Moby Dick Ahab as a Tragic Hero
Herman Melville methodically details every aspect of a whaler’s life in a concise, almost journalistic chronicle of Captain Ahab’s search for Moby Dick. ... Counteracting these negative traits is evidence of a practical and sympathetic side which added to his flawed qualities creates a tragic hero. Ahab considers Moby Dick the "embodiment of evil," and so his entire motivation centers around the search for the whale that caused him to lose his leg. Ahab’s single-mindedness includes offering a Spanish gold coin to the whaler who initially spots Moby Dick and a willingness to spend an unlimited amount of money and time on this journey. ... Further, Ahab frightens Ishmael and his crew who "by all their minutest gestures and expressions. ... " They view Ahab as a madman who even calls himself "madness maddened.