Ethics and morals may initially seem to be interchangeable words used to describe a code of conduct that society should follow in order to make informed decisions. However, they are in fact two separate entities that exist as individual codes of conduct, yet share a symbiotic relationship in decision making. Ethics can be described as the rules of behavior and demeanor as established by society, a certain group of people, or a religion. Consequently, due to the nature of ethics, they can ultimately be viewed as a governing body. This body is recognized by some larger institution greater than oneself, one that someone is obligated to follow as determined by their religion, race, or creed. On the other hand, morality is an internal trait that is created by the individual. People may recognize ethics as virtues set by their society or creed, whereas morals concerns people determining whether the ethics in their everyday experie
nces adhere to individual principles and conduct. With this prevalent symbiotic relationship between ethics and morals, one can recognize the vital role that ethics and morals partake in when it comes to decision making. In Frankenstein, Beowulf, and Hamlet, the authors utilize the protagonists fatal flaw to affect the characters actions and motivations. Through the characters demise, the authors aim to teach society a lesson of ethics and morals. The idea of a hamartia was initially introduced in Aristotles Poetics. Aristotle contended that a good tragedy doesnt concern the ruin of an extraordinary figure nor the accomplishment of an outlaw, yet about the downfall of somebody ordinary, in a manner akin to the audience. However, Aristotle calls attention to the fact that humans are flawed. Along these lines, he contends that tragedies should recount the tale of a demise not caused by acts of sin, yet by some error or frailty.