Write a story about a tragic hero.

Posted in Dramatic on Jun 28, 2024

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✍️ 57 stories

“Julius Caesar: Portia’s Jab Leads to Brutus’s Stab” by Kristy Schnabel

Submitted to Contest #257

Julius Caesar: Portia’s Jab Leads to Brutus’s Stab March 2023 When I entered our kitchen, I saw Brett hunched over his coffee cup with a worried look. “You’re up early. Are you okay?” “No.” I'd never seen him look so defeated. “Your Mom?” “Yes. What am I going to do?” asked Brett. He looked tired and disheveled, and the bags under his eyes were more pronounced than usual. “I’m so sorry, hon.” “She wants to die. She’s in such pain. They won’t give her any more pain medication because they’re afraid it’ll kill her. Ironic, right?” “No li...

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“You May Find Yourself” by Maria Wickens

Submitted to Contest #257

When I hear that song Once in a Lifetime by Talking Heads, I think of Thrax. Very few manage to extract themselves from our business, but Thrax got out and I reckon every day he must ask himself, “Well how did I get here?”Round about now he will be feeling the days are getting longer. Maybe he feels like he’s drowning at the bottom of an ocean of suburban mediocrity. Initially he’ll welcome that feeling. He’ll call it penance for the past life we led together. But Thrax is plenty smart. He knows people in our line of business are not owed be...

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“Lower Decks” by Justin Diaz

Submitted to Contest #257

Lower Decks As the sun began to set below the horizon the amber sunshine shimmered against the hull of the cruise ship Pantheon Harmonia, its name in written in big bold letters along the bow of the ship on both starboard and port showcasing its name to all those who come across the magnificent vessel. As day turned to night the ship was bustling with activity from the bridge of the ship where Captain Harry Austin commanded the ship and her crew. To the family of five that was spending some well-earned time away from the city as they dined i...

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“Something Wicked This Way Comes” by Rose Hopper

Submitted to Contest #257

The rain made the landscape view from the North tower appear like a fogged-over ocean; Queen Aisling could not determine where the sky ended and land began. Winter had been exceptionally cold that year, the chill bringing heavy rain that extended for days. Aisling pulled her black fur-lined coat closer over her chest but found comfort in the frosty wind that burned her nose and her neck numb. It had been seven days since her husband had been declared dead. Behind Aisling, the servant preparing the fire dismissed herself, bowing and gently cl...

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“Scam Call” by John Pope

Submitted to Contest #257

I was almost all the way to work when my cell rang. The caller ID read, “Restricted.” I thought was just another scam call.I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of the constant flood of scam texts and calls on my cell. Calls for Medicare, solar power, lottery winnings, and my favorite, a mysterious car accident I had in the last two years. I get so many, most of the time I don’t even bother to answer it.This time, I answer it. I know it’s going to be a scam call, but what can I do? When I’m in the mood for it, I play a game with them. I try ...

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“Up to Scratch ” by Keith Menendez

Submitted to Contest #257

Before you enter the drama department at Daniel Webster Middle, just above the door, there is a beautifully engraved wooden sign from England. Ms. Hargreaves’ (drama teacher) prize possession reads: “All the World’s a stage, and All the men and women merely players.” I opted out of the drama elective this year, but that quote from Willy Shakes, I read every Tuesday and Thursday morning for two years. When I asked Ms. Hargreaves about the meaning, she smiled, and then forced us wee-fifth graders to memorize the entire speech...

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“Just A Little More” by Shabab Hussain Mahesar

Submitted to Contest #257

Dreams are a window to peep at the labyrinth of suffering, regrets, hope, and yearning hiding under the disguise of human form. With each passing day, the weight of it all gets heavier and heavier until you have reached your capacity. Some are heavy lifters while others falter halfway through, and some even at the beginning. Her gaze slowly fell on the worn, brownish diary lying on her clinic desk. She wistfully contemplated its owner and origin, triggering a rush of recollections.Ira stood behind the guardrail, overlooking the shimmering ex...

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“Teddy's Spot” by Arianna Noelle

Submitted to Contest #257

Three dead men lay bloody and broken, inches from my face, their souls twisting into the air and drifting from their rotting bodies. I shake my head at the rough sketch, ripping off the page and tossing it to the ground. “Makes no sense,” I mutter, wiping my lead stained hands on my shorts. I’ve been up since 4 A.M, sketching, and I’ve come up embarrassingly empty– not a single reference point, nor an outline I feel even slightly satisfied with. I glare at the assignment sheet I’d printed out in my manic procrastination phase of finish...

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“The Boy and the Bushel” by John Marx

Submitted to Contest #257

Joseph was gone; that is, no one could find him. But, what am I saying: it’s not like anyone was looking for him. “Joseph is missing”—that’s all anyone said. You’d wonder what happened that he was missing; or more, what happened that no one cared.Joseph Franklin: 13 years old, 9th grader, smart, reserved, and kind. He didn’t wear glasses (he wasn’t that smart). But he had a problem: he was small. Oh? what’s the problem with that? Well, then he had another problem: he wanted to join the basketball team. Wait, what’s the problem with that? He ...

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“Michael the Fireman ” by Elle Sanchez

Submitted to Contest #257

"I am not going," she yells. "Yes, you are," he yells back. "It's Michael's funeral." Ten days ago, was the day of the Summer City Festival mass shooting. Ten people were killed including Michael Bridge Langley. He was a brother, and a husband, and a fireman who used his body as a human shield before succumbing to his wounds. "Michael would understand," Michael's wife argues. "I am not doing this alone," Michael's brother finally pleads. "Our parents are dead. I am burying my little brother. Please? As my sister and the only family that I ha...

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“Behind the Smile” by Sally J Martin

Submitted to Contest #257

Warning: contains themes of bereavement, suicide and mental health. Behind the Smile This was his favourite time of day. The start of his first shift with a second to look forward to later in the afternoon. He donned his high-viz jacket and headed out the door, grabbing his lollipop on the way.He liked to arrive early to greet the children as they arrived. He knew their faces would light up when they saw him, “Mr Parker!” they would shout with beaming smiles. He would let the group waiting to cross build up before moving into the road to sto...

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“Haunting of Love's Folly” by Elizabeth Pena

Submitted to Contest #257

Haunting of Love’s FollyWritten by Elizabeth J PenaPart OneThe lights that stalk the street have begun to dissipate. The moon's cyclical nature represents the same as the sun, working in tandem with her defeat. The grand halls of her estate echo with trepidation at her entrance as if they know. Know of the Lord's presence hounding her thoughts. He is anything but useful to her, but at night alone in her chambers, Lady Elise Tribune yearns for the touch of a once familiar connection.Getting settled into her bed, the Lady’s thoughts resurface ...

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“Kneel” by Mindy Reed

Submitted to Contest #257

Fall on your knees was the favorite line from my mother’s favorite Christmas carol. “Fall on your knees, oh hear the angel voices.” As a kid, I wondered if the angels could only hear you if you were kneeling. Is there any more vulnerable position than on your knees? “Get down on your knees and pray the Lord will forgive you,” my mother said when I was put in a “time out.” Kneeling is not natural or comfortable especially when you are the only one on your knees. Any songs the angels may have been singing were drowned out by the relentless b...

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“the 3.0 GPA” by James DeMaio

Submitted to Contest #257

Life is pretty short. And in the brevity and idiocy of youth, decisions are made which can have only the direst of consequences. Ideas and ideations that start with the most innocent of desires can have unrelenting and painful ends. In my younger years I spent hours reading a medical encyclopedia at my grandparents’ house. I learned about heart disease, hives, sexually transmitted diseases and types of bone breaks. Later on, I suffered an epileptic seizure which turned me into a patient. I had a spinal tap. I had to take two EEG tests, compl...

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“Dirty Snow” by Anthony Passarella

Submitted to Contest #257

It had been exactly one month since the worst day, and Bobby O’Malley still felt as if it were only a few hours ago that he’d been woken up by his hysterical wife with the news. The dirty, black remnants of a snow storm still blanketed every tiny front lawn on his Bay Ridge street. He always thought that a good snow storm cleaned off the sidewalks and streets, bringing all the shit and sludge down the sewers with it when it melted. Bobby parked the car on the street, and walked the block to his attached Tudor that he and his wife had cl...

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Write a story about a tragic hero.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 57 stories

“Julius Caesar: Portia’s Jab Leads to Brutus’s Stab” by Kristy Schnabel

“You May Find Yourself” by Maria Wickens

“Lower Decks” by Justin Diaz

“Something Wicked This Way Comes” by Rose Hopper

“Scam Call” by John Pope

“Up to Scratch ” by Keith Menendez

“Just A Little More” by Shabab Hussain Mahesar

“Teddy's Spot” by Arianna Noelle

“The Boy and the Bushel” by John Marx

“Michael the Fireman ” by Elle Sanchez

“Behind the Smile” by Sally J Martin

“Haunting of Love's Folly” by Elizabeth Pena

“Kneel” by Mindy Reed

“the 3.0 GPA” by James DeMaio

“Dirty Snow” by Anthony Passarella

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story named after, and inspired by, one of Shakespeare's plays. Think modern retellings, metanarratives, subversions, etc.

Write your story in the form of a script, complete with stage directions.

Write a story in which a case of mistaken identity plays a pivotal role.

Set your story during rehearsals for a production of a Shakespeare play.

Contest #257

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

215

Contest entries

79

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: