Hamartia is the Greek word for a fatal flaw that leads to the downfall of a tragic hero. In Roald Dahl's collection, Skin and Other Stories, many characters reveal their "Hamartia". In Dip in the Pool, a story where Mr. Botibol bets all his money and it causes him to die, Mr. Botibol reveals his "Hamartia". But greed, stupidity, and impulsiveness are the three fundamental flaws that serve as the catalyst for Mr. Botibol's downfall in "Dip in the Pool." In “Dip in the Pool,” greed is a flawed trait that Mr. Botibol displays throughout the story. During the auction, in which guests bet on the ship's expected arrival time, Mr. Botibol's greedy characteristics get the better of him. Mr. Botibol loses control of the bets: “'Two hundred!' Mr. Botibol called. It wasn't stopping now – or for anyone” (Dahl 136). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayMr. Botibol's greed is the beginning of the end for him. He became so greedy that he thought of nothing else. He says he would buy a Lincoln convertible and get paid in hundred-dollar bills; during the auction he only thought about himself and money. His selflessness is also demonstrated when he saved his wife's and his own savings for two years. Mr. Botibol allowed the money to get to his head and this evidently led to his ruin. At the end of the bidding night, the thought of being rich permeated Mr. Botibol's head. At the end of the bidding night, the actor added up the pot and Roald Dahl stated: “They added it up after the last issue had been sold and it came out at twenty-one to a hundred odd pounds” (136). such a sum of money drove Mr. Botibol crazy. He has become greedy and explicitly explains how great his life would be. His arrogance and greed made him not appreciate the wonderful things in life like his family and wife. Considering two years of his savings, this shows that his and his wife's future is dictated by Mr. Botibol's greed. The money reached Mr. Botibol's head and this is another reason that led to his downfall. Another problem is that Mr. Botibol's greed starts to cloud his vision and causes him to start having irrational thoughts. After realizing that the boat would not arrive on the 'low pool' schedule, Dahl explains Mr. Botibol's thoughts by saying, “Well, he thought, why not? Why on earth not? The sea was calm and he would have no problem staying afloat until they picked him up” (138). Mr. Botibol's ideas became so extreme that he was willing to jump off a boat and risk his life just because he wouldn't get a sum of money. He didn't think of other realistic and rational scenarios; he only thought about the dramatic and irrational ones. This is another example of why his greed led to his downfall. Overall, all the negative characteristics that were highlighted by Mr. Botibol, being out of control, thinking that he would get rich and his irrational thinking, were caused by his greedy mentality which serves as a catalyst for his fall into “Dip in the pool”.