In the book, ‘The Case for Trump’ written by Victor Davis Hanson, chapter 11, ‘Trump, The Tragic Hero?’ highlights President Trump and his reputation that he has created for himself. Tragic heroes are not intrinsically noble; much less are they likable and can often be obnoxious and petty, if not dangerous, especially to those around them. Characters such as these have been portrayed from Homer’s Iliad and Sophocles’ plays. These types of individuals rarely end up well and on occasion, neither do those around them. For a variety of reasons, both personal and civic, their characters not only should not be altered but also could not be, even if the tragic hero wished to change given his views of the human experience. Trump will end up in one of the two fashions, both personas will not turn out well for him. He will either be spectacular but unacknowledged for his accomplishments followed by ostracism when he is out of the office or a single term due to the eventual embarrassment of his beneficiaries. Tragic heroes do not necessarily intend to be heroic; sometimes their motives for confronting dangers or solving crises can just as easily be self-centered or arise from a desire for personal vengeance or fantasies. Their reputations are heavily spectated and in this case and era, to some, Trump has plagued his reputation through social media. Even before his involvement in politics, some may have disapproved of his character through his presence in the acting field. Some may definitely recognize Trump as a tragic while others completely disagree.
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One reply on “ERA #7, The Case for Trump Chapter 11”
I personally would disagree strongly with the notion of Donald Trump as a Tragic heroic figure in the light of his incredibly unheroic nature. Typically in the cases of a classic Tragic hero such as Odysseus or Hamlet even, these are individuals who have strong innate attributes that make them regarded by the public as brave, courageous, or tenacious with the exception of a single tragic flaw. Donald Trump, on the other hand, is none of these. and yet his flaws are numerous. While I understand liberties must be taken for the sake of comparing reality to fiction however I would expect at least some resemblance of a heroic figure from the shadow of Trump. Our current president where he could have been regarded as intelligent and ambitious typically has made moves that have been arrogant, unapologetic, and prey on the weak. This does not necessarily relate to how effective he is as our nation’s leader but I want to make sure there is no doubt in our minds that Hanson is wrong on this one. Personally I understand why Hanson is fascinated by Trump and his road to the office but he is often carried away and biased in his claims, this is one claim that is more biased than most. If Trump here a “Hero” he would have been heroic in a more traditional sense, I understand why his non-traditional and norm-breaking approach was highly regarded by some, however, Bernie was doing the same thing just fr a different audience. It wasn’t that unique and that exceptional to call his tactics Heroic by any means. Trump is a bold individual who has used national sentiments and government corruption for a baseline to pull off one of the most historic upsets in America’s presidential history, however he is not a Hero, although he might have a tragic flaw or seven.