...The term tragic hero is when a literary character makes a judgement error which ultimately results in their downfall. Famous author, Sophocles, wrote a popular play in the genre of drama known as “Antigone”, he explains what the effects of character interaction have on a given person. In this play he describes what happens when the characters Antigone, sister of Ismene, and Creon, ruler of the state clash and contribute to Creon’s development as a tragic hero, and to the plot of the play. In “Antigone”, the two brothers of Ismene and Antigone, Polyneices and Eteocles, end up killing each other due to supporting different sides of the Thebes’ Civil War. Creon, the new ruler decided that Eteocles will have an honorable burial, while the other will be laid unburied for the animals to eat upon....
Words: 687 - Pages: 3
...The definition of a tragic hero is, “ A great or 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...
Words: 951 - Pages: 4
...Who is the tragic hero of Antigone? Aristotle defines a tragic hero as one with a fatal flaw that leads to a reversal of fortune, or peripeteia. This fatal flaw is often Hubris, which is excessive pride. Creon fits all these roles, therefore he should be labelled as the tragic hero of Antigone. Creon also faces anagnorisis, in which the tragic hero realizes the situation they're in and is often followed by regret. Not only that, but Creon's fatal flaw, excessive pride, impacts the story more than Antigone did. As previously stated, Creon's flaw is his excessive pride and arrogance. In the story of Antigone, Creon gives Antigone's brother, Eteocles, a proper burial, but refuses to bury Polynices for betraying their city and leaves him out to rot. Antigone was appalled by this and for the sake of family and love went against Creon's wishes and buried Polynices. Antigone is eventually caught doing so and is sent to Creon. Creon, being arrogant as always, insists on Antigone being killed for her actions....
Words: 579 - Pages: 3
...Creon’s Tragic Fall: A Look at Sophocles’ Antigone A tragic hero is defined by Aristotle’s Poetics as the protagonist in the story to whom something happens that elicits pity from the audience. For the most part, a tragic hero is a “virtuous” person whose life changes from being prosperous to being a life full of misfortune (Aristotle, Poetics). In other words, the tragic hero is someone of great social standing who begins the story at a very high point, but suffers their downfall because of a tragic flaw. In Sophocles’ Antigone the central theme of this play is the struggle between Antigone and her uncle Creon. The issue of burying Antigone’s brother Polynices is based on the ancient Greek philosophy of death, where any unburied body condemns its soul to torment. Basically, it was the duty of the family to bury their dead. Yet, this issue extended beyond family loyalty to a decree of piety by the gods. However, in the play, Creon goes against this celestial decree because he sees Polynices as a traitor for warring against him as a member of another army. As a means to set an example about the repercussions of disloyalty, Creon issues an edict to leave him unburied. As a man who starts the drama in as the respected king of Thebes, he gradually loses his family, his objectivity, and his power to his stubbornness and hubris that ultimately results in his downfall. Hence, Creon is a tragic hero in the Sophocles’ Antigone because his unbending pride results in tragic downfall...
Words: 1758 - Pages: 8
...tragedies, a tragic hero embodies someone of an important social position that achieves a recognition of fate, destiny, or will of the gods. The tragic hero also has a desire to do good deeds, exhibits 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...
Words: 618 - Pages: 3
...Who’ s the Tragic Hero? A tragic hero is defined by Aristotle as someone with hamartia,which is a flaw or error of judgement, peripeteia, a reversal of fortune due to the error of judgement, anagnorisis, the realization that the peripeteia was caused by their own actions, and hubris, excessive pride. In Antigone by Sophocles there is a debate of who is the tragic hero of the story Antigone or Creon. According to the definition the tragic hero of Antigone has to be Creon. Antigone starts medias res, Creon declares that his nephew Polynieces is not to get the proper burial, “ No burial of any kind. No wailing, no public tears. / Give him to the vultures, unwept, unburied, / To be a sweet treasure for their sharp eyes and beaks” (l.28-30). Creon was feared by all of his subjects so they obeyed his command no matter how immoral. The only person that openly defied him was Antigone, his niece, with burying Polynieces. When the Watchman told Creon what had occurred Creon said that Antigone had to die. Creon said that...
Words: 523 - Pages: 3
...Antigone Antigone is a very interesting Greek tragedy, full of death, love, and betrayal. The tragedy, Antigone, starts with the death of Antigone’s brothers. Both brothers, Eteocles and Polynices, died fighting each other in combat. Creon, the king of Thebes, has granted permission for Eteocles to have a proper burial, but not for Polynices. The Greeks at this time believed that without burial the person’s spirit would not be able to rest and would be a ghost for eternity. Antigone decided that a burial for her brother Polynices was needed even though Creon ordered that it was forbidden. So when the guards weren’t looking, Antigone threw dirt onto her brothers’ dead body so he could have a proper burial so his body could rest. When Creon found out that someone had thrown dirt onto the body, he ordered that whoever had done it would be put to death. After Creon orders this the guards bring in Antigone, who they caught throwing more dirt on the body of Polynices. Creon condemns Antigone to death for the burial of her brother. Haemon, Creon’s son and also engaged to Antigone, tells his father that he will never see him again if he follows through with her death. Tiresias, the blind prophet, foresees the future and warns Creon of the outcome of his actions. In the end, Creon is left alone, with his son and wife dead all because of his decision to condemn Antigone to death. In the Greek tragedy Antigone by Sophocles, Antigone is not the tragic hero, instead she is a...
Words: 1750 - Pages: 7
...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...
Words: 480 - Pages: 2
...make,” said George R.R. Martin. Being a tragic hero doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice yourself for your entire town, or die for the greater good. Just like George R.R said, being a tragic hero comes down to the choices you make, why you make them, and how they pan out. In the play Antigone there is a woman named Antigone who breaks the law to bury her brother, and a king named Creon who punishes her. When reading this play, Antigone stands out to most people as a tragic hero because she is burying her brother and the known consequence of that action is death, but she does it anyway. Creon is the king that makes the law and punishes her because he believes that...
Words: 750 - Pages: 3
...The True Tragic Hero of Antigone Since early Greek and Roman times, authors havecreated stories following the life of a tragic hero. Tragic heroes, though they are noble, have a hamartia, or a fatal flaw that causes their inevitable downfall. Sophocles utilizes the role of tragic hero to develop the theme of pride in Anitigone. The protagonist of the play is repeatedly misconceived because Sophocles develops the roles of multiple characters into ones that could be interpreted as a tragic hero. Creon is a member of the royal family of Thebes who becomes king. In assuming this role of immense power and responsibility, he faces misfortunes that lead him to tragedy. The often-misunderstood Creon is the true tragic hero in Sophocles’ play...
Words: 829 - Pages: 4
...protagonists, Antigone and Creon, demonstrate qualities of tragic heroes, the play is correctly named Antigone due to her heroin characteristics to overcome the law in order to obey the gods. Antigone buries her brother regardless of the consequences. She does this action alone and will not let anyone in her way. Creon is the tragic hero, but due to his rottenness, Antigone is seen more likable for putting her family before law. In this story, Creon is the tragic hero. The whole play revolves around him and his doings. Many events happened because of his hunger for domination. He has gotten brothers, Polynieces and Eteocles, to go against each other and start a war in which they both killed each other. When Creon became king, he set a law against burying Polynieces’s body since he viewed him as a traitor. Out of love, Antigone buried her beloved brother and was caught in the act defending herself saying, “I do. I deny nothing” (Sophocles 698). When she was presented to Creon for her wrongdoing, she did not deny her actions nor showed any regret. Creon could not believe his own blood relative would disobey him. Due to disbelief, he punishes Antigone by immediately imprisoning her in the cave. Antigone’s character is more controversial and admirable than Creon’s. Both of their actions were out of emotion. However, Antigone acts based upon love and tradition that every person has the right to be buried correctly and respectfully. Regardless of this tradition, Creon based his edict...
Words: 517 - Pages: 3
...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...
Words: 1008 - Pages: 5
...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....
Words: 449 - Pages: 2
...In the play Antigone by Sophocles, the character Antigone is a tragic hero because she risk her life just to buried her brother polynices, Antigone is also courageous because she will do whatever it take to buried her brother,she is also loving because she is willing to disobey King Creon so she could buried her brother. tigone Sophocles Antigone is a tragic hero because she want to buried her brother, Antigone ask Ismene that if she want to help buried her brother polynices, but Ismene refuses to go with her because she did not want to broke King Creon law, she obey King Creon. Antigone is also courageous because she is willing to risk her life just so that her brother get proper burial she does not fear anyone, even if it mean executed by King Creon if it comes to burying her brother, regularly if Ismene told her to stand down and convince her that king Creon is a dangerous person and not to disobey him, nevertheless Antigone is not frighten by King Creon....
Words: 290 - Pages: 2
...The Tragic Hero Creon A tragedy is an imitation of a serious action which will arouse pity and fear in the viewer and a tragic hero is a character that meets their downfall because of a weakness or error in judgment. Greek drama always includes a tragic hero or heroine who has a tragic or fatal flaw. This is meant to create compassion for the character from the audience, but also make the audience fear the character and their decisions. For example, in Sophocles’ Antigone there are two characters who might be considered a tragic hero. Creon is the tragic hero in Antigone because of his arrogance, his willingness to accept his faults, and what his faults teach the audience. Creon’s hubris is what makes him the perfect tragic hero of Antigone....
Words: 686 - Pages: 3
