This article analyzes first how Friedrich Hölderlin (1770-1843) distances himself from Aristotle’s Poetics by positing the figure of tragic hero as the foundation of tragedy in the Grund zum Empedokles [Basis of Empedocles], Annmerkungen zum Oedipus [Remarks on Oedipus], and Anmerkungen zum Antigonae [Remarks on Antigone]. Secondly, the article explores the concept of "catharsis" that the German poet puts forward in these essays. Finally, it discusses the concept of fate in the Remarks, in relation with the possibilities of tragedy in modern times.