knowledge is shown in his much more cautious flying and how he is inconsistent in taking an open shot. Oedipus, after learning of his true parentage, blinds himself with his mother's brooches. He then proceeds to go into exile, like he promised he would do the Laius's murderer. This suffering causes him to realize that no matter how hard you try, you cannot escape fate. In both cases, the Pathemathos echoes the Hamartia because they finally learn what the Hamartia tried to teach them. Pathemathos can be understood as having to learn the hard way.
Though often shown in various and sometimes radically different ways with different examples, both Maverick in Top Gun and Oedipus from Oedipus the King show the required characteristics of a tragic hero: Hamartia, Até, Hubris, Nemesis, Até, and Pathemathos. These qualities are shown in examples throughout the movie and the story, and these characters are good examples of what a tragic hero should be.
