The Tragic Hero in Antigone - 1018 Words

Aristotle’s theories on tragedy were first established during the fourth century in the Poetics, where he defines what makes a tragic hero. Aristotle suggests that a tragic hero is a character who has a high social standing and embodies great nobility in his/her personality. They are neither a villain nor are they entirely good, but a person somewhat like us, raised to a higher position in society. In addition, the downfall of a tragic hero is caused by fault of their own, often through arrogance or pride, as the result of free will. It is triggered by a weakness in their character or an error of their judgment, which is known as their tragic flaw, or hamartia. The tragic hero’s misfortune also exceeds the mistake they made,†¦show more content†¦Because Creon is the most responsible for the all the dark turns in this play, he is left to suffer for the consequences for his actions even after death, which exceed his tragic flaw. He had the most to lose, thus evoking feelings of pity and fear in the audience. Creon recognizes his mistake only when he loses it all and it is too late to reverse the consequences of his actions. He undergoes a drastic change of character, supported by his final statements in the play: â€Å"I have been rash and foolish†¦ Fate has brought all my pride to a thought of dust.† In this quote, Creon realizes that he is at fault because he can’t control fate and his pride took him nowhere. He even goes as far to admit that he killed his son and wife. The audience feels sorry for Creon because now he is alone and lost all of his pride and glory as king. Creon undergoes much loss because of his tragic flaw and the audience stimulates our pity and fear for him, making him the epitome of a tragic hero. His pride led to his ultimate downfall and he does not comply to Teiresias’ warning until it is too late. Creon shows all of the characteristics of a tragic hero, from being born into a high social stature to experiencing misfortune that isn’t entirely deserved. In the end, the laws of the gods overcome the laws of men, which Creon has failed to see. Creon ends up suffering due to his pride, which teaches an important lesson onShow MoreRelatedTragic Hero In Antigone948 Words   |  4 Pagesmakes them a hero. Heroes can help save the day, be strong against others, help people in tough situations. In Sophocles Antigone, the tragic hero proves to be worthy of these traits as she presents herself to be stronger than the rest. She shows several characteristics that help her achieve this title. Although it is a high honor she ha d persevere in order to get to this point and it wasnt an easy task. For these accomplishments, Antigone has earned the title of a Tragic Hero. Antigone seems to beRead MoreThe Tragic Hero Of Antigone1118 Words   |  5 PagesThe tragic hero according to Aristotle is a man who is neither a paragon of virtue and justice nor undergoes the change of misfortune or leads to his or her own downfall or destruction through their journey as the characters analyze their â€Å"judgment error†. In the play Antigone, Antigone is a tragic heroine who stands up and fights for her moral duties to do what is morally right instead of being loyal to the state even if cost her her life. The plot of Antigone is quite predictable. But, it showsRead MoreAntigone: not the tragic hero2077 Words   |  9 PagesAntigone: Not the Tragic Hero Sophocles, a great tragedian, was the one who gave Greek tragedies their traditional form. An important part of traditional Greek tragedies is the presence of a tragic hero. All tragic heroes should have the characteristics of rank, a tragic flaw, a downfall, and a recognition of mistakes. 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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 The Tragic Hero of Antigone568 Words   |  3 PagesGreece, Sophocles wrote the greatly admired tragedy, Antigone. Antigone includes many themes such as Freedom, Protection of Personal Dignity, Obedience to Civil Law, Protection of Community/Nation, Loyalty/Obligation to Family, and Observance of Religious Law. Many of the Greek tragedies that have been written include a tragic hero that has his/her tragic flaw. In Antigone there are two main characters; Creon, the tyrant king of Thebes, and Antigone, the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta. One of theseRead MoreEssay on Antigone is a Tragic Hero823 Words   |  4 PagesAntigone is a Tragic Hero A subject of debate in Sophocles’ play Antigone is which character complies with the characteristics of a tragic hero. The qualities that constitute a tragic hero are, in no particular order, having a high social position, not being overly good or bad, isolation, being tenacious in their actions, arousing pity in the audience, a revelatory manifestation, and having a single flaw that brings about their own demise and the demise of others around them. Creon possessesRead MoreThe Tragic Hero Of Antigone By Sophocles1075 Words   |  5 Pagesof the Greek philosopher Aristotle, â€Å"A man cannot become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall.† Thus, according to Aristotle, the tragic hero must be able to discern how his actions caused his demise. The tragic hero has a tragic flaw, known as hamartia, recognizes that this flaw contributes to his misfortune because of an error in judgment, but is nonetheless deserving of sympathy. Creon, the hero of the dra ma Antigone by Sophocles, fulfills this definition. He exhibits hubrisRead More Antigone as a Tragic Hero Essay499 Words   |  2 PagesAntigone as a tragic hero The debate over who is the tragic hero in Antigone is unanswered. The belief that Antigone is the hero is a tough one. Antigone is widely thought of as the tragic hero of the play bearing her name. She would seem to fit the part in light of the fact that she dies for doing what she believes is right. She buries her brother without worrying what might happen to her. Unlike Antigone, Ismene says â€Å"And break the law, our death will be more shameful even then theirs† (pg.5Read MoreThe Tragic Hero Of Sophocles Antigone Essay1357 Words   |  6 Pagesdraws on the emotions of the audience is to get them to relate to the tragic hero, and that is why it was so important for a tragedy to have a proper one. Antigone features the perfect example of a hero in a tragedy. In Antigone, King Creon is the tragic hero since he is adherent to a moral mean, he is life-like, he exhibits a tragic quality which results in a plot reversal, and ends in a moment of lament. Creon is the ideal tragic hero, since he’s morally upstanding but not blameless at the same time