In House of Sand and Fog, directed by Vadim Perelman, the movie follows conventions of Greek tragedy. Tragedy is a serious drama that depicts the demise of a prominent figure due to a flaw, or an error in judgment, also known as hamartia. Tragedies were performed in the honor of Dionysus - The Greek God of wine in Ancient Greece in 5th Century BC. The tragic figure of House of Sand and Fog is Behrani, a prominent man with military experience. Behrani was in the Imperial Air Force of Iranian dictator Reza Shah Pahlavi, when he lived in Iran. After moving to San Francisco, Behrani experiences numerous misfortunes following the purchase of a foreclosed house. Being renowned and prosperous is one trait of a tragic figure. The tragic…show more content… Peripeteia is a reversal of circumstances; going good to bad. All tragic figures face Peripeteia at one point of their lives, accidental or not. Once they face Peripeteia, suddenly a whirlwind of unfortunate things happen. Behrani faces Peripeteia after he buys a foreclosed house. The former house owner, Kathy, has been wrongfully evicted. Kathy needs the house back, since it is a family heirloom. Behrani refuses to give up the house, causing them to have an altercation. After the altercation between the two, Kathy is left with bruises and Deputy Burdon threatens Behrani and his family. Later on in the movie, Deputy Burdon breaks into the house with a gun, threatening the family at gunpoint. Eventually, Deputy Burdon and Behrani make a deal on the house. The two men plan on going to the courthouse to make the deal official, but it turns for the worst. Behrani’s son, Esmail, is shot in the chest by police because they thought he was a threat. Mourning the tragic loss of his son, Behrani is in shock. Behrani is a tragic figure because of his Peripeteia. From the loss of his son, to his experience of being held at gunshot, Behrani faces a lot in a few short weeks because of the purchase of Kathy’s beloved…show more content… He or she must be a risk taker, and also must be willing to sink low. The tragic figure can be dishonest, and devious; tricking others to get what he or she wants. House of Sand and Fog displays Behrani as a prominent man, but there is more to what meets the eye. In some scenes of the movie, Behrani exhibits a darker side to him; he is more intense. For instance, in one scene, Behrani is in a fight with his wife. Behrani does not hesitate to discipline her - hitting her. He is quick to regret his actions, but he does not show any remorse. One more example of his intensity is when he is pugnacious with Kathy. He pushes Kathy into her car aggressively, causing her to drive off in a panic. Behrani later makes up for his horrendous actions by doing good actions. Behrani is generally a friendly person throughout the movie, except for a few scenes. The misfortunate that is brought upon him changes his intentions in the movie. For example, Aristotle says “There remains, then, the character between these two extremes, -- that of a man who is not eminently good and just, yet whose misfortune is brought about not by vice or depravity, but by some error or frailty. He must be one who is highly renowned and prosperous.” (23). Overall, Behrani is not too villainous, and not too virtuous. The misfortunate brought upon him brings him into difficult situations, causing him to react the way he