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Hybris

Philosophy
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Hybris is excessive pride or overreach that defies divine or natural limits. In Greek thought, it invites nemesis (retribution) through cosmic balance.

Detailed Definition
Poetry warns against hybris through tragic narratives or ironic juxtapositions. The lyric may depict ambition’s allure but also its cost, framing humility as wisdom. This philosophical concept grounds ethical limits in cosmic order, making poems cautionary tales about the perils of unbounded self-assertion.
Example
Example in poetry:
John Milton’s Satan in Paradise Lost embodies hybris through rebellion against divine order; W.B. Yeats’s “Leda and the Swan” shows divine violence overwhelming human agency; Percy Shelley’s Prometheus Unbound critiques Zeus’s tyranny but also human overreach; Robert Frost’s “The Oven Bird” warns against singing too proudly in diminished times; Seamus Heaney’s “Punishment” implicates speaker’s hybris in judging ancient victim; William Butler Yeats’s “The Second Coming” depicts civilization’s hubristic collapse.
Additional Notes
Hybris is Greek overreach defying limits, inviting nemesis. In poetry, it appears as tragic ambition: Milton’s Satan, Yeats’s Leda. Students should note warnings against unchecked power or pride. Related to hubris, nemesis, and moralism. Professors can contrast ancient hybris with modern individualism.
Also Known As
Hubris Pride Arrogance
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