The Similarities Between Antigone And Creon

In the play Antigone, Antigone and Creon both experience great tragedies before and after the plotline of this eminent play. Although Antigone would be considered more heroic and “good”, the definition of a tragic hero fits Creon much more appropriately. Also, Creon was affected by the misfortunes that happen throughout this play far more than Antigone was. In this play, Antigone would be considered to be more of the protagonist. However, Creon experiences far more tragedies throughout this story than Antigone does. Although Antigone does commit suicide, she was well-prepared for this 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.”

Although Antigone was considered to be high status, Creon was in a much higher position as king. Before this string of unfortunate events, Antigone’s life was already unsatisfactory. Her father had gouged out his own eyes and had died while she and her sister were both very young. Her mother had committed suicide, and all of her siblings but her sister had died. At one point during the play while she delivers a passionate speech about her fate and her past, she is quoted saying “ O mother, your marriage bed the coiling horrors, the coupling there- you with your own son, my father- doomstruck mother! Such, such were my parents, and I their wretched child.” (103. 951-954). Before the beginning of the play, Creon hasn’t really had anything devastating happen to him so far. He was in a good position and the people of Thebes liked him. Besides Antigone’s marriage to Creon’s son, Haemon, her life was considered to be worthless during that time period. In Greek tragedy, the tragic hero is also usually both good and bad, or has one fatal flaw. This is certainly true for Creon. Although Antigone surely has flaws of her own, Creon’s are far more prevalent and more similar to the kinds of flaws other tragic heroes have had in other examples of greek tragedy. Therefore, by definition Creon is far more similar to a traditional tragic hero than Antigone