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Tragedy in antigone
Tragedy in antigone
Characterization of sophocles` antigone
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Antigone is one of the best plays written but people have many questions about the play like, who is the best tragic hero. Antigone is about a princess who tries to bury her brother even though King Creon said not to. Creon plans on punishing Antigone for going against his word and is going to kill her. Antigone is going to get married and after she gets married she hangs herself. Creon is the greater tragic hero because he does not realise how his tragic flaw and free choice will affect him in the end..
Creon's greatest tragic flaw is hubris, which is excessive pride that led to his downfall. Creon is having a conversation with Teiresias about how Crecon is challenging a prophet then Creon says,“Whatever you say, you will not change my will”
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(I.V.69). The speech that Creon uses elaborates on his tragic flaw of being too stubborn. When he says that nothing will change his will it gives the feeling that he thinks that he is superior to everyone because he is the king and holds all the power. In other words Creon has too much pride and that leads to his downfall. Creon is the better tragic hero because of his free choice to punish Antigone.
Creon had just found out that Antigone honored her brother and he is talking to antigone about her punishment then says, “... She and her sister win bitter death for this!” (I.II,85-86). Creon's choice was to punish Antigone and her sister for Antigone's crime but later on he repeals Ismene's punishment. Creon's free choice caused downfall because if he had not chose to punish Antigone then his son would not have died. His son died after seeing his new wife, Antigone, had hung herself and that led to his downfall.
Some people might say that Antigone is the better tragic hero because of her tragic flaw of being loyal. Creon is talking to Antigone about her wrong doings and Antigone it saying how she has not done anything wrong and says, “I should have praise and honor for what I have done” (I.II.98). Antigone's speech exemplifies that she stays loyal to her family by honoring Polyneices. Her loyalty to her family caused her downfall and led to her death. Even though Antigone's tragic flaw of being loyal is good, Creon is still the better tragic hero because his free choice of punishing Antigone and his tragic flaw of being stubborn lead to his downfall makes him the better tragic
hero. Overall, Creon is the better tragic hero. He is the better tragic hero because of his free choice to push Antigone and his tragic flaw of having lots of pride. The two characteristics lead to his downfall of everyone dying and his life filled with grief.
Creon’s hubris is the strongest case that can be made about Creon being the most tragic character in Antigone. For example, Creon says,”Am I to rule this land at someone else’s whim or by myself?”(Antigone 835-836). This is truly a profound statement that reflects Creon’s excessive self-pride; moreover, Creon refuses to listen to Haemon, the Chorus at some points, and even Theresias for while. Furthermore, Creon refuses to acknowledge that he has done wrong of any kind, and this eventually leads to the death of his entire family. In conclusion, this is why Creon is the most tragic character in this play.
There are certain qualities that a character must posses in order to qualify as a tragic hero. Ideally, the subject is to be a person of high rank, so that they may have much to lose. (Most frequently a monarch is used.) Granted, Antigone is a member of the royal bloodline. But we must not forget that she is the daughter of incest, hardly a glamorous position to start with. In Oedipus Rex, Antigone was indirectly disgraced, while Creon was socially elevated by inheriting kingship from Oedipus. Also, Creon’s being king comparatively trumps Antigone’s lesser status of orphaned princess. While this in itself objectively proves nothing, it does at a minimum make Creon the more likely choice of protagonist.
Antigone is a great Greek tragedy by Sophocles. The story is about a young woman who has buried her brother by breaking king’s decree, and now she is punished for obeying God’s law. There are many arguments about who is the tragic hero in Sophocles’ Antigone. Some believe that it is Creon because he also has the characteristics of a tragic hero. Others believe that it is Antigone because the play bears her name. Antigone is the perfect hero, to exemplify the meaning of a tragic hero. In order to determine whether Antigone is the tragic hero, one will have to answer the question, what is a tragic hero? According to Aristotle, “The tragic hero is a character of noble stature and has greatness, he/she is not perfect, the hero's downfall and it is partially his/her own fault, and the hero's misfortunate is not wholly deserved.” (Aristotle) Antigone is a tragic hero because she has a high social standing in Thebes, she neither good nor bad, and her suffering appears to be unjust and unfair to the audience.
In Sophocles' Antigone, the question of whom the real tragic hero comes into play. Antigone possesses all the aspects of a tragic hero. Creon possesses many qualities of a tragic hero, but doesn’t totally fit in the role. These traits include: not being overly “wholesome or corrupt”, being persistent in their actions, developing pity in the audience or reader- especially in the beginning of the story, and having a major flaw that is their ultimate downfall. Antigone possesses all of these traits therefore qualifying as the tragic hero.
Creon believes that he has the upper hand when it comes on making major decisions. When Creon commands some of the guards to take Ismene and Antigone away, “You, there, take them away and guard them well:For they are but women, and even brave men run When they seen Death coming”(1039,L164,S2.) This is the beginning of Creon’s error in judgement. He believes that Antigone is the enemy of Thebes because she is going against his authority, but in reality he is the enemy by making false judgement. The next example of Creon being doomed to make a serious error in judgement is when Creon discusses the plans for Antigone’s fate with Choragus after Haemon leaves, “I will carry her far away, Out there in the wilderness , and lock her Living in a vault of stone. She shall have food, As the custom is, to absolve the state of her death(1045,S3L142.) This is another starting point on the error of Creon’s judgment by adding Haemon into this conflict. Haemon tries his best to protect Antigone from Creon, but still fails because her imprisonment leads to her and Haemon’s death. This event not only kills Antigone and Haemon, but also Eurydice his wife. Creon’s decision in the story causes him to make a serious error in
The tragic hero, Antigone, is the tragic hero because she displays both good and bad throughout the greek tragedy Antigone. A quote that reveals she is good is “ This death of mine is of no importance; but If I had left my brother lying in death unburied, I should have suffered” ( 2. 69-71). This quote shows that Antigone is doing good because she is honoring her family by not leaving her brother unburied. Antigone is also seen as bad because King Creon talks to Antigone and says “ This girl is guilty of a double insolence, breaking the given laws and boasting about it” ( 2. 80-81). That quote shows Antigone is bad because she broke the law and was telling everyone about what she did , which also showed that she had hubris about her actions. Antigone is the tragic hero because
In the play Antigone, I choose Creon to be the tragic hero because he is the King of Thebes and he looses everything he has. Creon being King makes the audience believe that something like that can happen to the King then what can happen to us. Antigone the niece of Creon, The sister of Polyneices was punished by Creon for burying Polyneces after his death, Creon has forbidden anybody to do so. Once Creon punished Antigone the blind prophet Teiresias told him that the Gods will take revenge for his actions, then Creon tried to change everything but he is too late. Creon's tragic flaws were his stubbornness, the abuse of power and the actions he took to cause the downfall of the Thebes.
A tragic hero has many definitions but Creons characteristics fit each single one. He displayed a fatal flaw that drove him mad near the end but also understood that his predicament was caused by him alone. Antigone cannot be the tragic hero because although she possesses several flaws, she experiences no true illumination. She does not met the required the traits for the tragic hero. Creon wanted to protect the state above personal cost, a task that was achieved in a way. Creon is the tragic hero in Sophocles Antigone because he can’t accept a diminished view of himself; he endures great suffering and is enlightened in the end.
After the arguments above, readers should recognize that Creon is the tragic hero of Antigone. Creon and Antigone are both main person of the play, but Creon more of a tragic hero than Antigone. Creon’s dominance in society, his high rank, and his tragic flaw self-pride helps prove this topic. Because of Creon’s sophisticated characteristics and position in the story, it makes Antigone’s character seem less of a major character. Almost every reader thinks that since Antigone is the protagonist, and the main character she is definitely the tragic hero. Creon is the tragic hero of the Greek Tragedy, Antigone because of his dominance, high rank, and self-pride.
(Willocks). Creon realizes that he made an irreversible mistake of his own doing. The change from ignorance to enlightenment includes Creon’s realization of his tragic flaw, how it caused his downfall, how his actions have affected the lives of others. These errors in judgment are usually in the presence of a conflict. This is an example of fate and free will. Creon said, “I too know it well and am troubled in soul. It is dire to yield; but by resistance to smite my pride with ruin----this too is a dire choice.” (Sophocles 142). This evokes pity from the audience because they know that Creon thought what he was doing was right but they also know that what he was doing was wrong. This shows how Creon realizes that he made an anagnorisis.
In the play Antigone, the debate over who is the real tragic hero is and the controversy of Greek ideals in the Antigone continues on to this day. Who is the tragic hero in Antigone? Is it Antigone herself or is it Creon the ruler of Thebes? The belief that Antigone is, is a strong one. Still there are people who think Creon is the tragic hero. Antigone is widely thought as the tragic her. The play is named after her. In addition, she is the antagonist in it. Many people usually associate the antagonist, the good guy as a tragic hero. Look at much television shows, especially cartoons, the good person usually wins. Then there are those who might think Creon was the tragic hero because the gods were against him, and that he truly loved his country. There are five criteria or standards you must meet first in order to be a tragic hero. First, you must be a person of high character or status. The character must not be too overwhelmingly evil or good. Then they must be brought from happiness to misery. Then brought from happiness to misery. Second, the hero enacts a harmartia, "wrong act." This either may be a flaw in judgment or an error. Third, the hero experiences a perpateia, reversal of fortune. This is the tragic downfall or plot twist in the story. Fourth, the hero recognizes his or her responsibility. Fifth, the story ends with a catastrophe. The catastrophe either may be an emotional event, this even may be a death.
This play, Antigone, was titled after one of the play’s main characters; however, the title could have been “Creon”, due to Creon’s influence throughout the play. Creon was a major influence to the play’s plot as it involves Creon within a majority of the scenes, from beginning to end. Throughout the play Creon’s tragic countdown is expressed, beginning with him as king of Thebes to the death of his beloved family. Antigone is merely portrayed as a rebellious nephew, as she consistently defies Creon. Antigone is expressed within the play consistently; however, the play portrays decisions proclaimed by Creon, which displays Creon’s tragic flow. Being titled “Antigone”, does not accurately express the play’s content as Creon’s tragic fate is actually being described and represented.
Oedipus had a flaw of having too much pride to admit and realize that he was the cause of the plague. Much as Oedipus ignored his problems, Creon had done the same. Creon had chosen pride over moralities when he sentenced Antigone to her certain doom (Sophocles 27). He chose to let her die in a tomb to revel with her actions, which in hindsight were noble(Sophocles 28). Through these actions, Creon was warned by the great seer Tiresias to let Antigone free, or he too would experience a great loss at the expense of his son (Sophocles 57). Creon ignored him and let Antigone die over his own foolish pride. The refusal he had to do the right thing was the source of his downfall, and led him to his own
The character of Creon matches up to the tragic character elements; in some ways Creon is good, he is a fair ruler, he spares Ismene’s life, and he ended up seeing error in his ways and tried to do the right thing. Creon also acts appropriately in the time for his gender and rank. His misogony, is very common among men in this time and as a male king his view that “no woman is going to lord… over [him]” (594) is also very understandable. However Antigone is rebellious and fights against how she is told to live her life, therefore her character does not follow Aristotle’s rules of tragedy. Furthermore although Creon’s views do change within the play, the changes are believable because the good comes from a place that has already been seen in him. This contrasts the way that Antigone—after remaining strong and stubborn the whole play—crumbles when she faces death and ends up killing herself. Finally Creon is the true tragic hero because he is the person who is hurt the most in this play. Although Antigone Is hurt in this play, she dies, effectively ridding herself of that pain. Creon on the other hand, unconsciously makes decisions leading to the death of his son and his wife and is left with “the guilt of all their deaths” upon him. Although clearly both Creon and Antigone’s characters have the fall associated with a tragic hero, Creon is the true tragic hero of Sophocles’
In conclusion, Antigone, compared to Creon is the tragic hero. Her strength of character and bravery led her to her tragic end but it was also through her heroic actions that the curse in her family came to an end. No such tragedy could have happened if the people were as brave as she was. It was her actions that led to the freedom of the