The word ‘hero’ comes from the ancient Greek. This means a person who face with trouble and also downfall as well. When a hero confronts downfall, the name of hero replaces with ‘tragic hero’. In Sophocles’ Antigone, there are two main characters that both of them seems to be tragic hero: Antigone and Creon. Although many considered to be one of the best tragic hero is Creon, Antigone contains all the qualities that are enough to set up the necessaries of tragic hero. Antigone is the tragic heroine in Sophocles’ Antigone. Antigone’s tragic flaw, arrogance, stubborn led to her collapse. She does not care someone else’s thoughts even if her thoughts are totally wrong. She has really strong, obstinate opinions. Her thoughts were still important …show more content…
For example, when his brother died, she did her bests to inter her brother with the same equality –honor- as her other brother. According to Creon, Polynices, Antigone’s brother, did not deserve to be buried because he fought against the Creon. Burying body is the traditional event in Greek. If the death is not buried traditionally, it is believed that the soul cannot find the peace forever. In this part of the book, I think, there is one more question which is important than the event: why Ismene, Antigone’s sister, did not help her sister? It is important because Antigone tried to convince his sister about the death position. It is hard to agree defying the King Creon’s rules and the laws. On the other hand, if you are a woman in this case is more difficult. “… Remember we are women, we are not born to contend with men. Then too, we are underlying, ruled by much stronger hands, so we must submit in this… (62)”. It is clearly seen that Ismene accepted defeat. It is a disappointing event for Antigone because she is alone. In this situation, actually, Antigone is not alone. The society’s thoughts are the same but no one spoke because of the King’s power. Every citizen afraid of him, including Ismene, except …show more content…
In fact, it is thought like that the burying of her brother brings the end so also citizen’s administration will end. However, this situation gains her more fame. Citizens need to see a courage to stand up the laws and they saw it with Antigone. One of the most important flaw is Antigone’s stubborn. Antigone does not let herself to think carefully or she does not judge herself critically. Because of this, it is not important the Creon’s pressure on her. However, she also know her attitudes make all the things worse. She know that there are many reasons that cause her death. She also prepare herself to die, when she speaks to her sister: “… I gave myself to death, long ago, so I might serve the death.” (88). The other important thing is excessive pride. Tragic hero must be determined even if he have to face with terrible events. Antigone does not go off her thoughts, she kept going her way. Thus, she chose to bury her brother and assent her own sentence of death. It is honorable thing. “No one to weep for me, my friends, no wedding song….Never again, the law forbids me to see the sacred eye of day. I am agony! No tears for the destiny that’s mine, no loved one mourns my death. “(104). The tragic hero must be the part of the royal family. Therefore, this pride comes from the family and the
In the greek tragedy Antigone , the author Sophocles conveys Antigone as the tragic hero because she arouses the most fear, she shows both good and bad which is a tragic hero characteristic and Antigone has the tragic flaw of loyalty to her family and to the gods.
Although Antigone does commit suicide, she was well-prepared for the fate of hers. She even remarks on her own death several times during the play, saying “And if I am to die before my time I consider that a gain.” (82. This proves that Creon was affected by these tragedies far more than Antigone was.
Antigone is relentless when it comes to loyalty, and this is what leads to the downfall of everyone around her. This is best shown through the words of
“Make these excuses, I will heap/ The earth over my brother’s body” (63). Although no one would help her, Antigone took a stand against injustice and honored her brother by burying him, even though Creon said this act would be punishable by death if anyone committed this act of insubordination. Especially in the age that Antigone lived in, it was considered foolish to simply go against a man’s orders, let alone the Kings. Not to mention that Antigone was related to the King, making the situation even worse. She committed a supremely precarious action, especially for a woman. Not only does she bravely follow her morals, but she does a great job of justifying them in her arguments. Antigone was a civil disobedient by disobeying Creon’s orders and accepting the consequences, but she did a great job of justifying them through her arguments throughout Antigone.
Within that facing her uncle and blaming her sister helping which she didn’t. “Never share my dying, don’t lay claim to what you never touched. My death will be enough.”(Pg.87 lines 615-7) showed that in that mater of her death is needed to bring balance to the country. Creon is where his fall is when he states that what she did is a crime. “Then how can you render his enemy such honors, such impieties in his eyes?”(Pg.85 lines 576-7) he was fed up she was sent to a chamber to await her death, he was so full of himself and that was his flaw. Do what happens Antigone is that she said this “I was born to join in love, not hate – that is my nature.”(Pg.86 lines 590-1) she then in the end dies was the matter of her enlightenment even though it don’t fit under Aristotle definition of a tragic hero she was in some ways. Truly it was Creon who is the tragic hero in this play, it the fact of after burying the brother he lost his family. “Whatever I touch goes wrong --- once more a crushing fate’s come down upon my head!”(Pg.127 lines 1464-5) even though he lives it goes by the criteria of a tragic
She believes that she and her sister, Ismene, will be punished by the God’s if she does not go against her uncle and bury her brother, Polyneices. “Where could I win respect and praise more validly than this: burial of my brother?” (Sophocles 212) Antigone believes that she should be well respected for doing this instead of punished. She thinks that Thebes should be praising her for obeying the God’s. “Don’t fear me. Be anxious for yourself.” (Sophocles 194) Antigone is telling Ismene not to be scared for her, but to worry for herself because she is deciding not to bury her own brother and go against the God’s. Antigone believes Ismene will not be punished by Creon, but by the
As Antigone goes against Creon's law, she is put into danger because what she believes is right and what the state's law says is right contradict each other. When antigone brings up “he is my brother still, and yours;...but i shall not abandon him” Ismene is shocked that she would “Challenge creon to his face” (345). This has already given Antigone the mindset that even her own sister is against her. Antigone wants to go against Creon, to stand up for what she believes in, and what she believes is right for her brother. Creon confronts Antigone, “so you chose flagrantly to disobey my law?” as she acknowledges it “Naturally! Since Zeus never promulgated such a law, Nor will you find that justice,” (358). Antigone goes through great lengths to go against Creon and prove herself as a strong individual. Antigone shows her stubbornness of having to go against her uncle’s laws and show that people should not follow the one path of someone. Although Antigone never does do anything terribly wrong, where she has to realize where she went wrong and accept consequences, unlike Creon where he realizes and accepts
Similar to other tragic heroes, Antigone is highborn, and her tragic flaw remains that she is rash. The chorus even says “No man is so foolish to lust for death”(Sophocles 223), this is clearly referring to her irrationality when defying the king’s law. Antigone’s pride and rashness in this situation is one of the main causes of her self- inflicted death. This
Throughout literary history, tragic heroes have been defined as a great or virtuous character in a dramatic tragedy who is destined for downfall, suffering, or defeat. However, philosophers such as Aristotle tried to find connections between tragic heroes in Greek plays. This in-depth analysis of tragic heroes lead Aristotle to create six criteria for a true tragic hero: He or she has to be a Noble figure of royalty and noble in character, has to be imperfect by design, has a flaw or error that is a choice, is punished excessively for this choice flaw, has to undergo a downfall that leads to a realization, and the story of this tragic hero has to make the audience reach a moment of catharsis or purging of emotions. A prime example of a tragic hero that fits all of these criteria is Creon from the play Antigone, written by Sophocles in 441 BC. The story of Antigone is a tragedy that describes a stubborn and proud king named Creon who refuses to allow a burial for the brother of Antigone. Creon’s excessive pride leads to a series of unfortunate events resulting in the death of Antigone, his son Haemon, and his wife Eurydice. Throughout the course of the play, Creon undergoes each standard that is required by Aristotle’s terms to be a tragic hero.
..., this sense of arrogance angers Creon to a point beyond belief. Antigone’s refusal to cooperate causes Creon to go mad with irritation and frustration. Wanting to show his sense of power, he refuses to back down in fear of losing his position. His stubbornness grows stronger as Antigone continues to disobey his commands. Antigone’s strong and steady foundation helps her show defiance. She is able to overcome the opinions of the people and commit to helping her brother regardless of the after effects. She ignores what everyone says and does only as she wants. She is powerful, both physically and mentally, and is successful in her tasks. Antigone matures into a commendable and respectable character in which she depicts her rebelliousness and bravery, pride and tolerance, and sense of moral righteousness to demonstrate fundamental character development in the play.
Due to his fatal flaw, Creon must suffer the consequences of his actions by losing his son, Haemon and his wife, Eurydice. After Creon sees Haemon dead, he says: “O the curse of my stubborn will! Son, newly cut off in the newness of youth, dead for my fault, not yours.” (Sophocles, 160) Antigone foresees anagnorisis when she realizes that she is going to die because she stood by her beliefs and obeyed the gods. Her moment of truth causes a catharsis in the audience, as a result of Antigone obeying the divine law and doing what she is supposed to do. In her last moments before death, Antigone says: “It was by this service to your dear body, Polynices, I earned the punishment which now I suffer, though all good people know it was for your honour.” (Sophocles, 150) Elements Anouilh used differ from Sophocles elements in terms of the depth that they were used in. Like Antigone in Sophocles’ adaptation, Creon also foresees anagnorisis when he comes to a realization that by trying to prevent problems in Thebes, he is actually the one that is causing them. It is tragic because Creon believes that by going against the gods, and following the law, he will get what he
The Antigone is widely thought of as the tragic heroine of the play bearing her name. She would seem to fit the part in light of the fact that she dies doing what is right. Antigone buries her brother Polynices, but Creon does not like her doing that one bit. Creon says to Antigone, "Why did you try to bury your brother? I had forbidden it. You heard my edict. It was proclaimed throughout Thebes. You read my edict. It was posted up on the city walls." (Pg. 44) Antigone buries her brother without worrying about what might happen to her. By doing this, she takes into consideration death and other consequences for burying her brother. Antigone follows what she thinks is right according to the gods. She is the supporter of her actions in the burial of Polynices.
Thus, the controversial question of who is the tragic hero is answered by King Creon. Sophocles’ tragedy Antigone puts King Creon in the spotlight of the tragic hero because of his unyielding pride, which blinds him from recognizing his mistake earlier. When he does realize his mistake, it is too late—he has lost his loved ones and now lives in despair. Furthermore, Antigone’s character was not as developed as King Creon because she never reached perpetua or anagnorisis; she was headstrong in her determination to abide by the divine laws. Antigone teaches us that “There is no happiness where there is no wisdom.
Tragedy of Antigone The play “Antigone” by Sophocles displays many qualities that make it a great tragedy. A tragedy is defined as a dramatic or literary work in which the principal character engages in a morally significant struggle ending in ruin or profound disappointment. In creating his tragedy “Antigone”, Sophocles uses many techniques to create the feelings of fear and pity in his readers. This, in turn, creates an excellent tragedy.
The sexist stereotypes presented in this tragedy address many perspectives of men at this time. Creon the arrogant and tyrant leader is, the very character that exemplifies this viewpoint. Antigone's spirit is filled with bravery, passion and fury; which allow her to symbolize the very essence of women. She is strong enough to do what her conscious tells her despite the laws of the land. Many examples in the play prove that Antigone's character is very capable of making her own decisions in the name of justice. First, Antigone opposes Creon's law and buries her slain brother; because in her mind it was immoral not to. She does this because she is compassionate and loves her brother very much. Creon, however, believes that his laws must be upheld and would do anything to prevent any type rebelling. He is even more infuriated when he learns that a woman has broken his laws. He tries to show Antigone who's in charge by sentencing her to a life of imprisonment. Secondly, Antigone shows how determined she is by accepting her consequences with pride. She does not try to hide that she is responsible for breaking Creon's laws, moreover, she takes all the credit. All the while she maintains her strength because she truly believes in her actions. These sorts of actions ultimately prove that Antigone is courageous and willing to stand up to men, which was completely against the norm at this time. Her spirit refuses to submit to the role of a helpless woman like her sister Ismene's character does.