Tragic Hero: WWII General George Smith Patton

The Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 BCE) defines a tragic as one who is a mortal, a normal human being. Humans are imperfect, prone to make mistakes. He also writes that this hero must be a noble if the story takes place in ancient times, or he or she must fall from a position of stature, respect, or happiness. The doomed hero must have a tragic flaw that compels him or her to make a rash decision. This imprudent decision must be one of the hero’s own accord, so they must not be tricked or cursed. The inevitable downfall of the hero must be followed by the hero’s admittance of guilt and a terrible punishment, one that exceeds the crime committed (“What Is” 739). The WWII general George Smith Patton embodied the tragic hero characteristics. Patton was born in San Gabriel, California on November 11, 1885. He grew up listening to the heroic stories of his legendary ancestors. At an early age, Patton decided he wanted to be a soldier. Patton would go on to earn glory and fame during WWII as commander of the U.S. Third and Seventh armies (“Patton,” 1).

Patton was perhaps one of the most respected, and most feared general in military history. He was revered by both Allied and German leaders alike. When war correspondents asked Patton’s officers about the general, they replied that he was “the best field general in the American army” (“Patton Apologizes,” ¶ 42). He also enjoyed the fierce loyalty of his troops. When interviewed by reporters, his men argued “Sicily would not have been conquered in 38 days if it had not been for Patton’s driving force” (“Patton Apologizes,” ¶ 43). It is clear that Patton was one of the most respected and prominent leaders during WWII. However, Patton’s gruff attitude and charismatic leadership was se...

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...d Army, and was kept from combat for 11 months

(Blumenson, 423). Patton was transferred to Algiers, Tunis, Corsica, Cairo, Jerusalem, and Malta in order to confuse German commanders (Axelrod, 2006). General Omar Bradley was placed in command of the Allied invasion, a position in which Patton would have held if it had not been for the slapping incidents (Axelrod, 121).

A terrible temper can easily cause and individual to loose prestige among his peers. Without respect, a man cannot be expected to lead, with confidence, an army into battle. There is no doubt that General George S. Patton was a hero, but is wrathful attitude caused his superiors to loose faith in him. For this reason, Patton was kept out of one of the most important military actions in human history, forced to sit alone as other great generals earned glory on Normandy beachheads (Blumenson, 121).