The True Tragic Hero of Antigone - 879 Words

What makes a hero? In our society, a hero is thought of as a tall man who wears a cape and has super powers, but to the Greeks, it was very different. In every Greek tragedy, there is the tragic hero, defined by Aristotle as a character who is an extraordinary person, with both good and bad qualities. Although the character reaches a level of insight, a tragic flaw, such as hamartia, leads to their failure in the end. A perfect example of this can be found in Sophocles’ trilogy, The Theban Plays which follows the struggling city of Thebes and the efforts of its rulers to escape their misfortune. Antigone, the third play is an excellent example of this. As the title is Antigone, one would assume that she is the tragic hero, or heroine, but†¦show more content†¦He serves the law without wavering, but he neglects the needs and wants of the Thebans. When Creon is informed the people of Thebes disagree with his decision regarding Antigone, he responds: â€Å"The people o f Thebes! / Since when do I take my orders from the people of Thebes?† (Antigone 146). This shows his inability to accept any way but his and his apathy regarding others. The contrast in his traits of determination and indifference makes Creon a combination of good and bad. Creon’s tragic flaw is hamartia, or error in judgement. This error drives him to refuse Polynices his burial rights and to sentence Antigone to death. As king, Creon believes no one can tell him what he should or should not do, but he ignores the fact that not even a king has power against the gods. Creon lives only by the laws of the city, while Antigone, and the rest of Thebes live by the more powerful laws of the gods. Leaving Polynices to be eaten by dogs and vultures is not only disrespectful, it is a crime against the laws of heaven, and Creon pays dearly for his crime. When Creon is visited by the blind seer Teiresias, he realizes he has made a mistake. Yet despite threats from Antigone and hi s son Haemon, Creon continues with his original intentions until Teiresias declares: Ere the chariot of the sun Has rounded once or twice this wheeling way, You shall have given a son of your own loins To death, in payment for death - two debts to pay:Show MoreRelatedThe True Tragic Hero of Antigone877 Words   |  4 PagesHas your pride ever stopped you from doing something? In Sophicles play Antigone. The king Creon indirectly kills his whole family by being stubborn and not listening to others opinions. Throughout his journey he displays the characteristics of Aristotle; tragic hero. These include being extraordinary, having good and bad sides, a tragic flaw, becoming aware of his mistakes and failing miserably in the end. Read MoreEssay about The True Tragic Hero of Creon in Sophocles Antigone1621 Words   |  7 PagesThe True Tragic Hero of Creon in Sophocles Antigone There has always been a great debate over who is the true tragic hero in Sophocles Antigone. Many scholars would stake claim to Antigone possessing all the necessary characteristics of a true tragic hero, but many others would argue that Creon holds many qualities as well. It is hard to discount Antigone as a tragic hero, because in fact, the play bears her name, but from careful reading, Creon meets Aristotles criteria exactly and fitsRead MoreEssay on Sophocles Antigone923 Words   |  4 PagesThebian play of Antigone has excited many debates over the years. The most prevalent being who exactly could be characterized as the tragic hero in the story. The argument that Antigone is the hero is deffinatly a strong one. There are many critics who believe that Creon, however, is the true protagonist of the play. In order to determine whether or not Creon is the tragic hero one must first examine what a tragic hero is. Aristotle states that a hero is neither purely innocent nor purely malevolentRead MoreEssay on The Tragic Hero of Antigone871 Words   |  4 PagesGreek tragic hero. In fact, Aristotle had Oedipus specifically in mind when he first set down the requirements for tragedy in his Poetics. However, in other Greek tragedies, the tragic hero isn’t always so easy to identify. For example, in the play Antigone, the reader may have some difficulty deciding who the tragic hero is. Nevertheless, a careful examination of the facts reveals that Antigone is the true tragic heroine because she’s brave, flawed, and noble. Antigone is a tragic hero becauseRead MoreEssay on Creon as the Tragic Hero of Sophocles Antigone997 Words   |  4 PagesCreon as the Tragic Hero of Sophocles Antigone   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Who is the true tragic hero in Sophocles Antigone?   This question has been the subject of a great debate for numerous years.   Equal arguments exist that portray Antigone as the tragic heroine in the play and Creon as the tragic hero.   Aristotle, in his study of Greek drama entitled Poetics, provided the framework that determines the tragic hero of a work.   Though Antigone definitely possesses the characteristics and qualities thatRead MoreCreon from Antigone Essay612 Words   |  3 PagesCreon from Antigone A tragedy, as defined by Ms. Tozar, is â€Å"the story of a falling from a high place to a lower place by a character.† In other words, a tragedy is a story of an individual who starts in a high position and descends throughout the story to end in a position that is lower than original position. The individual who makes the descent is known as the tragic hero. The tragic hero, as defined by Ms. Tozar, is â€Å"the character who falls from grace as a result of fate and/or a weaknessRead MoreEssay on Creon as the Tragic Hero in Sophocles Antigone1326 Words   |  6 PagesCreon as the Tragic Hero in Antigone     Ã‚   This essay will compare two of the characters in â€Å"Antigone†, Antigone and Creon, in an effort to determine the identity of the tragic hero in this tale.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To identify the tragic hero in Sophocles’ renowned play â€Å"Antigone†, we should first consider both the elements present in Greek tragedies and what characteristics define a tragic hero. Aristotle’s definition of tragedy is: â€Å"Tragedy is a story taking the hero from happiness to miseryRead MoreWho Is More Tragic, Creon or Antigone?863 Words   |  4 PagesThe Imperfect Hero For many people who knew Pat Tillman, he was an American Hero, who forestalled his professional football career and joined the army after seeing his country attacked on 911. He valiantly fought for his country and for his beliefs, and even when Pat died in Afghanistan in 2004, his memory lives on in the minds of many people. According to Aristotle, the hero is not a true hero like Pat Tillman, but rather a person who has serious flaws that lead to the downfall of the characterRead MoreTragic Hero775 Words   |  4 PagesTragic Hero Essay The play Antigone, written by Sophocies, is a great example of a classical Greek tragedy. For years, there has been a debate weather Antigone or Creon is the tragic hero. The king of Thebes, Creon has some qualities of a tragic character, but doesn’t have all of the necessary traits. However, Antigone contains all the traits that are require to be a tragic hero, especially three traits. In Sophocles’s Antigone, Antigone is the tragic hero because she is not completely good, norRead MoreEssay about The Tragic Hero Creon in Antigone by Sophocles818 Words   |  4 PagesIn the play, Antigone by Sophocles, at first glance readers assume that Antigone is the tragic hero. However, this is not the case. Although Antigone does display some characteristics of a tragic hero, I believe that Creon is the true tragic hero. For many readers, it may be a challenge to see Creon as the tragic hero; however, when you take a second look at the play, you can see that Creon displays ever y quality of a tragic hero. Creon’s power and pride as well as going against the gods all lead