Tragic hero noun a great or virtuous character in a dramatic tragedy who is destined for downfall, suffering, or defeat. General David H Petraeus, former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, was a great soldier and leader. All his life he worked up to becoming a general and high rank in the United States army. He achieved his ambition through hard work and perseverance eventually becoming a four star general in 2007 and going on the become the director of the Central Intelligence Agency in 2011. He has held many great and honorable positions throughout his time serving the United States of America including First and Second Lieutenant, Major, Major General, General, and many others in between. General Petraeus’s one flaw and mistake was his extramarital affair with journalist and author of his biography, Paula Broadwell. Their affair reportedly started when Petraeus came to work as the director of the CIA. Their affair was discovered when family friend of the Petraeuses Jill Kelley, reported of anonymous email threats. The FBI traced the emails to Broadwell and …show more content…
He quickly resigned and his reputation was now tarnished and would forever be so. Petraeus was put on probation for two years and had to pay an $100,000 fine. Petraeus isolated himself by locking himself in his home for two months. This affair will follow Petraeus and always be in his shadow. Everything he had worked for in his life had been taken by one choice. Petraeus has apologised again and again and hopefully he has learned from his grave mistake and now knows to make better choices. Like a tragic hero he was an accomplished leader and patriot who made a bad choice. His choices led to grave consequences and this flaw led to his “fall from grace.” Petraeus did patriotic, noble and brave things and had a high rank in the American military, but did something he shouldn’t have done which makes him a tragic