...virtues, and displays character traits or morals “better” than the other characters. In the play, Antigone, written by Sophocles, Antigone embodies the tragic hero because she achieves recognition of the will of the gods, she displays better character traits and morals than the other characters, and she has a desire to do good for her family. Throughout the play, Antigone achieves recognition of the will of the gods regarding the death and burial of her brother, Polyneices. Antigone strongly believes that the fulfillment of the will of the gods is much more important than obeying an order from Creon, a mortal king. For example, Antigone retorts to Creon, “Nor did I think your orders were so strong that you, a mortal man, could over-run the gods’ unwritten and unfailing laws” (Sophocles 14). Antigone explicitly states that she will not obey Creon’s orders since they infringe on her duty to the gods. This statement reveals Antigone’s tenacity and passion for fulfilling this duty. When Antigone states “unwritten and unfailing laws” it shows how she believes...
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...Tragic Hero in Antigone According to the dictionary, a tragic hero is a literary character who makes an error of judgment or has a fatal flaw that, combined with fate and external forces, brings on a tragedy. In the story "Antigone," by Sophocles, Antigone has all the necessary traits to be qualified as the tragic character of the story. She is an honorable and important person, she has a fearless attitude, and she ends up facing a downfall because of her deeds. Antigone is an honorable and important person in Thebes. She obviously has a very good heart because she has decided to give her brother Polynieces a proper burial even though her uncle, Creon, has forbidden anyone to and has states that if someone does then they will be put to death. Antigone tells her sister, Ismene, "Ismene, I am going to bury him" (Antigone Prologue. 31) Even though she has Creon's threat in her mind, she takes the responsibility of bringing "honor to her family" by burying Polynieces. This shows good character as she is showing love for her family. Also, she does not let Ismene take part in her "crime". This shows how considerate she is of her sister's well being. Another important trait which Antigone has is her fearless attitude and her consistency. Throughout the play, Antigone sticks to her believes. Once she has made the decision to bury Polynieces, she does it without any fear. "Creon is not strong enough to stand in my way" (Antigone Prologue. 35)...
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...Antigone Essay The Tragic Hero in Antigone According to the dictionary, a tragic hero is a literary character who makes an error of judgment or has a fatal flaw that, combined with fate and external forces, brings on a tragedy. In the story "Antigone," by Sophocles, Antigone has all the necessary traits to be qualified as the tragic character of the story. She is an honorable and important person, she has a fearless attitude, and she ends up facing a downfall because of her deeds. Antigone is an honorable and important person in Thebes. She obviously has a very good heart because she has decided to give her brother Polynieces a proper burial even though her uncle, Creon, has forbidden anyone to and has states that if someone does then they will be put to death. Antigone tells her sister, Ismene, "Ismene, I am going to bury him" (Antigone Prologue. 31) Even though she has Creon's threat in her mind, she takes the responsibility of bringing "honor to her family" by burying Polynieces. This shows good character as she is showing love for her family. Also, she does not let Ismene take part in her "crime". This shows how considerate she is of her sister's well being. Another important trait which Antigone has is her fearless attitude and her consistency. Throughout the play, Antigone sticks to her believes. Once she has made the decision to bury Polynieces, she does it without any fear. "Creon is not strong enough to stand in my way" ...
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...the play Antigone, Antigone is a woman who did anything to honor her deceased brother. Even though she knew the severe consequence she would face for refusing Creon's proclamation toward the burial of her brother.The theme of this is that both characters have different views with their situation causing controversy between the two.In the play Antigone,Creon is shown to be a tragic hero through his interactions with Antigone. This develops the theme of the play .By these tragic flaws such as Rude ,Serious, and Unfair. One of Creon's trait that develops the theme of the play is that Creon is ignorant. For example in the play Antigone, Creon said to in line (654)”I...
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...specific traits that cause their destruction. Between the two major characters Antigone and Othello, Othello exemplifies a tragic hero the most from the following reasons error of judgment, reversal of fortune and recognition of change in fate. The tragic hero trait that Othello displays is recognition of reversal was brought by his own actions. The general of the Venetian army, Othello married to wife Desdemona was friends with a trustable man named Iago. Othello made the decision to make Cassio his lieutenant instead of Iago....
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...Throughout Sophocles’ Antigone, a distinction is made between Creon and Antigone that defines an understanding of who the tragic hero is. While it is seemingly established that Antigone is, for her suffering fate and her will to do what is right in the face of grave consequences. However, upon considering the details of the story, and the definition of a “tragic hero” as defined by Aristotle, it seems that, while Antigone may be considered the hero or martyr of the story, Creon is the true Tragic Hero. Creon represents the characteristics of a morally sound man who is nonetheless subject to error. His fate is evidently greater than the error committed, and in spite of his pride, he comes to the realization that the curse of his fate was brought by his actions. These defining traits establish Creon’s significance as the tragic hero of “Antigone”. One of the most compelling factors to prove that Creon is a tragic hero as opposed to Antigone is his depiction as a noble, or “good” person, in the context of his fate. As described in Poetics, “Concerning "character" there are four points to aim at. The first and most important is that the character should be good. The play will show character if… the...
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...Pride is a trait that is despised by the gods, but shows the makings of a great ruler. In Antigone, characters Antigone and Creon, are both very close minded and ignorant characters. Creon, the king, declares that nobody should touch Polynices body, who is traitor to Thebes. Antigone, who is sister to Polynices, defies Creon, and gives him a proper burial. When Creon becomes aware of her betrayal he sentences her to death. Antigone’s pride, is expressed in her unwillingness to admit that her actions were unjust, in the burial of her traitor brother. Even with the promise of death, she did not falter in voicing her disapproval of the King’s proclamation, to Creon himself. She felt, traitor or not, her brother deserved the same burial as...
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...at Colonus, and Antigone, three characters experience pride in various degrees. Creon and Oedipus, who both exhibit an excessive amount of pride, eventually come to regret the poor choices that they have made because of the trait. Antigone, who exhibits an appropriate amount of pride, is able to use it in order to become more confident when justifying what she thinks is right. Sophocles is able to prove through portraying different degrees of pride and the different outcomes that it causes that pride can either be a good trait or a bad trait. One of the main characters throughout The Oedipus Cycle, Creon, is able to show that excessive pride leads to regret through his actions when he is in power. In the final play of the trilogy, Antigone, Creon becomes a leader who possesses so much hubris that he thinks he knows what the Gods want when it comes to Polyneices, the son of Oedipus, death: Creon: Stop! Must you doddering wrecks Go out of your heads entirely? ‘The gods!’ Intolerable! The gods favor this corpse? Why? How had he Served them? … Is it your senile opinion that the gods love to honor...
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...Dani Kaiser December 3, 2015 3rd period Sadness and Tragedy in Antigone and The Things They Carried Tinged with sadness and tragedy, both Antigone by Sophocles and The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien show reactions of characters to tragedies. These great moments of sadness in both books reveal the inner traits of many characters. In Antigone, Antigone reacts to her tragic life. In The Things They Carried, supporting character Mary Anne Bell reacts to the tragedy of war. The way the aforementioned characters acted after these events affirms their real identity. A large part of background needed to understand Antigone can be found in Oedipus Rex. In Antigone, the main character Antigone lives what most would consider a very tragic life. Antigone and her sister are the daughters of Oedipus. Banished from Thebes, Oedipus never got to see his daughters again. Oedipus’ son and Antigone’s brother, Eteocles, takes control of Thebes, and, bitter and angry, his brother Polynices raises an army to march against the city. Both are slain in the ensuing battle. This is where the story of Antigone picks up. Creon, Oedipus’ brother in law and uncle is now King of Thebes. He issues a decree to give funeral honors to Eteocles, but not Polynices. Creon leaves Polynices out as food for animals. As their sister, Antigone feels obligated to bury both of her brothers, and she does so. Antigone’s criminal actions cause Creon to sentence her to the death penalty. Antigone’s tragedy...
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...proposal I plan to focus on the Greek tragedy Antigone by Sophocles. The last of the three Theban plays written in or before 441 BC. I will focus in on tragic hero’s. A tragic flaw is an error or defect in the tragic hero that leads to his downfall, such as greed, pride, or ambition. This flaw may be a result of bad character, bad judgment, an inherited weakness, or any other defect of character. Examples of a tragic hero are Antigone four main characters Antigone, Ismene, Creon, and Haemon. Using the text as proof each and everyone one of those four characters are written with a tragic flaw that is their undoing. The major literary elements I will be concentrating on are characterization, tone, and theme. These elements are most important in determining and explaining what makes a character a tragic hero. Without characterization I can’t describe what traits make our hero before a tragic one. Tone will also help with reading in between the lines because as we know sometimes our characters say one thing, but mean something else entirely. The overall theme of Antigone is tragedy so without the characters having the tragic flaws the theme would change. Literally elements are crucial in accurately explaining my topic....
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...The Tragic Character of Antigone In any type of literature, there will always be a hero who experiences the stages of a tragic hero and fall into their depths of misery. In the play of “Antigone,” Creon and Antigone or two of the two tragic characters mentioned in the play met similar tragic fates and endings. Both of the characters also similar caused their own downfall and tragic endings by their ignorance (harmania), flaw (hubris), and mistakes earlier in the story. But as any tragic hero, Antigone did meet her tragic fate as any character would, she isn’t the tragic character in “Antigone”. Although she met a similar fate she’s just another main character to help push Creon into becoming a tragic hero. One of Creon’s flaw that led him...
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...“Who knows? In the world below perhaps such actions are no crime,” (lines 795-96) Antigone retorts when Creon labels her brother as ‘evil’ for fighting against Thebes. Throughout the play, good and evil-right and wrong, influence many of the character’s words and actions. Likewise, as the plot progresses, Creon is educated on a sense of justice not known by many kings; righteous justice. And through his interactions with Antigone, the king is informed of the sense of justice he had overlooked for so long. But by the time he realizes the fatal flaw, his entire life had already spiraled out of control. Antigone’s sense of justice lied with that of the gods; whereas, Creon’s lied with the laws he had set forth and the belief that anything that stood against his laws was evil. “Zeus did not announce those laws to me. And justice living with the gods below sent no such laws for men.” (lines 509-10) Antigone states to Creon in an effort to show that his laws were feeble in comparison to that of the gods. However,...
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...Antigone or Creon? It is still being questioned who the actual tragic hero in the Sophocles Antigone play is. A tragic hero is defined as a great or virtuous character in a dramatic tragedy that is destined for downfall, suffering, or defeat. A tragic hero must possess a few essential traits. Such as, a personality trait that leads to his/her downfall or an error in judgement. The character is accountable for his/her own fate. The character will fall when they realize they had made an irreversible mistake. Lastly, the character should be neither good nor bad, it’s important for the audience to be able to identify with the character. For this is why I believe Creon is the true tragic hero in the Sophocles play Antigone. A tragic hero...
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...virtuous character in a dramatic tragedy who is destined for downfall, suffering, or defeat.” Though Creon at points can fill the role of a tragic hero in Antigone, Antigone is the only character to truly play the part of one. Sophocles writes tragedies, which are named after the tragic hero in each specific play. As in Oedipus Rex, the piece of theatre is named after the tragic hero, Oedipus. Thus only clarifying why Sophocles named one of his plays Antigone, the title being based off of the main tragic hero role. Antigone is a more appropriate title for the play Antigone because of Antigone’s immense bravery and individuality in behalf of her late brother, creating the plot in the play due...
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...Antigone is an extreme view of the trouble with in-laws. Sophocles brought to life the struggles of two troubled families during a time when the many greek gods were considered the ultimate power source, and retribution was the most compelling driver for decisions. This fear of the gods, combined with a desire to protect one’s community from harm, caused many leaders to make ill-advised and dogmatic decisions, despite the advice of others. Antigone placed family honor above all traits. And what a family to honor! As the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta, Antigone has had an inauspicious start to life. Antigone is alsoengaged to Creon’s son, Haemon which only intensifies the conflict, as Haemon is torn between his father and his wife, ultimately leading to Haemon’s suicide following a conflict with his father regarding Antigone’s sentence. Antigone’s suicide was to avoid live entombment as ordered by Creon when she defied him by burying her brother, Polyneices. Polyneices was ordered, by Creon, to be left unburied where he died on the battlefield. This action would have left Polyneices’ soul wandering for eternity, which was something that Antigone could not tolerate due to her strong belief in family honor....
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