Modern day tragic heroes?
So, I have to write about a modern day tragic hero, but I don’t know much about celebrities or well-known people that have made a big mistake. My teacher gave us examples like Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan, but we aren’t allowed to use them.
All I really need to know is someone that could be considered a tragic hero and some personality/character traits that contribute to what they did wrong.
btw a tragic hero is someone that is an overall good person with a few strong traits which lead them to making a big mistake in their life.
Observing members:
0
Composing members:
0
17 Answers
Charlie Sheen?
I don’t know about “overall good person” but his arrogance and hubris in biting the hand of the Hollywood god-machine” certainly contributed to his downfall.
Would Russell Means or Leonard Peltier count?
I was just thinking maybe Tiger Woods?...or Chris Brown? But I wouldn’t know how to explain them…any help please?
Barack Obama?
A centre right politician saving the country from economic collapse and getting nothing in return but being called a communist, a socialist, a muslim terrorist supporter, a traitor, an usurper, having his citizenship questioned, and being opposed and obstructed by the far right at everything he tries to do.
There was a sports player who was either on or destined for a pro team who gave up this career to join the army and was accidentally killed by someone on his side.
What about some of the people involved in saving others during the 9/11 crisis? There are oodles of examples there.
@Pied_Pfeffer – Are you thinking of Pat Tillman? There is some question about the “accidentally” part.
@bubba3778 for Tiger Woods or Chris Brown, think about the examples your teacher gave. How did choices in their personal lives effect the trajectory of their careers?
Hmm. A great (in the sense of accomplishment) person with a tragic flaw that leads to their downfall.
Hmm.
Richard Nixon, unless your teacher means modern modern in which case, yeah, Tiger Woods is good. I wanted to stay away from celebrity types, as I was trying to think of people whose downfall affected society, but nothing’s coming to me. Bill Clinton, maybe?
Please, please, please do Anthony Wiener. Aside from really meeting the criteria, you get to do a paper in which you make jokes about Wiener’s wiener. You could also do Eliot Spitzer or Bill Clinton.
I’d question your teacher’s judgment if she considers Britney or LiLo as “tragic heroes”. i think if them more as “comic failures.”
I second @MyNewtBoobs suggestion of Eliot Spitzer. Or maybe Arnold Schwarzenegger.
@zenvelo I’m kinda with you on this – I get the tragic part, it’s the case for “hero” that I don’t really get. Most tragic heroes are mythical for a reason; usually the quality that creates the downfall is the reason we don’t consider them heroes in the first place.
A couple not listed yet:
—Michael Jackson
—Princess Diana (maybe not modern enough though).
How modern does it have to be?
Answer this question 
This question is in the General Section. Responses must be helpful and on-topic.
Composing members:
0
