A Tragic Hero?

It was time in town for the election of the mayor and the regional representatives. The mayor had significant power over the elected underlings in this town. One main reason for that was that the family that owned by far the largest factory in town, the Montagues, who employed over 150 people, also pretty much owned the mayor as well. They had a method of doing this which had long been foolproof. They would sponsor a meeting in the largest room in their factory, in which those wanting to be elected to the position, would articulate their political position. The one that had expressed views closest to that of the Montagues, would have their support, which involved the expenditure of large funds, the engineering of significant television and radio time, and gifts spread door to door for those who would vote for the Montague’s candidate.

This year one of the candidates, Mac, who worked for the Montagues in a fairly well paying job, clearly articulated a viewpoint that was by far the most supportive of the views of the powerful family. It came as no surprise to those who attended the meeting that he would be handpicked for support of the family. He had talked about how some of the municipal laws had to be changed in order to give more freedom for factories in town: including parking, in times they could be open, and the like, even lightening the laws on pollution, something that would save the largest business a lot of money. At the end of his speech, there were loud applause coming from the Montagues and the large number of employees that worked for them, and wanted to be seen to be applauding.

The Candidate

The candidate was an unusual person to be a politician. He was quiet and shy at work, and hardly spoke to his neighbours. No one could be said to know him well, except for his wife, Beth, and even she sometimes was not sure what was going on in his mind.. Even his family members were surprised that he was running for office. Some were literally shocked by that move.  Toby never spoke about politics at family get-togethers, in fact he did not say much, more engaged in nodding his head in response to what they said to him in conversation.

When he arrived back home after the meeting, his wife said two things to him. First, of course, were the words, “I just heard on the radio that you had become the Montagues’ representative in the mayoral election.” Then she looked at him quizzically, and said, “So did you do what you told me that you would do this morning.” He nodded his head and she gave him a big hug. That gesture said more than the words that she did not speak.

The Campaign Speeches

It was the night of the campaign speeches. Mac was going to be the last speaker of five. After the other four had spoken, he was cheered loudly by the Montague’s paid gang of supporters as it was announced that it was his turn to speak. He did not appear to acknowledge their cheering. He just walked up to the microphone, and did not speak until there was complete silence in the room. 

           He began his speech in a very surprising way. His opening words were “I am not what you think me to be. What I have said before is not the way that I  actually think. It was a strategy for support.  Although I have worked for the Montagues now for nearly 20 years, I do not trust them politically. I believe that they have far too much power in this town, and it should be lessened. If I am elected I will work towards such a lessening. I can promise you that”.

           There was silence at first. Then applause could be heard, but not for very long. Soon the Montagues and their loyal minions were louder with their boos and their cries of ‘traitor, fraud, phony’. When silence came about a few minutes later, Toby told his tale of what he planned to do for the community if he were elected. When he was finished speaking, there was a mixture of short, fairly quiet, polite applause, and louder, louder condemnation.

The Election and Its Results

           Although Toby did receive some support from some of the voters, he was not elected as mayor. A fairly moderate female candidate, Julie was elected, the first female mayor the town was ever going to have. The Montagues bombarded her with pressure, both positive and negative, but she did not change her position on the key issues. It soon became clear that Julie would stand up to them.

           To no one’s surprise, especially Mac’s, he was fired from his job the day after he made his speech. For weeks he tried to get a comparable position at other firms in town, but with no luck at all. Of course, he could get no letters of support from his former employer, and other companies did not want to be seen as opposing the biggest game in town. 

           The new mayor thought briefly about hiring Mac to work for her, but she decided that such would just increase the opposition that she would receive from the Montagues. Still, Julie realized that she had been able to get elected this time, she had tried and failed on two early attempts, because of what Mac had done. When she ran into him at a local grocery store, she walked up to Mac and said: “Thank you for what you did. You are definitely a tragic hero in this town. If Shakespeare were alive today, and living in this town, he would be tempted to write a good story about what you have done, and what happened as a result.”

           That gave Mac something to think about. He had written a lot of short stories when he was a lot younger, and had wanted to write a play, but he got a job that kept him quite busy, plus there was the raising of their three energetic children.  Now that he was in his mid-sixties he could retire and write. As he walked home he had an idea for a play.  What he had just experienced could form the core of a story. He just had to change the names, maybe give everyone names that appeared in the works of Shakespeare. And he would have the hero being forced to leave the community, something that had not happened to him.

           A year later, his play was published, and was put on to great success in a community not very far away from the town in which he had run for mayor, Mac said to Beth, “I don’t think that I am a tragic hero anymore.” She replied by saying, “You killed it,” one of the couple’s running jokes.