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Who Is Antigone A Tragic Hero

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Who Is Antigone A Tragic Hero
In Sophocles' Antigone, the tragic hero is a woman that believes in her heart far stronger than that of her leader's rule: Antigone. A tragic hero is the character in a tragedy that experiences a downfall because of some kind of flaw. This flaw is referred to as the tragic flaw. In order for a character to be considered as a tragic hero, they must possess 4 important characteristics: First, they must experience a reversal of fortune due to an error in the hero's judgment. Second, recognition that the reversal of fortune was brought on by the hero's own imperfections. Third, the character needs to possess excessive pride to be considered a tragic hero. Antigone satisfies all of this criteria, therefore she can be considered to be the tragic hero in Antigone. …show more content…
“I am not afraid of the danger; if it means death, It will not be the worst of deaths ––death without honor.” In this exchange between Antigone and Ismene, Antigone says she does not fear the law, and will honor her brother, regardless of punishment. This marks the beginning of Antigone's downfall.

The hero's ability to recognize that this reversal of fortune was brought on by their own actions is another characteristic of a tragic hero that Antigone exhibits in the play. When asked by Creon if she confesses to burying Polynices, Antigone responds: “I do. I deny nothing.” When Creon asks why she “dared defy the law”, she replies: “Your edict, King, was strong, but all your strength is weakness itself against the immortal unrecorded laws of God.” This shows both her loyalty to the gods and her stubbornness, both of which she
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