In any tragedy, the tragic hero is a righteous character who is destined for downfall, suffering, or defeat. Three main theories of the tragic hero are the Aristotelian model, the Shakespearean model, and the modern tragic hero. Each model has five defining characteristics, which are nobility, hamartia, downfall, anagnorisis, and suffering. In the Shakespearean mode of tragedy, the play Romeo and Juliet best models the tragic hero. For instance, nobility is characterized by being upper class and having elevated character.
Romeo satisfies both these criteria through his position as an heir of the Montagues who are revealed as a high respected family in the prologue of the play. In addition, Romeo’s hamartia, or his fatal error that ultimately brings about his doom, lies in his hastiness, which drives him to kill Tybalt and be vanished by the Prince. The tragic hero also has a downfall, where his circumstances are reversed and he gradually loses power. In Romeo’s example, he impulsively purchases poison to kill himself, believing Juliet to be dead.
In Shakespearean tragedy, the anagnorisis, or the change from ignorance to the recognition of the hamartia, is not always realized by the tragic hero. Anagnorisis, or the change from ignorance to the recognition of the hamartia, is not always realized by the tragic hero. While it does not appear Romeo acknowledged his own lack of patience, both Friar Laurence and Juliet seem aware after Juliet awakes from her sleeping potion surrounded by the Friar and a dead Paris and Romeo.
Lastly, the tragic hero endures suffering or death that is not only contained to himself, as Romeo does after he dies and leaves Juliet, his family, and the people of Verona to mourn his death. Through the five main characteristics, the Shakespearean tragic hero follows a downward spiral from nobility to suffering, ending in a catastrophe that brings insight into human nature. Although the tragic hero normally describes a literary character, the concept of a tragic hero can also be applied to real life people.
For example, Mark McGwire was one of the most well known players in the 90’s and set tremendous records. McGwire, as a rookie was slim and in his more home run years he grew bigger and stronger with his face and body looking unlike muscle but instead looking like muscle. (6) McGwire hit 70 home runs in the 1998 season setting the record for the most home runs hit in one season. (2) However, McGwire also had hamartia in that it created a fanbase that grew frustrated after they found out about his alleged steroid use. (6)
Eventually a U. S. Congressional meeting was held where McGwire and”5 other active and retired major league players testified at a U. S. congressional hearing on steroids” (3) Towards the end of the downfall, Mcgwire had an anagnorisis when he realized: “It was time for him to talk about the past”(4). Which is when McGwire let everyone know of his story: “I remember trying steroids very briefly in the 1989/1990 off season and then after I was injured in 1993, I used steroids again. I used them on occasion throughout the nineties, including the 1998 season” (4).
Finally, McGwire stated that “he already called commissioner Bud Selig and Cardinals manager Tony Larussa earlier in the day to personally apologize” (4) Also stating that he “wished he never played in the steroid era” (4). Thus, McGwire is a tragic Shakespearean tragic hero. Mark Mcgwire exists as a tragic hero because his noble purpose was being one of the best home run hitters the game has ever seen. McGwire grew up in Pomona, California where he became known for aggressive bat and his powerful hitting. McGwire was drafted by the Oakland A’s in 1984 and made it to the bigs in 987 then in 1997 he was traded to the Cardinals.
More specifically McGwire was traded to the Cardinals and became a threat to anyone that the Cardinals were up against. When McGwire joined the team in 1997 he drove the fanbase high and made them go crazy when he came to the plate. McGwire summed up his problems three months after being signed as the cardinals hitting coach saying: “I remember trying steroids very briefly in the 1989/1999 off season and then after I was injured in 1993. “(4) Also going on to say that he tried steroids again in the 1998 season. 4)
As a new coach, McGwire could not coach with the hatred of many fans on his back for his steroid use. To keep the team going, he spoke out to the public about his alleged steroid use. Therefore, any actions to stop the hate of Mark McGwire were noble in that his main goal was nothing more than to help the Cardinals organization. Also, the people who gave up on McGwire remained another important goal to the Cardinals who wanted their fanbase to support them from all views and decisions. (7) Because the fanbase of the Cardinals split into two groups, the fanbase was a good example of a good and bad support system.
However, there was not much of a debate at this point, McGwire would be the hitting coach and that was going to be how it went. After McGwire was the hitting coach for 1 year the team’s batting average was . 263. Because of Mark McGwire, the Cardinals became a good hitting team, and the team became a big force to be reckoned with. Furthermore, the cardinals were able to say that they they were now even better in some areas than other teams. McGwire was a good piece to add to the cardinals as the hitting coach and in that it allowed the cardinals team to grow and be one of the best in their division.
To continue, Mike Matheny’s life develops as a tragedy because he posses the fatal flaw of hubris. His hamartia is that he is to overconfident and greedy. This confidence has good intentions, yet it is flawed because McGwire will do anything for the stardom. McGwire explains: “T. told myself that steroids could help me recover faster. I thought they would help me heal and prevent injuries too”(4). McGwire obsession with hitting home runs is unhealthy because he used steroids to make him hit balls farther and hit more homeruns.
Subsequently, McGwire’s greediness leads him to use more PED’s. Not only does McGwire have ambition to hit homeruns, but he yearns to become one of the games greatest hitters of all time. In an interview with McGwire he said that he was truly sorry for his use of steroids and that he wished he: “never played in the steroid era”(4). He is greedy and wants to see himself do better and go above what any other player had ever done before him. McGwire’s reasoning are no longer about being a good baseball player but being the greatest home run hitter of his time.
For this reason, McGwire’s judgment becomes skewed and he does not realistically consider the outcome of his PED uses. His hubris takes him over the edge and cultivates McGwire to use more PED’s. On September 8th, 1998, McGwire hit his 70th home run and broke Roger Maris’s record. Now that McGwire is identified as a PED user, his life experiences a sudden change. He could not go on to be the hitting coach of the cardinals with all of the regret waying down on his shoulders. Therefore, Mark Mcgwire’s error of using PED’s turns his life into turmoil.
