A tragic hero is an influential character who experienced a privileged life, partook in a rise to fame or fortune, then declined due to a flaw in personality or life decision. Whitney Houston was a one-of-a-kind singer who stole hearts across America. She is a perfect example of a tragic hero, due to her amazing vocal talent, influential role in teaching America that everyone has flaws and embracing individuality is the key to success, and her ultimate decline in health and fame due to alcoholism, drug abuse, and poor marital decisions. Whitney Houston grew up in humble beginnings, with fame on her side, helping her to become the modern-day tragic hero that the public knows. According to Biography, “Born on August 9, 1963 in Newark, New …show more content…
These flaws ultimately lead to her downfall, struggles with alcoholism and drug abuse, and eventual death. Whitney’s former bodyguard tells one website that, “He also witnessed Houston’s tragic desintegration: her increasing reliance on drugs and alcohol, her spiral into addiction, and her troubled marriage to rap star Bobby Brown,” (Day). Whitney Houston’s decline was documented all across America, news stations and tabloids taking advantage of her concerning situation. From her marriage to severe drug abuse, Whitney’s decline seemed to express a domino effect. She made bad decisions and allowed herself to be with a man who caused her to change who she was. While speaking with Whitney’s former bodyguard, The Guardian tells readers about Bobby and Whitney’s relationship, saying, “He became verbally and physically abusive… publicly demeaning her at every opportunity..,” (Day). Whitney chose to be involved in a harmful relationship, possibly one of the reasons why she began abusing drugs and alcohol. Seeing that she yearned to please people, she tried to be more like the outsider Bobby Brown, causing her to lose focus and part of her own personality. Whitney’s death marks the height of her downfall, her life’s descent pinpointed by bad decisions, poor personal …show more content…
Her rise to fame and privileged life also identify her as a tragic hero, the famous family that she was surrounded with helped her to develop her love for music and aided the jumpstart of her career. Finally, Whitney had personal and decisive flaws, including a lack of self esteem concerning her personal character and a poor spouse choice, which ultimately lead Whitney to experience a downfall that included alcoholism, drug abuse, and, eventually, death. America was left void of their hero, once a mere young girl with stunning talent, beauty, and
Seven years later she then earned a star on the Hollywood walk of fame. Throughout of her life she suffered problems with drugs from her addiction with heroin while she worked the streets for a harlem pimp to her addiction with cocaine which then lead to her ultimate demise when she found out she had hepatitis c which was dormant in her for 25 years which then lead to her having to get a kidney transplant and in the end practically was the main cause of her death, “I think the drugs were just waiting to happen,” she wrote in her memoir, “a culmination of not having resolved things in my life. My father’s death was the beginning….”(quote from BROWNE, DAVID. "Natalie Cole."). Throughout her career she was known for her amazing musical abilities and even did duets with her father by recording over his tracts. She was married three times but Marvin Yancy was “the love of her life” which they divorced in 1980 and then Marvin Yancy died from a stroke in 1985 but with him she had one kid. Hours before 2016 Natalie Cole lost her life to a congestive heart failure and her last performance was at the Apollo Theater in June 2014 for the theater’s 80th birthday
She has struggled with many things throughout her career. One thing she has struggled with was when she first started singing is that she did not like the songs she was given to sing. She felt like she was being pushed too much into the country-pop direction. She then had to deal with paying pack the investment Mercury had put into her. Reba sought for a release in her contract and went on and continued to produce with Jimmy Brown. She also had to deal with the death of seven of her bandmates and her road manager in a plane crash in 1991.
A tragic hero is defined as, “a great or virtuous character in a dramatic tragedy who is
Cheryl Strayed faced many emotionally traumatizing events and instead of blacking them out and staying quiet, she exposed them so people could learn from her story and realize everyone faces troubles, so there is no need to hide them. Her worst pain came from her mother dying. Cheryl chose to deal with that in a poor manner, which she now realizes and accepts. She did drugs to escape her reality, and she slept around soon becoming numb to any and all emotions. She received a lot of negative criticism for behaving that way, but everyone handles situations differently. She was a stronger person to be able to face her mistakes and even much more to share them with the entire world. She also had to deal with her sick horse. The horse was very ill and her stepfather didn't know how to kill a horse without pain. They decided to shoot him, but he didn't die, so they shot him again and again until they ran out of bullets. This was
There has been a lot of discussion about what truly defines a tragic hero. If we take a look at the work of well known Philosopher Aristotle, he clearly defined what is needed for a character to be considered a tragic hero. He pointed out 5 specific traits that the person must have to fit the role. They must have skewed judgement, which normally puts them in the position that they are facing. The character must have a realization during the story, there should be an event where they find out that their immoral ways have led them down a path of destruction. They should figure out their wrong doings on their own by taking the time to reflect upon themselves and understand the mistakes they have been making in life, and how to correct them. The person should be filled with pride, as if no one can touch
The childhood of any individual is vital to preparing a person for their future. Taylor wasn’t born into a rich and famous family, she had to learn that one must work hard for what they have. It was that same drive she learned at a young age that lead to her incredible achievements later in life. Taylor
"A man doesn't become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall." -Aristotle No one wants to be a tragic hero. A great or virtuous character, but sadly they are destined for downfall because of their own judgement. Sophocles’ Oedipus exemplifies Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero.
Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero is someone of great importance or royalty. The hero must go through something terrible such as a relative’s death. We must feel what this character is feeling throughout the story. Aristotle also said that a tragic hero scan be defeated by a tragic flaw, such as hubris or human pride. In Sophocles’ tragedy Antigone, both Creon and Antigone are tragic heroes.
By definition, a tragic hero is a protagonist that due to some tragic flaw loses everything he has. Throughout history, literature has always been filled with main characters possessing some tragic flaw. In Macbeth, Macbeth’s tragic flaw is his enormous ambition to become king. In Hamlet, Hamlet’s tragic flaw is his need for revenge for the death of his father at the hands of his uncle. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh’s tragic flaw is his need to be remembered. In the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf, Beowulf also has a tragic flaw, excessive pride and the search for fame, which ultimately leads to his demise.
The woman who has influenced so many and has become an icon in the music industry. Whitney was born in a musical family who was the daughter of gospel singer Cissy Houston, cousin of singing star Dionne Warwick and the goddaughter of soul legend Aretha Franklin. By the age of 22, Whitney became one the greatest female voices of her generation. Whitney was an artists who came alive and was able to express herself in full confidence when she was singing. When she performed she always look as though she was understood, at peace, and full of joy when she would sing. Houston was a beautiful woman with a powerhouse voice within her petite body, she had a way of making the audience respond in awe and pay
In order for a character to qualify as the tragic hero they must posses all of these qualities: high standing, a major flaw, and a downfall. A tragic hero is someone that is usually of royalty, of nobility, honest, or brave. During the story they usually show a major flaw or weakness. This usually leads to their downfall, loss of power, or even death. Many stories have tragic heroes.
A tragic hero can be described as a great or virtuous character in a dramatic tragedy who is
A tragic hero is defined as a great or virtuous character in a dramatic tragedy who is destined for downfall, suffering, or defeat. The hero in these tragedies is often presented as a noble however, flawed character whose demise is often impart to their own decisions, often due to their previously mentioned flaws, error in judgment and imprudent actions. Written in the early 1600’s Shakespeare wrote one arguably one of his greatest and highly controversial plays, the tragedy known as Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Shakespeare in his play introduces us the pays one of his most popular, enigmatic, and dynamic characters the tragic hero Prince Hamlet. Hamlet is presented to us a sensitive, religious, loyal, moral, intellectual, and young
A Tragic Hero is a common figure in many of Shakespeare’s works. A Tragic Hero is usually a figure of royalty, fame or greatness. This person is predominately good, but falls from prominence due to personality flaws that eventually lead to self-destruction.
Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston were two of the biggest music acts in the world, selling hundreds upon thousands of records between them. Both acts rose to fame at an early age eventually earning the titles ‘The King of Pop’ (The Guardian, 2009) and ‘The Voice’ (IMDB, 2012) as well as earning plentiful awards in their careers; It is claimed that Whitney Houston is the most awarded female artist of all time. As well as preforming at some of the biggest and most prestigious venues around the world we can only dream about visiting and gaining world-wide fame they ended up meeting an untimely death due to addiction.