Antigone Tragic Hero

Throughout the play Antigone, it is a challenge for the readers to decide whose decision is right, Antigone’s or Kreon’s? The readers feel empathy for Antigone for having to die because she wants to bury her brother. On the other hand, Kreon has his reason for banning anyone from burying Polyneices because he fought against Thebes “who returned from exile seeking to incinerate his fatherland and the gods of his family, who wishes to consume kindred blood, to lead Thebans into slavery” (199-202). Thus, in this Greek tragedy, the tragic hero is not so easy to identify. Nevertheless, it is clear that Antigone is the tragic hero because of the noble blood, her bravery, and flawed deed and the downfall of it. In Greek plays, a tragic

This means that the character’s decision lead himself or herself to a tragic flaw, an immense suffering that the hero seems to deserve. If only Antigone did not decide to against the law, she would marry Haemon and live a luxurious life of a queen instead of choosing to kill herself. However, no one can deny that Antigone was brave. She ignores Kreon’s rule to obey her own rule - giving her brother a proper burial. She shows that she has enough courage and guilt to be willing to disobey the king’s rule when she says, “I will bury him, and if I must die, I say that the crime is holy: I shall lie down With him in death, and I shall be as dear To him as he to me” (694). This explains how Antigone is truly a hero. Another factor which also proves Antigone is a tragic hero is the fact that she has too much pride, which is called hubris in Greek term. Although Ismene reminds of the punishments she could have from burying Polyneices, Antigone sticks to her beliefs and is willing to break the law and tells her, “He has no right to keep me from my own” (128). Even when Ismene warned Antigone that she would not succeed, Antigone claims there is nothing that can stop her: “Go your own way; I will bury my