Identification of Ideal Aristotelian Tragic Hero in General Zia of Mohammed Hanif’s ‘ A Case of Exploding Mangoes

Abstract

Mohammed Hanifis a well-known contemporary novelist who takes up the controversial actual incident of blowing up of Pak One, that is, the official airplane carrying the president of the country General Muhammad Zia-Ul-Haq, on 17 August 1988. The incident took place only a few weeks after the writer had left Pakistan Air Force Academy while doing the training as a Pilot Officer. The story pivots around General Zia and an Under Officer of Pakistan Air Force Academy Ali Shigri. Half of the story has been narrated in first person by Ali Shigri whereas the rest has been told in third person. The aim of this research paper has been to analytically assess the character of General Zia keeping in view the characteristics of a tragic hero as described by Aristotle in his ‘The Poetics’. The text of the novel has been taken as a primary source for analysis. Conclusion of the study suggests that the treatment of the character of General Zia by and large is congruent to the likes of Macbeth, Othello and Hamlet thus proving his significance with an ideal Aristotelian Tragic Hero.