antigone as a tragic hero essay

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Antigone: a Heroine Meets Her Tragedy

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Antigone as a Tragic Hero Jeremy J. Parker

It is not often in Greek myth or tragedy that a woman is found portrayed as a tragic hero. However, Sophocles makes the hero of his Antigone, the third and last play in the theme of Oedipus' life, a woman. And though this is out of context for a Greek play, it is still considered one of the greatest Greek tragedies ever to have been written. The tragic hero of this drama is Antigone, the character from which the play derives its title. This is shown by the fact that not only is she the protagonist of the play, but she also holds certain qualities of a tragic hero. What seems to be least important in determining the tragic hero of this play, in fact, is whether or not the hero is male or female, which is surprising due to the misogynistic tendencies of most Greek stories. What are most important are the three major characteristics concerning the make up of a tragic hero. First, it is important that the hero must be of noble descent. Second, the hero must be judged by the audience (whose opinion generally rests on the opinion of the Chorus) to be a good and just person. And third, the hero must have a tragic flaw; without it there would be no dramatic complications or tragic consequences. Antigone does, in fact, have all...

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Mythology: The Tragic Hero in Antigone Essay

Most heroic characters in the Greek tragedies have very special qualities that distinguish them from the rest of the characters. However, the tragedy by Sophocles called Antigone seems to defy this norm and it has two heroes. There are two are tragic heroes and this is one of the rarest occurrences in tragedies. The two are Creon and Antigone herself. Antigone is the princess of Thebe’s while Creon, is the king of that Greek empire (Fagles 56). Both fit in as heroes because they are from the nobility and most Greek heroes and heroines were from a noble background. The tragic end of this play is created by errors of judgment made by the two heroes, as in most Greek tragedies.

Trouble starts when Antigone and Creon clash over who is supposed to bury Antigone’s brother, Polyneices. Antigone believes that her brother deserves a proper bsend off for him to be able rest in peace. To her, the laws of god regarding burial have to be observed. In the Greek tradition, the women were the ones that were concerned with the issues of burial and she wants Ismene to help her to ensure that their brother is properly buried despite the objection from the king. Ismene refuses to stand against creon whom she really fears and this leaves Antigone without support (Letters 148). Creon is trying to deny Polyneices the right to burial. A male chauvinist who has no time for the views of the women, Creon believes that no woman should go against what the king has decreed. The women are not supposed to interfere with important issues in the country. The burial of Polyneices is an important issue in the country because he was an enemy to Thebes, having attacked it sometimes before his death. According to Creon, who is supposed to protect the country from the enemies, enemies of Thebes do not have any burial rights meaning that Polyneices doesn’t deserve to be buried inside Thebes. The two antagonists grow increasingly stubborn in their perspectives. Creon is the one who appears to be the villain because being an uncle to the dead man; some empathy is expected from him. However, he remains very adamant and is bent on meting punishment on anyone that goes against his authority. The intervention of Creon’s son, Haemon proves to be an exercise in futility regardless of the fact that he is betrothed to Antigone. Antigone does not relent. She is ready to die for the sake of her brother’s right o burial. When the king locks her up, she decides to take her own life. At the same time, a prophet is busy trying to convince Creon to have Polyneices buried. After doubting his decision, he insists that Polyneices should be interred while Antigone is still locked up without knowing that she has already taken her life. The death of Antigone triggers two more deaths. Upon learning the death of Antigone, Haemon, the son to Creon and Antigone’s boyfriend, commits suicide (Graves, 380). After learning about the death of her son, the king’s wife, Eurydice also kills herself. It is after these deaths that the king realizes the folly of his actions. This brings us to the point of discussing who the real tragic hero in the book was. To start with, a tragic hero is taught by his own undoing. Using the above quality, it appears that the real tragic Hero in this play was Creon. This is because Antigone stood for what she believed was right and did no mistake that she later learnt a lesson from. On the other hand Creon realizes his mistakes too late and he had to live with the guilt emanating from the consequences of his folly and stubbornness. In most cases, assumptions are made that the protagonist always becomes the true tragic heroes but in this Greek tragedy by Sophocles, it is almost impossible to identify who the protagonist was though the true tragic hero is easily identifiable.

From a superficial perspective, Antigone appears to be the protagonist in this play especially when her main objective of burying Polyneices is factored in. From this point of view, anyone that is opposing her would be the antagonist and this would easily befit who has risen against the burial of her brother. What leads the audience to assume that the protagonist is Antigone is the title of the play (Else 46). The play is titled Antigone instead of Creon but that does not mean that Antigone is the protagonist. The actual protagonist is Creon because it is Antigone who ideally goes against his decree. He is also the one who suffers at the end of the play due to his rash decisions that culminate in the death of three people, two of them being his immediate family members. It is expected that the person who endures suffering should receive empathy from the readers but in this case, the king does not receive it. It is Antigone, whom the readers empathize with because her stubbornness is very genuine while that of Creon is quit despotic. She does not have any support as she stands against the king and she does so at a very tender age and that is why the audience would easily be drawn to her. The tragic end to Antigone as a character is inevitable as she did not have any other choice while the king was too myopic to think about the aftermath of his rash decisions. A real tragic hero or heroine usually does not have any power over their destiny and their course of action is controlled by fate. Whereas the choices that the king makes are dictated by arrogance, the ones that the princess makes conform to the spiritual laws and using this perspective, then the princes might be said to be the real tragic hero.

In Henrique Ibsen’s, Doll house, the tragedy that would have happened is nipped in the bud as there is no death that takes place though there was an imminent suicide. However, the play does not end happily as the marriage between Norah and Torvald, which has been largely a formality breaks when Norah slams the door on her husband telling her that it would take the greatest miracle ever for their marriage to be restored. She refuses the forced duties of a wife and a mother and reckons that she ought to go and discover herself because she had lived a false life under her father and then under her husband.

Works cited

Graves, Robert. The Greek Myths: London: Penguin, 1990.

Else, Gerald. The Madness of Antigone . Heidelberg: Carl Winter 1996.

Fagles, Robert. The Three Theban Plays . New York: Penguin. 1996.

Letters, Fredrick. The Life and Work of Sophocles . London: Sheed and Ward.

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IvyPanda. (2022, July 11). Mythology: The Tragic Hero in Antigone. https://ivypanda.com/essays/mythology-the-tragic-hero-in-antigone/

"Mythology: The Tragic Hero in Antigone." IvyPanda , 11 July 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/mythology-the-tragic-hero-in-antigone/.

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IvyPanda . 2022. "Mythology: The Tragic Hero in Antigone." July 11, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/mythology-the-tragic-hero-in-antigone/.

1. IvyPanda . "Mythology: The Tragic Hero in Antigone." July 11, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/mythology-the-tragic-hero-in-antigone/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Mythology: The Tragic Hero in Antigone." July 11, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/mythology-the-tragic-hero-in-antigone/.

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Literary Theory and Criticism

Home › Drama Criticism › Analysis of Sophocles’ Antigone

Analysis of Sophocles’ Antigone

By NASRULLAH MAMBROL on July 29, 2020 • ( 0 )

Within this single drama—in great part, a harsh critique of Athenian society and the Greek city-state in general—Sophocles tells of the eternal struggle between the state and the individual, human and natural law, and the enormous gulf between what we attempt here on earth and what fate has in store for us all. In this magnificent dramatic work, almost incidentally so, we find nearly every reason why we are now what we are.

—Victor D. Hanson and John Heath, Who Killed Homer? The Demise of Classical Education and the Recovery of Greek Wisdom

With Antigone Sophocles forcibly demonstrates that the power of tragedy derives not from the conflict between right and wrong but from the confrontation between right and right. As the play opens the succession battle between the sons of Oedipus—Polynices and Eteocles—over control of Thebes has resulted in both of their deaths. Their uncle Creon, who has now assumed the throne, asserts his authority to end a destructive civil war and decrees that only Eteocles, the city’s defender, should receive honorable burial. Polynices, who has led a foreign army against Thebes, is branded a traitor. His corpse is to be left on the battlefield “to be chewed up by birds and dogs and violated,” with death the penalty for anyone who attempts to bury him and supply the rites necessary for the dead to reach the underworld. Antigone, Polynices’ sister, is determined to defy Creon’s order, setting in motion a tragic collision between opposed laws and duties: between natural and divine commands that dictate the burial of the dead and the secular edicts of a ruler determined to restore civic order, between family allegiance and private conscience and public duty and the rule of law that restricts personal liberty for the common good. Like the proverbial immovable object meeting an irresistible force, Antigone arranges the impact of seemingly irreconcilable conceptions of rights and responsibilities, producing one of drama’s enduring illuminations of human nature and the human condition.

Antigone is one of Sophocles’ greatest achievements and one of the most influential dramas ever staged. “Between 1790 and 1905,” critic George Steiner reports, “it was widely held by European poets, philosophers, [and] scholars that Sophocles’ Antigone was not only the fi nest of Greek tragedies, but a work of art nearer to perfection than any other produced by the human spirit.” Its theme of the opposition between the individual and authority has resonated through the centuries, with numerous playwrights, most notably Jean Anouilh, Bertolt Brecht, and Athol Fugard grafting contemporary concerns and values onto the moral and political dramatic framework that Sophocles established. The play has elicited paradoxical responses reflecting changing cultural and moral imperatives. Antigone, who has been described as “the first heroine of Western drama,” has been interpreted both as a heroic martyr to conscience and as a willfully stubborn fanatic who causes her own death and that of two other innocent people, forsaking her duty to the living on behalf of the dead. Creon has similarly divided critics between censure and sympathy. Despite the play’s title, some have suggested that the tragedy is Creon’s, not Antigone’s, and it is his abuse of authority and his violations of personal, family, and divine obligations that center the drama’s tragedy. The brilliance of Sophocles’ play rests in the complexity of motive and the competing absolute claims that the drama displays. As novelist George Eliot observed,

It is a very superficial criticism which interprets the character of Creon as that of hypocritical tyrant, and regards Antigone as a blameless victim. Coarse contrasts like this are not the materials handled by great dramatists. The exquisite art of Sophocles is shown in the touches by which he makes us feel that Creon, as well as Antigone, is contending for what he believes to be the right, while both are also conscious that, in following out one principle, they are laying themselves open to just blame for transgressing another.

Eliot would call the play’s focus the “antagonism of valid principles,” demonstrating a point of universal significance that “Wherever the strength of a man’s intellect, or moral sense, or affection brings him into opposition with the rules which society has sanctioned, there is renewed conflict between Antigone and Creon; such a man must not only dare to be right, he must also dare to be wrong—to shake faith, to wound friendship, perhaps, to hem in his own powers.” Sophocles’ Antigone is less a play about the pathetic end of a victim of tyranny or the corruption of authority than about the inevitable cost and con-sequence between competing imperatives that define the human condition. From opposite and opposed positions, both Antigone and Creon ultimately meet at the shared suffering each has caused. They have destroyed each other and themselves by who they are and what they believe. They are both right and wrong in a world that lacks moral certainty and simple choices. The Chorus summarizes what Antigone will vividly enact: “The powerful words of the proud are paid in full with mighty blows of fate, and at long last those blows will teach us wisdom.”

As the play opens Antigone declares her intention to her sister Ismene to defy Creon’s impious and inhumane order and enlists her sister’s aid to bury their brother. Ismene responds that as women they must not oppose the will of men or the authority of the city and invite death. Ismene’s timidity and deference underscores Antigone’s courage and defiance. Antigone asserts a greater allegiance to blood kinship and divine law declaring that the burial is a “holy crime,” justified even by death. Ismene responds by calling her sister “a lover of the impossible,” an accurate description of the tragic hero, who, according to scholar Bernard Knox, is Sophocles’ most important contribution to drama: “Sophocles presents us for the first time with what we recognize as a ‘tragic hero’: one who, unsupported by the gods and in the face of human opposition, makes a decision which springs from the deepest layer of his individual nature, his physis , and then blindly, ferociously, heroically maintains that decision even to the point of self-destruction.” Antigone exactly conforms to Knox’s description, choosing her conception of duty over sensible self-preservation and gender-prescribed submission to male authority, turning on her sister and all who oppose her. Certain in her decision and self-sufficient, Antigone rejects both her sister’s practical advice and kinship. Ironically Antigone denies to her sister, when Ismene resists her will, the same blood kinship that claims Antigone’s supreme allegiance in burying her brother. For Antigone the demands of the dead overpower duty to the living, and she does not hesitate in claiming both to know and act for the divine will. As critic Gilbert Norwood observes, “It is Antigone’s splendid though perverse valor which creates the drama.”

Before the apprehended Antigone, who has been taken in the act of scattering dust on her brother’s corpse, lamenting, and pouring libations, is brought before Creon and the dramatic crux of the play, the Chorus of The-ban elders delivers what has been called the fi nest song in all Greek tragedy, the so-called Ode to Man, that begins “Wonders are many, and none is more wonderful than man.” This magnificent celebration of human power over nature and resourcefulness in reason and invention ends with a stark recognition of humanity’s ultimate helplessness—“Only against Death shall he call for aid in vain.” Death will test the resolve and principles of both Antigone and Creon, while, as critic Edouard Schuré asserts, “It brings before us the most extraordinary psychological evolution that has ever been represented on stage.”

When Antigone is brought in judgment before Creon, obstinacy meets its match. Both stand on principle, but both reveal the human source of their actions. Creon betrays himself as a paranoid autocrat; Antigone as an individual whose powerful hatred outstrips her capacity for love. She defiantly and proudly admits that she is guilty of disobeying Creon’s decree and that he has no power to override divine law. Nor does Antigone concede any mitigation of her personal obligation in the competing claims of a niece, a sister, or a citizen. Creon is maddened by what he perceives to be Antigone’s insolence in justifying her crime by diminishing his authority, provoking him to ignore all moderating claims of family, natural, or divine extenuation. When Ismene is brought in as a co-conspirator, she accepts her share of guilt in solidarity with her sister, but again Antigone spurns her, calling her “a friend who loves in words,” denying Ismene’s selfless act of loyalty and sympathy with a cold dismissal and self-sufficiency, stating, “Never share my dying, / don’t lay claim to what you never touched.” However, Ismene raises the ante for both Antigone and Creon by asking her uncle whether by condemning Antigone he will kill his own son’s betrothed. Creon remains adamant, and his judgment on Antigone and Ismene, along with his subsequent argument with his son, Haemon, reveals that Creon’s principles are self-centered, contradictory, and compromised by his own pride, fears, and anxieties. Antigone’s challenge to his authority, coming from a woman, is demeaning. If she goes free in defiance of his authority, Creon declares, “I am not the man, she is.” To the urging of Haemon that Creon should show mercy, tempering his judgment to the will of Theban opinion that sympathizes with Antigone, Creon asserts that he cares nothing for the will of the town, whose welfare Creon’s original edict against Polynices was meant to serve. Creon, moreover, resents being schooled in expediency by his son. Inflamed by his son’s advocacy on behalf of Antigone, Creon brands Haemon a “woman’s slave,” and after vacillating between stoning Antigone and executing her and her sister in front of Haemon, Creon rules that Antigone alone is to perish by being buried alive. Having begun the drama with a decree that a dead man should remain unburied, Creon reverses himself, ironically, by ordering the premature burial of a living woman.

Antigone, being led to her entombment, is shown stripped of her former confidence and defiance, searching for the justification that can steel her acceptance of the fate that her actions have caused. Contemplating her living descent into the underworld and the death that awaits her, Antigone regrets dying without marriage and children. Gone is her reliance on divine and natural law to justify her act as she equivocates to find the emotional source to sustain her. A husband and children could be replaced, she rationalizes, but since her mother and father are dead, no brother can ever replace Polynices. Antigone’s tortured logic here, so different from the former woman of principle, has been rejected by some editors as spurious. Others have judged this emotionally wrought speech essential for humanizing Antigone, revealing her capacity to suffer and her painful search for some consolation.

The drama concludes with the emphasis shifted back to Creon and the consequences of his judgment. The blind prophet Teiresias comes to warn Creon that Polynices’ unburied body has offended the gods and that Creon is responsible for the sickness that has descended on Thebes. Creon has kept from Hades one who belongs there and is sending to Hades another who does not. The gods confirm the rightness of Antigone’s action, but justice evades the working out of the drama’s climax. The release of Antigone comes too late; she has hung herself. Haemon commits suicide, and Eurydice, Creon’s wife, kills herself after cursing Creon for the death of their son. Having denied the obligation of family, Creon loses his own. Creon’s rule, marked by ignoring or transgressing cosmic and family law, is shown as ultimately inadequate and destructive. Creon is made to realize that he has been rash and foolish, that “Whatever I have touched has come to nothing.” Both Creon and Antigone have been pushed to terrifying ends in which what truly matters to both are made starkly clear. Antigone’s moral imperatives have been affirmed but also their immense cost in suffering has been exposed. Antigone explores a fundamental rift between public and private worlds. The central opposition in the play between Antigone and Creon, between duty to self and duty to state, dramatizes critical antimonies in the human condition. Sophocles’ genius is his resistance of easy and consoling simplifications to resolve the oppositions. Both sides are ultimately tested; both reveal the potential for greatness and destruction.

24 lectures on Greek Tragedy by Dr. Elizabeth Vandiver.

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Antigone as a Tragic Hero

This essay will analyze the character of Antigone in Sophocles’ play “Antigone” as a tragic hero. It will discuss how Antigone fits the classical definition of a tragic hero, including her noble stature, tragic flaw, and the consequences of her defiance against Creon. The piece will explore the themes of justice, morality, and individual vs. state, examining how Antigone’s actions and fate reflect these themes. You can also find more related free essay samples at PapersOwl about Antigone.

How it works

Sophocles’ Antigone was a book that had a unique plot. One of the ideas presented in this specific play was feminism and Antigone’s determination to go against their ruler. Along with this idea occurred a number of tragedies, which means there’s also a tragic hero. There are numerous debates in determining the tragic hero in this play, between the protagonist Antigone and Creon, Antigone’s cruel uncle. Tragic heroes, in any work, is a character – not necessarily the protagonist- with a tragic flaw who brings upon their own downfall and misfortune.

This makes it obvious that Creon is more fit to be considered as the tragic hero. Although Antigone faced many conflicts and flaws, Creon is more suitable to this title because of the conflicts he faces, his acknowledgement of his wrongdoings, and how he takes punishment at the end.

At the beginning, Creon is seen as a leader with fine morals and definite laws that come along with punishments. However, the conflict in the play starts when Creon doesn’t allow for a proper burial of Antigone’s brother. “Creon, who was allied with Eteocles, has proclaimed that the rebel Polyneices should not be allowed burial, under strict penalty of death to anyone who would disobey his order,” (Explanation of: ‘Antigone’)This portrays Creon with his excessive amount of pride he has towards his leadership role, which characterizes his tragic flaw. Another thing he does a lot is believing that everything he does, such as all his cruel actions, is the right thing to do and does not want to acknowledge that what he’s doing is wrong. For example, in the text, the author states “O dearest Haimon, how your father wrong you! (Ismene) // I’ve had enough of your childish talk of marriage! (Creon)” This determines how Creon also wants to control his son’s marriage/ life, by saying that his decision of not wanting Antigone for him is correct, which is why he wants death to put them apart. He felt superiority when it came to his family. And even though Antigone’s brothers were in the throne, he felt as if he had higher authority than the gods. This can be seen when he says, “The State is the king!” He believes that none other than him can make all decisions for them. At this point, Creon is portrayed as arrogant. But Haemon replies with, “Yes, if the State is a desert.” This can consider that even his own son is not fond of his father and doesn’t like the way he rules. Yet making another point on the qualities of a tragic hero.

After a few turn of events, Creon soon realizes that all of his selfishness and pride he had gets in the way of his fate. It wasn’t until a prophet, Teiresias, reveals that Creon has a doomed future. “….deserted by Haemon, condemned by Teiresias, he is ultimately punished through his family” (Winnington). The writer states that as Creon knows of his fate, there is more doom to come from his family but it is not known to him until afterwards. Although Creon may be full of his own pride, he cared for his family which is why his punishment for his actions refer to his family. “ Think: all men make mistakes,// But a good man yields when he knows his curse is wrong,// And repairs the evil (Play).” When Teiresias says this to Creon, he expects him to have a change of heart in letting Antigone free, but since Creon thought he was right about everything, he chose not to. He gave up this chance and by not doing so, he could’ve compensated for his wrong-doings. This all goes back to the characteristics of being a tragic hero. His tragic flaw being his pride because he wants to seem like he is a strong and flawless leader. He doesn’t want to be able to show his flaws to others and he also doesn’t want to accept them to himself. Therefore, after not being able to compensate for his actions, he actually falls for Teiresias’ prophecy of bringing calamity to his life.

At last, when Creon learns of the deaths, he starts to acknowledge all the conflicts he brought to himself and others. His wife died. His son died. These were the cause of the actions of Creon, the way his pride took over his doings/ sayings all contributed to these tragedies. “…Creon, whose tragedy is brought to its completion (Winnington)”. What this quote means is that after those deaths, Creon’s doom has come to be. When this happens, he started to realize that it all goes back to what he did, and he knows that he was the cause of it. He says, “I have been rash and foolish…(Play )” Creon recognizes that he has been nothing but relying on his own instincts and focusing everything on his own decisions, and not knowing that doing that was hurting others, even if he didn’t do the things directly at them. His pride was what let him to his downfall and he acknowledges it far too late, not listening to what others had to say about his ruling. He wouldn’t take any ruling advice from anyone, not even from his own family. He also says, “Fate has brought all my pride to a thought of dust (Play)”. This determined how he acknowledged that it was his own pride that brought upon his own downfall. The realization of his mistakes and actions is another determination of a tragic hero.

Creon carries all the characteristics there is to a tragic hero. First, his tragic flaw was that he was full of pride. His pride led to all the other conflicts and he was involved in every problem, whether it was family wise or ruling wise. At the end, he was able to realize all his mistakes and acknowledged what it was that contributed to his downfall. On the other hand, Antigone might’ve had a tragic flaw and several conflicts, but she wasn’t able to acknowledge anything and it isn’t known that she learned from whatever mistakes she made. It’s also not shown where she knows about where she went wrong and such. Creon, though, does realize where he goes wrong even if it is far too late. Therefore, making Creon the true tragic hero of Antigone.

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Antigone: A Tragic Hero

Heroes come in many forms. Some such as immense in size and strength as Hercules, some in the form of people that are shunned upon, such as Harriet Tubman, and some that are only valorous heroes to some, such as Kurt Cobain. These heroes have many characteristics that make people flock to their side and follow them without a thought of hesitation. In Sophocles’ Antigone the hero is a women that believes in her heart far stronger than that of her leader’s rule. This brings up many characteristics that are shown within her that are also seen in other heroes.

One being that she is up against an impossible enemy, one who does not fit well into society’s mold, and is destroyed by her own pride. For these characteristics Antigone is given the title of an epic Heroin. Antigone is one of the lucky townsfolk to be born of a royal house, yet is unlucky to be born in the House that she is born into. As Antigone defies Creon’s law, she is cast into a pool of danger between what she believes is right and what the state’s law decrees is right.

As Antigone is charged with the burying of her brother, an action which the King has declared unlawful, she olds like stone to her undying gratitude for her deceased brother. She holds to this thought because of the fact that she believes that her, who died fighting against the state , must be interred with the same honor as her brother who died defending the state. She believes that this will help lift the curse plagued on the household. The curse in which there father tried to hold at bay and failed.

Her sister Ismene warned Antigone by exclaiming “Sister please, please! emember how our father die: hated, in disgrace, wrapped in horror of himself, his own hand stabbing out his sight. And how his mother-wife in one, twisted off her earthly days with a cord. And thirdly how our two brothers in a single day each achieved for each a suicidal Nemesis” (166). This has already gave Antigone the mind set that even the Gods are against her will. She is also up against a great foe in fighting that of Creon’s edict. Ismene has said this: “The rest, if we defy our sovereign’s edict and his power.

Remind ourselves that we are women, and such not made to fight with men. For might unfortunately is right and makes us bow to things like this and worse” (167). So as one would believe Antigone sees herself as not only on who can defy the power of the Gods but the power of the state. Thus she would be up against an force greater than her own. Second, another characteristics of a tragic hero is that the person does not always fit into society’s mold. The tragic hero is usually one who wants change, yet also needs the peace that goes along with stability.

The fact that the tragic hero also usually thinks that they are in there right mind when yet the rest of the society thinks that they are mad. Antigone has said “Say that I am mad, and madly let me risk the worst that I can suffer and the best” (168). this shows that although Antigone thinks she is doing is right, she also does not care how the other members of society deem her for her action. Antigone also must believe that she must be different from not only society but members of her family . Creon notes on this when he is asking her about his proclamation “O, she’s the man, not I, if she can walk away unscathed!

I swear I hardly care if she be my sister’s child, or linked to me y blood more closely than any member of my hearth and home (181). This should also show one that Creon does not care about her nobility and that he will treat her just like one any other member of society. Lastly, Antigone is inherently destroyed by the one thing that is her tragic flaw: excessive pride. This was also a downfall of her father Oedipus. This pride could also be confused with honor. Antigone not only defies Creon’s edict but also makes a mockery of it when he asks her about it.

When asked if she knows the edict her exclamation is “Of course I knew. Was it not publicly proclaimed? ” (179). This line clearly shows that Antigone has knows that she broke the edict and also is not shamed to admit it to the creator of the edict himself. She almost revels in telling Creon about it. Antigone also shows that she choose what to do not based on the law of the state but on the laws of the Gods. Antigone also embellishes her statement by telling Creon that he is a fool to judge her on what she has done. “I feel no twinges of regret. And if you think I am a fool, perhaps it is because a fool is judge” (180).

If anything this clearly states that she has excessive pride for what she has done and will make sure that Creon knows this and her unfeigned gratitude for her dead brothers. As one can tell the role of a tragic hero is one that Antigone plays well. Although she dies at the end of this play , Antigone feels no regret in what she has done. She also shows that she is proud of the fact that she never denied burying her brother. One would infer that although of her death, Antigone died for what she believed. This is the utmost characteristic in the portrait of a tragic hero.

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Who is the Tragic Hero in Antigone Essay

One of the main questions of this prominent ancient tragedy written by Sophocles  is who is the main, the true tragic hero  in it: Creon the King or Antigone? Lots of studies claim that Antigone, being a woman in ancient Greek play, can’t be the tragic hero character,  because female characters usually lack depth and exist to contrast or emphasis the feelings of the main, male cast. Moreover, Creon holds all the political power  in his hands, so he has more responsibility and can be freer in his actions. Still, in this essay, I’ll try to prove that Antigone is the true tragic hero  of the story.

Let’s talk about the main traits that define a tragic hero: high social status and high responsibility for one’s actions, moral ambiguity without black and white portrayal, determination, compassion from the audience and a trait that causes all the tragedy of their story.

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The social status of Antigone is almost one of a princess. Though she doesn’t hold any political power , Creon the King  still treats her as one. She has a lot to lose, her honor, principles, wealth, reputation. Technically Creon is the superior one, but de facto Antigone is a very important person in Thebes, no matter if she has the official title or not. Antigone was married to Haemon, Creon’s son and a prince, but she is a noble and righteous person on her own.

The second criterion is passed by both Antigone and Creon. They can’t be called overly good characters or villains. Creon is cruel sometimes. His refusal to bury Polyneices meant much more for the ancient Greeks who considered a proper funeral a must, even for the enemies. He can be also very harsh to his own sentry, still being a good king. In the meantime, he behaves very noble and courteous towards Antigone, clearly showing her his respect and affection.

Ismene also sees his soft side with Creon being soft-spoken and calm with her. Antigone is by no means a saint, because she was clearly involved in the incestuous relationship with her brother, but from the other side she is the one who is faithful to the traditions and has mercy over anyone. She insists that human judgement can only take the body of a person, but their soul should have peace in the afterlife, so she demands the burial for Polyneices.

One of the most important traits for a tragic hero is a fatal flaw that destroys their life. Antigone has a very prominent one: her stubbornness and lack of diplomacy. She is a woman who acts before thinking (this portrayal is also typical for Greek literature). Hearing the refusal of Creon to bury Polyneices, she doesn’t resort to convincing and doesn’t remind him of traditions and mercy. Instead she just disobeys her King, questioning his authority and showing that she can go against his will without any repercussions.

Of course, she was blinded by the loss of her true love, but her burying of Polyneices by herself is also an act of rebellion that shakes the political power  of King Creon . Her stubbornness also caused her death in the indirect way. If Antigone yielded to her King, she would be pardoned. But she fiercely decided to take her own life, just not to give him the pleasure, not knowing that King Creon changed his mind and was riding to spare her life and bury Polyneices instead.

Creon doesn’t have the single fatal flaw that the true tragic hero must fall a victim of. Though he looks like a hostage of his position – he can’t let Antigone go with what she has done, because it questions his political power and his position as a King. But he can play the clever drama, condemning her as a just King and then pardoning her as a merciful King, listening to the opinion of his people, who demand to release Antigone.

Still, this isn’t a flaw of his personality, it is the complications connected with ruling a country and preserving his throne, so Creon doesn’t qualify as a tragic hero here. At the beginning of the play we can suggest that his stubbornness also would be his fatal flaw, but later we see that his anger and inability to seek compromise can be controlled pretty well. When King Creon regains his composure and listens to the rumors that are spread among the townsfolk, he changes his mind and decides to spare Antigone. So, his flaw turns into his benefit – he is a wise ruler, able to put aside his emotions.

The amount of compassion to Creon and Antigone also differs drastically. In the play Antigone is seen by the common folks as a woman of exceptional kindness and bravery who risks her own life to fulfill her family duty and just a duty of a human – releasing the soul of her brother for the afterlife.

Not allowing to bury the dead body was, in ancient Greek culture, the crime much more brutal than the murder itself: instead of ending the mortal life of a person the offender banished them from afterlife for all the eternity. Story-wise, Antigone deserves all the compassion the locals give to her.

Even her bravery bordering with recklessness and her desire to die on her own terms are portrayed as something worth respect. Creon, on the contrary, isn’t sympathized at all. Maybe, the townspeople don’t see the need of it: he looks like an authority free to do whatever he pleases. The common people don’t see the responsibility that burdens him and don’t know that there is no pleasure for him in killing the wife of his son.

From the modern point of view Creon can be pitied. His initial mistake – giving up to his rage and forbidding to bury Polyneices – turns into a much more serious issue that he can’t resolve without losing his reputation in one or another way. He can’t spare Antigone on the spot, because she openly disobeyed him. Pretending that nothing happened would have shattered his authority. But he can’t kill her either, because she is considered a martyr by his people. Moreover, he doesn’t want to kill her after rethinking the situation.

Still Antigone has more compassion even from the modern audience. At first, she has to marry the man she doesn’t love, because her true love is her brother – they are completely star-crossed to be together. Then she has to face the decision of King Creon to leave her brother unburied, condemning him to the horrible un-afterlife.

She risks her life and reputation to save her beloved from this fate and all the people support her, seeing the higher mercy in her actions. Her bravery and the feeling of honor are her best traits – but she earns our ultimate compassion when we see that precisely these traits cause her death: she is too proud to let herself die from Creon’s hand, so he takes control over her life and death in her own hands, for the last time in her life.

The epiphany of the tragedy also favors Antigone as tragic hero. While Creon receives a message from the oracle, condemning his actions, he surely regrets them. But first and foremost the message comes from the outside: King Creon doesn’t have that moment of realization and he still can live with the consequences. The Gods have decided that he is guilty, but it is the external judgement. When we see Antigone in her very last moments, we see her in complete despair.

Not only she is afraid to die – she doesn’t see the meaning of living further. Her brother, her love is dead, the life has no sense for her after she did the last thing she could for him. She realizes that her life is ruined, that she will be executed and, maybe, will meet the same fate as her brother. Her last action, to hang herself, is the ultimate act of rebellion against Creon and also it is the ultimate act of despair. Antigone realizes that her life is ruined and sees no sense in waiting for King Creon to come and end it.

As we can see from the analysis above, Antigone meets more criteria of the true tragic hero than Creon the King. She is a princess, has a lot to lose, isn’t good or evil entirely. Antigone is devoted to her actions, worthy of compassion and has her fatal flaw that brings her to her fate. Creon lacks the devotion, changing his mind and allowing to bury Antigone’s brother and spare her life.

Also, he isn’t pitied until the very end of the play: he is a man of authority, he makes a decision and meets the consequences with dignity (though the modern approach can add some more compassion to his image). He also has no single and fatal flaw, being more well-rounded character, despite his hair-trigger temper. Creon comes closer to the definition of the tragic hero, but still, the true tragic hero of the Sophocles’ play is Antigone.

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Why Is Creon A Tragic Hero

Sophocles’ Antigone is a tragic play about the struggle between Creon, the king of Thebes, and his niece Antigone. Creon has ordered that anyone who attempts to bury Polynices, Antigone’s brother who was killed in battle, shall be put to death. Antigone defies this order and is arrested. She argues with Creon that it is her right as a daughter of Oedipus to bury her brother. Creon is unmoved by her arguments and condemns her to death.

Creon represents the traditional view of heroism: he is a powerful man who believes in order and strength. He is not willing to listen to opposing viewpoints, which leads to his downfall. Antigone, on the other hand, represents a new kind of heroism: she is willing to die for what she believes in. In the end, both Creon and Antigone are tragic heroes who suffer because of their own flaws. Sophocles’ play shows that neither traditional nor new heroic values are perfect.

Creon is the tragic hero in Sophocles’ “Antigone.” Creon is a tragic hero because of his poor decision-making, methodical manner of ruling Thebes, transition, and all the tragedy caused by his actions. Although Creon only changed when a messenger informed him that there would be a tragic ending as a result of all his actions, he did try to make things right. Polyneices’ body was left exposed for the vultures and dogs to devour since he rebelled against Esteocles’ leadership in Thebes.

Antigone, Polyneices’ sister, did not want him to be treated in such a way and decided to bury him. Creon found out and sentenced her to death. Creon was not aware of how his actions affected others until it was too late. He realized that he had made a mistake in sentencing Antigone to death, but it was already too late.

Antigone killed herself, and Haemon, Creon’s son, killed himself because he could not live without Antigone. By punishing Antigone unjustly, Creon brought much destruction on himself and his family. Creon is the tragic hero Sophocles wrote about because of the many unforeseen consequences brought about by his actions.

Sophocles wrote “Antigone” around 441 BC, which is a play that contains the Sophoclean tragedy. In Sophocles’ Antigone, the question of who the tragic hero really is, has been a subject of debate for a great number of years. Sophocles’ conveys his idea of a tragic hero through the character flaw of Creon. Although Sophocles does not give a definitive answer to this question, there are many factors that suggest that Creon is the tragic hero of Antigone.

Creon is introduced in the first scene as “a man not easily led astray” by anyone or anything (Sophocles 1). He has just been announced as the new king of Thebes after the death of Oedipus, and he is eager to prove himself to his people. Sophocles presents Creon as a good leader who wants what is best for his city, but he is also shown to be quite stubborn and unyielding. This combination of qualities makes him a tragic hero because it leads to his downfall.

One of the first things that Creon does as king is issue a decree that Polyneices, one of the sons of Oedipus, is not to be given a proper burial. Polyneices had attacked Thebes in an attempt to take the throne away from his brother Eteocles. Since Eteocles was defending Thebes, he was considered a hero and Polyneices was viewed as a traitor. Creon’s decree is based on his belief that anyone who fights against Thebes must be hated by the gods and deserves to be punished.

When Antigone learns of Creon’s decree, she knows that it is her duty to bury her brother. She argues with Creon, but he will not listen to her. He is convinced that he is right and that Antigone is wrong. This stubbornness leads to Creon’s downfall, as Antigone ends up burying her brother anyway.

Creon’s tragic flaw ultimately causes him to lose everything that he loves: his son, his wife, and his city. He is forced to watch as his family and his kingdom are destroyed, and he can do nothing to stop it. This makes him the tragic hero of Antigone.

In Sophocles’ Antigone, Creon is the character who undergoes the most change. At the beginning of the play, he is a stubborn man who will not listen to anyone. By the end of the play, he has learned from his mistakes and has realized that he was wrong about Polyneices. He acknowledges his own flaws and takes responsibility for his actions. This makes him a more tragic figure than if he had never changed at all.

After this, Antigone decided it was her duty to bury Polyneices, so she violated Creon’s order and covered his body with earth and wine. Unfortunately, Antigone was caught burying Polyneices before she could finish the task, and as a result of his mistake in judgment, Creon sentenced her (his own sons financed) to be put into a stone vault where she would die of hunger.

Then a messenger arrived bearing bad news for Creon: he had made a terrible error in judgement. Although relieved that he was no longer required to watch over them, he nevertheless went about performing tasks such as gathering wood for firewood or hunting animals on his own initiative; something which later caused friction between him and Eteoc

Antigone had already hanged herself. When Haemon, Creon’s son, came to see his finance (Antigone) in the vault and found her dead, he drew his sword on his father. In Sophocles’ play Antigone, he writes about a tragic hero, King Creon. Sophocles defines a tragic hero as someone who is not an evil man, but a good man who makes a tragic mistake.

A tragic hero must also have a tragic flaw and this is what causes his downfall. Sophocles shows that Creon has a tragic flaw when he is too stubborn to listen to anyone else’s opinion but his own. This ultimately leads to his downfall because if he would have listened to his son, Haemon, or his wife, Eurydice, then Antigone would not have died. Sophocles also says that a tragic hero must realize his mistake before it is too late and this is also true for Creon.

He realizes his mistake when the messenger tells him what happened to Haemon and Eurydice. If Creon had realized his mistake earlier then Antigone and Haemon would still be alive. In conclusion, Sophocles’ play Antigone is about a tragic hero, King Creon, who suffers from a tragic flaw, which is stubbornness. This tragic flaw leads to his downfall and causes the death of many people including his own son wife. Sophocles shows that a tragic hero must realize his mistake before it is too late and this is also true for Creon.

He realizes his mistake when the messenger tells him what happened to Haemon and Eurydice. If Creon had realized his mistake earlier then Antigone and Haemon would still be alive. Tragic heroes are important in Greek tragedies because they teach people about the dangers of hubris. Sophocles was one of the first playwrights to write about tragedies and he did so to warn people about the dangers of hubris. Hubris is excessive pride and this is what caused Creon’s downfall.

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The Tragic Hero in "Othello": Examining Othello's Flaws and Downfall

Words: 917 | Pages: 4

Introduction to the concept of a tragic hero in literature

In the realm of Shakespearean drama, this archetype is meticulously embodied in numerous protagonists, offering profound insights into the human condition. "Othello," one of William Shakespeare's most celebrated tragedies, presents an exemplary study of a tragic hero through its titular character. Othello's illustrious status as a respected military leader and his initially noble qualities align with the Aristotelian model. It is precisely these virtues that are manipulated and turned against him, laying bare his vulnerabilities. Othello’s tragic flaw, often debated among scholars as either jealousy or an inherent insecurity stemming from his status as an outsider in Venetian society, sets the stage for his dramatic fall from grace. The exploration of Othello’s character allows for a nuanced discussion on how societal pressures and personal imperfections intertwine to catalyze a hero’s downfall. As such, examining Othello within the framework of a tragic hero not only enriches our understanding of Shakespeare’s intentions but also illuminates broader themes regarding human nature and the paradoxes of personal excellence.

Othello's noble stature and virtues

It is precisely these noble traits that render Othello vulnerable to manipulation and tragedy. His trust and openness, while commendable qualities in themselves, become liabilities in the hands of Iago, who exploits these virtues for his own nefarious purposes. Othello's deep love for Desdemona, which should be his source of strength, instead becomes the weapon used to unravel him. His inability to reconcile his public persona with his personal insecurities about race and status create a fertile ground for jealousy—a flaw skillfully ignited by Iago's machinations. The tragic irony lies in how Othello’s very greatness contributes to his downfall; his decisiveness and confidence on the battlefield morph into impulsivity and gullibility off it. Thus, Shakespeare crafts a tragic hero whose fall is as much a product of external manipulations as it is of internal conflicts—highlighting how even the most virtuous individuals are not immune to destruction when their strengths are turned against them.

The tragic flaw: Jealousy and its impact on Othello's judgment

The catastrophic consequences of Othello's jealousy extend beyond his personal torment; they culminate in the ultimate tragedy—the murder of Desdemona. Herein lies the profound impact of Othello's tragic flaw on not only his judgment but also on the lives intertwined with his. The transformation from a loving husband to a murderer underscores the extent of jealousy's destructive power. It is not merely Othello's peace of mind or reputation that is compromised but also the very essence of what he cherishes most—his love for Desdemona. Shakespeare uses this tragic outcome to emphasize that unchecked jealousy can obliterate the foundations of trust and love, leading to irreversible consequences. In doing so, he not only delineates the personal tragedy of Othello but also illuminates a universal cautionary tale about the perils of allowing base instincts to cloud judgment and dominate reason.

Manipulation by Iago: External forces leading to Othello's downfall

The role of external forces in Othello’s downfall underscores a critical aspect of Shakespearean tragedy: the societal context within which the protagonist operates. Iago’s manipulation exploits not only Othello’s personal insecurities but also the racial prejudices and cultural dynamics of Venetian society. By leveraging these societal prejudices, Iago creates an environment ripe for sowing seeds of doubt and jealousy in Othello's mind. This manipulation highlights how societal attitudes and biases can fuel a tragic hero's downfall as much as individual character flaws. Shakespeare’s depiction of Iago’s role thus serves as a commentary on the broader societal forces that contribute to the unraveling of noble characters like Othello. The interplay between individual vulnerabilities and external manipulations in "Othello" offers profound insights into the multifaceted nature of tragedy, where personal imperfections are exploited by others within a conducive social milieu.

The consequences of Othello’s flaws: Desdemona’s murder and Othello’s suicide

The culmination of these tragic events in Othello’s suicide is both an admission of guilt and a final act of agency. By taking his own life, Othello attempts to regain some semblance of honor in a world where he has lost everything due to his flaws. His suicide is a complex gesture—both an escape from the unbearable reality he has created and a self-imposed punishment for his actions. In his final speech, Othello tries to reconcile his noble self-image with his deeds, reflecting on how jealousy led him astray from reason and virtue. This tragic end serves as a poignant reflection on the consequences of human frailty, emphasizing that even heroes can fall prey to their darker impulses. Through Othello’s demise, Shakespeare leaves audiences contemplating the delicate balance between virtue and vulnerability, suggesting that awareness and humility are essential in guarding against our inherent imperfections.

Conclusion: The tragedy of Othello as a reflection of human vulnerability and error

Othello's demise exemplifies how a singular flaw, when exploited and magnified against a backdrop of societal pressures and personal insecurities, can lead to an individual's undoing. The tragedy lies not only in the loss of lives but also in the erosion of integrity and love, corrupted by baseless doubts and fears. As such, "Othello" transcends its Elizabethan origins to speak to universal themes of love, jealousy, trust, and betrayal—emotions and experiences as relevant today as they were in Shakespeare’s time. In dissecting the tragedy of Othello, we gain insight into our vulnerabilities and are reminded of the importance of vigilance against our lesser impulses. Shakespeare’s masterpiece thus stands as a compelling cautionary tale about the complexities of the human heart and the precariousness of virtue when confronted with our all-too-human flaws.

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But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness.

"At vero eos et accusamus et iusto odio dignissimos ducimus qui blanditiis praesentium voluptatum deleniti atque corrupti quos dolores et quas molestias excepturi sint occaecati cupiditate non provident."

"On the other hand, we denounce with righteous indignation and dislike men who are so beguiled and demoralized by the charms of pleasure of the moment, so blinded by desire, that they cannot foresee the pain and trouble that are bound to ensue."

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