Preview

Tragic Hero Antingone Essay

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
711 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Tragic Hero Antingone Essay
Initially, a tragic hero is the true hero in a tragedy, in which his or her fatal flaws determine the outcome of the story. In addition to the hero’s flaw, fate and other external forces such as people and the environment also have an effect on the tragedy. In “Antigone”, Creon best represents the true tragic hero based on Aristotle’s Theory of Tragedy. His contributions to the events of tragedy are shown through the sequential structures of inciting incident- beginning of the problem, Hamartia- the tragic flaw or mistake, and Anagnorisis- the realization of wrongdoings. Brutus, from The Tragedy of Juliet Caesar coincides with the tragedy through his absent mindedness on being convinced to kill Caesar, his mistake of murdering Caesar, and his realization of killing himself to appease the Ghost of Caesar.

The beginning of the problem arouses when Antigone self- righteously decides to argue with Creon on the behalf of her brother’s burial, which is the inciting incident. “Naturally! Since Zeus never promulgated such a law…” (p. 179) Antigone states to Creon the immoral principles of his law. Antigone is neither phased nor frightened by Creon’s overwhelming dictatorship, because she is more devoted into obeying a higher sense of authority-the gods. “There is no shame to reverence relatives.”(p.181) Antigone is stable- minded in her belief of burying her “reverence relative”-Polyneices. This proves that she definitely has no “shame” of doing a good deed for someone she loved, even if it meant breaking the law and facing the king. Brutus is troubled by an anonymous letter from reading how he should get rid of the pompous king, Juliet Caesar. Brutus begins to ponder on the controversial issue of the killing Juliet Caesar for the good of the people (his sidemen).

The tragic flaw, hamartia, occurs when Creon decides to punish Antigone (his own relative) for flouting his law and opposing his authority. “Off with them and lock them up…” (p.184) Creon no longer

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Creon’s pride and Antigone’s stubbornness create Antigone’s central conflict and create devastating consequences. Antigone loses her life, prompting Creon’s son and wife to commit suicide. Creon is forced to live with the guilt of the deaths of those dearest to him knowing that they were a result of his selfish actions. These events could not have turned out any differently due to how deeply engrained Creon and Antigone’s flaws are. Antigone is so determined to bury her brother that a potential death sentence and words from her sister do not deter her. The motivation of doing what the gods want, honoring Polyneices, and her stubbornness cause her to be unafraid of punishment. This is illustrated when Antigone says, “This death of mine/Is of…

    • 283 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Throughout history there have been many people known as heroes. Most of these people have done wonderful things to help society. However, in literature there is another type of hero, the tragic hero. While tragic heroes do wonderful things too, they also have a character flaw that causes their downfall along with others. This essay is to prove that in the play "Antigone", written by Sophocles, Creon is a tragic hero.…

    • 391 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Although Antigone filled three out of four of the points in Aristotle’s theory of a tragic hero, Creon filled four out of four. He is a strong, proud, and firm king, he is very proud, he was faced with the death of his wife and son, and he changed his ways because of it. Antigone’s death prevents her from learning any sort of lesson, which proves that Creon is the true tragic hero in Sophocles’ Antigone. Creon learns that his own pride and stubbornness took an extreme toll on his life and…

    • 890 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The play “Antigone” conveys the interactions between the King Creon and his niece Antigone. Their interaction is different than a normal conversation between a women and male at the time, especially a man with as much power as Creon. Normally, a woman would surrender to the males wishes and keep her thoughts to herself. Antigone separates herself from this commonality by showing no fear as she admits to burying Polyneices, her brother, when the Creon questions her (Line 411). Creon is shocked by this confession because he doesn’t believe Antigone, or anyone for that matter, would know about his decree and blatantly disobey it (Line 414). She explains that any retribution for burying Polyneices would not pain her. Antigone even goes as far to call the king a fool (Lines 431-432). By performing these actions, she is showing her defiance to the decrees of Creon, making his order look inferior, as well as showing her commitment to perform the actions declared by the Gods. She defends her decision by saying that the dead don’t think their burials are less honorable if a traitor is also buried (Line 476). Antigone states her belief that most people in the kingdom would agree with the…

    • 659 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Inner Turmoil in Antigone

    • 693 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Antigone proves herself to be a very loyal family member when she states, “That must be your excuse, I suppose. But as for me, I will bury the brother I love” (Pro. 64-65). She cares not of the law set forth by Creon when it conflicts with her beliefs concerning loyalty to loved ones. She chose the law of the gods above all other decrees, disregarding that the cost is her life. Even after the body’s guards brush off the thin layer of dust to negate the effect of the prompt burial given by Antigone, the heroine risks life and limb to see that Polynieces receives a proper burial, and she is arrested in the process. Her retort to Creon’s accusations was, “I do. I deny nothing.” Antigone is confident in her choice at this point. She even stands up for Ismene’s fraud confession, and she will “not have [Ismene] help” because Antigone’s loyalty to her family is too great (1. 132).…

    • 693 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Selflessness, and determination are great characteristics to have, but when they are put against each other, problems can arise. In the play Antigone by Sophocles, Antigone is trying to bury her brother Polynices after his tragic death, while fighting for the throne. Creon doesn’t want Polynices to be buried because of how he died, fighting for the throne, and killing Eteocles, the rightful king. Creon doesn't think it is just for Polynices to be buried. But Antigone says the gods desire it. Antigone and Creon put each other in tough situations, which creates a theme and advances the plot. Throughout the play Antigone acts as a foil for Creon and her selflessness contrasts with Creon's determination to advance the plot and develop the theme of staying true to your morals.…

    • 860 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Aristotle once said, “A man doesn’t become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall.” Sophocles’s Antigone was written in 440 B.C. which was the time when plays were written based on ancient Greece culture. The idea of a tragic hero was established in Ancient Greece, tragic heroes are in ancient Greek plays. A tragic hero is a character who is inherently good, has a fatal flaw and loses everything in the end. Creon is Antigone’s tragic hero because his loyalty and obsessive pride influence the conflicts that led to his family’s demise.…

    • 956 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Antigone Vs Creon Essay

    • 514 Words
    • 3 Pages

    “I did not think anything which you proclaimed strong enough to let a mortal override the gods and their unwritten and unchanging laws,” (lines 510-513) proclaims Antigone, once again asserting her opinion on whose laws she is justified to follow. Antigone’s persona contrasts with Creon’s character ultimately due to their conflicting motivations about which laws should be followed: the word of the gods, or the laws of man.These conflicting motivations the characteristics of unreasonableness, anger, and disrespect to be highlighted within Creon’s character. In the end, these conflicting motivations develop Creon as a tragic hero by ensuing his stubbornness, and damaging his pride.…

    • 514 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Creon In Antigone

    • 496 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Antigone is a tragic play wrote by Sophocles about the conflicts between family members. Oedipus the king of Thebes and his wife both killed themselves due to a mistake that they made in the past. After Oedipus died his two son Polyneices and Eteocles killed each other to see who will be the next king. Both die and Creon, Oedipus’s brother in law, is the next in line to became king. The first law that Creon made since he became king is no one is allow to bury Polyneices body because he is a traitor to Thebes. Anyone who buries Polyneices will die. This law has everyone involved in suffered greatly. Creon has suffered enough for his actions and the Thebens people should not punish him any further.…

    • 496 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Who Is Creon A Tragic Hero

    • 1194 Words
    • 5 Pages

    “To err from the right path is common to man.” (Sophocles) Generally speaking, a Greek tragic story is a term used to describe a character and their fall from greatness, where one who is intrinsically virtuous, ends up losing everything they have due to a fatal mistake. In Sophocles Antigone, the classic hero may be described as having the tragic Greek heroic personality, containing traits such as arête (excellence), hubris (excessive pride), ate (blind recklessness), and nemesis (disastrous retribution). Though most mythological heroes contain these qualities on the surface, in Sophocles’ Antigone, the author chose to develop his heroic personalities, rather than leaving them simply present. In doing so, Sophocles developed the character Creon,…

    • 1194 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “Real tragedy is never resolved. It goes on hopelessly forever. Conventional tragedy is too easy. The hero dies and we dies and we feel a purging of the emotions. A real tragedy takes place in a corner in an untidy spot , to quote W.H Auden-Chinua Achebe. Antigone’s words, actions, and ideas contrast with Creon’s character to the point of these two characters having conflicting motivations. These conflicting motivations cause the characteristics of anger, hate, and disappointment to be highlighted within Creon’s character. Ultimately, these conflicting motivations develop Creon as a tragic hero by putting his niece in a cave to die, caused other deaths. That particular mistake put a lot of people in the grave.…

    • 506 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Creon Tragic Hero Essay

    • 1460 Words
    • 6 Pages

    In Sophocles ' Antigone, the question of who the tragic hero has been the subject of debate for years. It is uncommon for there to be two tragic heroes in a Greek tragedy, therefore there can be only be one in Antigone. Although Creon possesses some of the characteristics that constitute a tragic hero, he does not have all of the necessary qualities. Antigone, however, possesses all of the traits that are required for her to be the tragic hero. According to Aristotle, there are four major characteristics, which the tragic hero is required to have. The character must be a good, upstanding person, they must focus on becoming a better person, they must be believable, and they must be consistent in his or her behavior. Due to the fact that…

    • 1460 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Creon of Antigone

    • 404 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In the play, Antigone, written by Sophocles, the tragic hero presented is Creon, the king of Thebes. Creon’s obstinate personality led him to avoid listening to anyone else’s reasoning. Creon has used bad judgment while he was ruling over Thebes. However, Creon went to great lengths to correct his mistakes. Creon’s personality, wrong conduct, and effort to reverse his mistakes make him a tragic hero.…

    • 404 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Antigone - 9

    • 946 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Thebian 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 malevolent. A hero is usually born into high rank of society, and this person must possess a tragic flaw. This flaw normally stems from either poor judgment or extreme arrogance. This flaw will inevitably contribute to the character's downfall.…

    • 946 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Antigone Research Paper

    • 602 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The well-known play, Antigone, is a representation of classic tragedy written by Sophocles. The story’s protagonist, Antigone, is portrayed as a tragic hero whose efforts to keep her family close quickly backfire on her. When Antigone’s brother dies, she wants to face the consequences and do the right thing in order to respect her brother and properly bury him. Antigone’s sister, Ismene, also displays the heroic qualities that Antigone does when she attempts to save her sister for being prosecuted. The classic qualities of a tragedy are displayed in the story, and these can also be found in many other tragedies later in literature. The important qualities that a tragedy always has can help analyze other novels and stories later are the heroism of the protagonist and the emotional connection the audience will sympathize for the protagonist.…

    • 602 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays