Can Duty be Tragedy?

Even if it broke Agamemnon's heart to sacrifice his daughter, can he really be called a tragic hero? He received solace and justification from society for doing his duty. Can a man whose grief has society to turn to for comfort really be viewed as a tragic hero? For me, "tragic hero" conjures up the image of Quasimodo from Notre Dame. Quasimodo had no support from society. He was hated and feared. He was scorned by Esmeralda, the only woman he ever loved. In death, he was remembered only as the demon who slew the cruel bishop and took his soul to hell. This is far more tragic than the story of Agamemnon, who was remembered as a noble king who sacrificed everything for his country. No matter how much it hurts to follow duty, the ethical person will still have the support and gratitude of society. Whether or not this eased Agamemnon's grief, it was still available to him. Quasimodo never even had this small comfort.

A hero who is beloved by those around them for their sacrifice to duty can never be truly tragic. A hero is only truly tragic if they are truly alone after their sacrifice. Any justification or gratitude from society lessens the pain and therefore the tragedy of the hero. However, if a hero is only tragic if they are truly alone wouldn't that put them in the religious realm rather than the ethical? How can a hero obey society's laws if society rejects them completely? It is in the religious realm that one is alone and isolated from society. The answer is yes. A hero's actions can still be governed by society's laws even if society forces the hero to follow these laws apart from it. Even if the hero is alone, they are not placing themselves above society, but are forced by society to be apart from it.