Secondly, a classic tragic protagonist has one or more tragic flaws. It is these tragic flaws which cause them to fall from their noble stature. In the play, Eddie has two tragic flaws. First, Eddie has excessive pride. He cares too much about his pride and thinks that Rodolfo is insulting him. Eddie already disliked Rodolfo and when he comes home one day to find Catherine out with Rodolfo without his consent, he disliked Rodolfo even more. This can be seen from the way he tells Catherine that Rodolfo ‘[doesn’t] respect’ him and if Rodolfo respects him, Rodolfo should ask for his ‘permission’ first. Other than this, Eddie also wants Marco to apologise to him for calling him ‘a rat in front of the whole neighbourhood’. Actually, what Eddie wants ultimately is his name as he told Marco to give him back his ‘name’. As Eddie has excessive pride, he wants to get rid of Rodolfo and in the end, is isolated by the Italian Community. Eddie also dies in the end because he wants to threaten Marco to take back his words that Eddie was the one who snitched on them by using a knife. Marco and Eddie got into a fight and Marco takes the knife and killed Eddie. Eddie’s second tragic flaw is too much love and his incestuous feelings for Catherine. Eddie also wants to get rid of Rodolfo as Catherine is in love with him. This is also why Eddie calls the Immigration Bureau and is isolated by the Italian Community. Due to these two tragic flaws, Eddie Carbone falls from his noble stature.
Thirdly, a classic tragic protagonist has a free choice. At a certain stage, the tragic protagonist will have a choice of whether he should do something or not, and this decides whether he will become a tragic protagonist. This is because if the protagonist decides to do the right thing, he will not have punishment, which exceeds the crime. In the play, Eddie too, has a choice of whether to call the Immigration Bureau or not. When Eddie is hesitating, ‘a phone booth begins to glow on the opposite side of the stage; a faint, lonely blue’. At this point, Eddie is already harboring the idea of calling the Immigration Bureau, but he has a choice on whether to call or not. Eddie always knows the consequences when he calls the Immigration Bureau, but he chooses to go ahead and do it. Even if the whole community isolates Eddie, his family members will not abandon him. Eddie has a choice of making up with Catherine and attend her wedding. However, Eddie chooses not to go and even forbids Beatrice to go. This can be seen when Eddie tells Beatrice that Marco has to ‘apologise’ to him or nobody is ‘going into that church’. Eddie even tells Beatrice that if she goes there, then ‘don’t come back’. Eddie Carbone has a choice of not calling the Immigration Bureau and making up with Catherine, but he chooses the wrong path and is isolated by his community and died un the end.
Fourth of all, the punishment that the classic tragic protagonist receives exceeds his crime. For example, if a protagonist steals, the punishment that fits the crime is to send them to prison for a few years. However, the tragic protagonist may die because a car knocks him down. In the play, Eddie Carbone betrays the Italian Community and harbors incestuous feelings for his niece, but his punishment for his crime is death. Even if one betrays the community, he or she does not deserve to die. For example, Vinny Bolzano who snitched on his uncle was only chased out of the house by his family. Vinny Bolzano is ‘grabbed’ from the kitchen by his family and they ‘pulled him down the stairs’ and them also ‘[spat on him in the street’. That is the punishment that Vinny Bolzano gets for betraying the community, but Eddie Carbone’s punishment which is death, exceeds the crime as he and Vinny committed the same crime. At the end of the play, Marco killed Eddie Carbone and Eddie ‘dies’.
Lastly, a classic tragic protagonist has increased in awareness and will realize what he or she has done wrong. However, in the play, Eddie Carbone does not realize his mistake. Even when it is near the end of the play, Eddie still thinks that he is right and when he hears that Marco is coming, he thinks that maybe Marco ‘[came] to apologise’ to him. He also wants Marco to tell the neighborhood that he is not the one who snitches on them even though that is the truth. This is seen when Eddie says ‘you lied about me, Marco. Now say it’ and ‘wipin’ the neighborhood with my name like a dirty rag! I want my name, Marco’. Other than these, Eddie also tells Marco to confess to the people that he is ‘a liar’. All these show that Eddie does not realize his mistake at all.
I agree that the downfall of Eddie Carbone evokes the audience’s sympathy. This is because someone, who is well respected by the community due to his tragic flaws of having incestuous feelings for his niece and excess pride, he falls in status. To Eddie, having status in the community is important to him, but he loses his status. This causes the audience to identify themselves with Eddie and also, sympathize him. Although Eddie is given a free choice as to whether to betray his community, he still goes ahead and does it. Even though Eddie is a betrayer, however, the punishment, which is death, exceeds his crime. This makes the audience pity and feel for Eddie. Hence, I agree that the downfall of Eddie Carbone has successfully evoked the audience’s sympathy.
In conclusion, I agree to a certain extent to the statement that “Eddie Carbone is the classic tragic protagonist whose downfall evokes the audience’s sympathy” as Eddie lacks increased awareness even though he has the other characteristics of a classic tragic protagonist.
