According to Aristotle, any tragedy has a tragic flaw which ultimately causes its own downfall. The concept of a tragic hero can also be applied to real-life individuals. For example, Marilyn Monroe, best known as an actor, lived her life as a common woman before achieving high status in the eyes of society. To begin, Marilyn Monroe can be compared to a tragic Greek hero because she achieved high status in the eyes of American society, before coming to her inevitable downfall. To continue, Monroe’s life developed as a Shakespearean tragedy because she faced the fatal flaw of insecurity. Her hamartia is that she never felt good enough no matter what she did, being a perfectionist. Which just dug her into a never-ending loop of wanting to be …show more content…
Next, Marilyn Monroe suffered a gradual downfall. She had been heavily dependent on prescription drugs and alcohol in order to help her stay stable. During the last few months of Monroes she was on a dozen different psychoactive drugs, including barbiturates and other hypnotic drugs and amphetamines. Marilyn Monroe personified a real-life take on a Shakespearean tragic hero. From her noble career as an actress and entertainer, her status as a Hollywood actress to her excessive insecurity that caused her to make tragic mistakes that changed the course of her life, Monroe personifies most of the features of a Shakespearean tragic hero. It is true that society often asks our heroes of music, sport, or other celebrities to be heroes in all aspects of life, but, just like Marilyn Monroe, few people can actually achieve that rank. According to Aristotle, any tragedy has a tragic flaw which ultimately causes its own downfall. The concept of a tragic hero can also be applied to real-life individuals. For example, Marilyn Monroe, best known as an actor, lived her life as a common woman before achieving high status in the eyes of