Creon is the Tragic Hero in Sophocles' Antigone

Creon is the Tragic Hero of Antigone

When the title of a play is a character's name, it is normally assumed that the character is the protagonist of the play. In Sophocles' Antigone, most people probably believe Antigone to be the tragic heroine, even after they have finished watching the play. It may be argued, however, that Creon, not Antigone, is the tragic character. When we examine the nature and concept of the Greek Tragedy and what it means to be a tragic character, it becomes clear that Creon is indeed the tragic hero of the play Antigone.

First, take into account the timeframe in which Antigone was written. During

the time of Sophocles, women were considered second-class citizens. They

would not even be permitted to act in the drama Antigone. It seems unlikely

that Sophocles would choose a woman as the tragic hero of the play. There

are certain qualities that a character must posses in order to qualify as a

tragic hero. Ideally, the tragic hero is a person of some status, usually a

king. Although the fact that Antigone was part of th...