Sure Beats Bein' a Ghost

Like that’s it, that’s the GunThunder guitar!

What if the tragic character intentionally set up his tragedy?

What if the tragic character slowly began to hate himself before the tragedy began, and that fatal flaw only became one later in life? What if he ended up hating himself so much, to the point that he ruined his life, while knowing full-well what he was doing and why? What if the actual tragic part of the story was that he ended up hurting his loved ones, instead of himself, by doing this? What if he saw and recognized that, but was so stuck in his self-loathing mindset that he didn’t know how to fix it?

What if, in the end, the tragic character decides, “fuck it, I’m going to destroy myself, and hurt you, and in doing so, hurt myself”? What if, upon realizing that he doesn’t know how to live after that, he ends up making the same decision again by running away? What if the tragic character miraculously finds an opportunity to break his tar-pit mindset through said running away, and takes it?

Afterwards, what becomes of his loved ones, the friends and family that became his only way to hurt himself? The tragic character obviously wasn’t mentally well, but there wasn’t much they could do to help him if he couldn’t help himself. Should they feel mad? Hate the tragic character? Wallow in pity? Push themselves to the brink by trying to not end up like him?