Elvis Presley Tragic Hero Essay

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Evan Branscum Ms. Jozwiak H English I: 5G 11 March 2024 Working Title A tragic hero, according to Aristotle, is a literary character who is of noble or celebrity birth. They are gifted with heroic qualities and because of their tragic flaws lead to their own downfall, bringing out sad emotions in people. The juxtaposition between happiness and sadness, achievements and flaws brings out both humanity's innate flaws as well as redeeming qualities. The concept of a tragic hero can also be applied to real-life individuals. For example, Elvis Presley, known as King Of Rock And Roll, began his life as a common man before achieving high status in the eyes of American society. Similar to Romeo in real life, the rock icon Elvis Presley best represents …show more content…

He recognized his gradual downfall early on due to his history of heart and liver problems which he took drugs to try and cope with; however, got addicted to drugs and indulged in food without being able to stop himself. Elvis’s widespread suffering was shown in his last performance. “Over the years Presley had come to rely on stimulants for his concerts, depressants for sleep and painkillers for comfort” (Witkoski 1). During his last performance Elvis pitifully performs looking horribly out of shape compared to his past performances, sounding feeble in his song compared to the legend he built for himself. Elvis had his insecurities despite projecting an image of confidence and charisma, he began to destroy himself on the inside with feelings of inaquedency and craved validation from fans and critics. This made Elvis spiral further down his dark path of substance abuse and overindulging in food for comfort, which all compounded into his sorrowful later years. A shell of the man he once was and no longer “The King” he once portrayed. Finally, Elvis Presley suffered a gradual downfall when he started taking barbiturates as a way to cope with his declining health. The effects of his drug use were detrimental to his character, “Elvis became erratic and irrational, and at times even violent” (Witkoski 18). Elvis’s

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