Creon and Drew Barrymore: Tragic Heros

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A tragic flaw, a fatal flaw, hamartia, a personality defect -- people can call it what they like, but ultimately, a tragic flaw is a personal fault in a character that leads to his downfall. The person who has the tragic flaw is known as the tragic hero. However, there are several more components that make up a such an individual. One idea is that tragic heroes in a story are usually dynamic; they change at least once throughout the narrative. An example of a tragic hero is King Creon in the play Antigone, but real people can be regarded as tragic heroes as well. Like Creon, in the play Antigone by Sophocles, Drew Barrymore should be considered a tragic hero because both have high status, noble qualities, and a tragic flaw. They recognize their flaws and suffer the consequences. One reason both Creon and Drew Barrymore are tragic heroes is because they both have high status. In Antigone, Creon is part of a noble family. He is the brother of Jocasta, who is the Queen of Thebes. This makes him the uncle of Eteocles and Polyneices. When Eteocles and Polyneices both die in battle, Creon is heir to the throne of Thebes. Similarly, Drew Barrymore comes from a family of high status. Her grandfather is John Barrymore (Gold par. 3). He starred in many movies during the 1920s and 1930s such as Beau Brummel, The Sea Beast, and Grand Hotel (LoBianco par. 6). Her father, John Drew Barrymore, was an actor and poet (Gold par. 3). Not only did Drew Barrymore come from a well-known family, she starred in many movies herself. Some movies include Irreconcilable Differences, Firestarter, and Cat’s Eye. At just seven years old, her fame from the movie E.T. caused her to be mobbed by people asking for autographs (Gold par. 1,6). These examples show t... ... middle of paper ... ... drugs and alcohol cost Barrymore a Grandfather, and a relationship with both her mother and father. These two are the epitome of a tragic hero because they both fly high and fall hard because of their own folly. Works Cited Gold, Todd. “The Secret Drew Barrymore.” - Substance Abuse, Coping and Overcoming Illness, Drew Barrymore : People.com. People, 16 Jan. 1989. Web. 10 Mar. 2014. LoBianco, Lorraine. “John Barrymore.” Turner Classic Movies. N.p., 2014. Web. 11 Mar. 2014. . Seth, Abhishek. “Drew Barrymore Makes Charity Trip To Kenya.” Look to the Stars. Look to the Stars, 5 Sept. 2011. Web. 12 Mar. 2014. . Sophocles. Antigone. 2008. McDougal Littell Literature. Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell, 2008. 968-1006. Print.

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