How is antigone a tragic hero

The flaw is what made Antigone so great of a character, but made Creon despicable and in the wrong. Although this request is not fulfilled, Ismene demonstrates exactly how dangerous love can be if it is left uncontrolled.

Sophocles demonstrates a very important and serious idea throughout the play: Love can be extremely dangerous if it is left uncontrolled. Antigone and Creon meet tragic downfalls because of their love for something, and Ismene nearly meets a tragic downfall as well, but Antigone saves her.

Antigone must evaluate her life and reason with herself if she should marry Haemon or decide another way out. Antigone finds a way out, but it may not be visible to the reader right away. Antigone commits a crime and is sentenced to die, justifying in her mind that is the only option. Antigone does not want to continue in the life cycle she has been born into and the only way out is in her death.

She also truly believes in the Gods and that by dying a martyr, she will gain kleos. The people take pity on Antigone, and feel that she should be let alone. Haemon, Creon's son and Antigone's betrothed, states how the people of Thebes feel.

Lady Macbeth said, "To catch the nearest way: thou wouldst be great, art not without ambition, but without the illness should attend it. Lady Macbeth believes they need the motivation to complete their sick plan because Macbeth doesn't have the evil inside him to do it without motivation. She also says, "We fail? Open Document. Essay Sample Check Writing Quality.

Everyone agrees that Oedipus is the quintessential Greek tragic hero. In fact, Aristotle had Oedipus specifically in mind when he first set down the requirements for tragedy in his Poetics. For example, in the play Antigone, the reader may have some difficulty deciding who the tragic hero is. Antigone is a tragic hero because she is brave.

This quote demonstrates that Antigone is brave because she is determined to at least try to give Polynices, a proper burial. She also knows that if she is discovered, she will be sentenced to death. Antigone is saying this to Creon after she had been caught trying to bury Polynices. They are neither a villain nor are they entirely good, but a person somewhat like us, raised to a higher position in society.

In addition, the downfall of a tragic hero is caused by fault of their own, often through arrogance or pride, as the result of free. In Antigone the role of tragic hero is not expressly declared.

Some people believe that Antigone has the role of tragic hero, probably due to her having the role of the protagonist and dying towards the end of the play. However, others believe that Creon due, to the loss of his son and wife, arrogance after becoming king, and getting cursed by his wife when she dies, best fills the role of tragic hero.

Creon has all of the parts of the tragic hero happen to him, and what happens to him extricates. While many of the events of the play are certainly tragic, whether or not Antigone and its characters should be considered tragic is less definite. Throughout the play, readers are introduced to few, but intriguing characters, one being the protagonist of the play, Antigone. Antigone is the tragic hero of Antigone; she presents recognition of the gods, exemplifies good virtues, and possess a fatal flaw, or hamartia.

A tragic hero is a great or virtuous character in a dramatic tragedy who is destined for downfall, suffering, or defeat. Antigone shows her recognition. Creon, on the other hand, believes her brother should not be buried. This Greek tragedy leads to the death of three of the characters in the play. Many people argue that Antigone is the tragic hero, however I believe that King Creon of Thebes is the tragic hero.

Although Antigone could be a tragic hero, Creon is more fit. His actions and pride is. Losing a loved one and not being able to bury them, is the scenario is Antigone has falling into. Antigone, in the play Antigone, is a young woman, but she is also a tragic hero. A tragic hero is someone who encounters obstacles and of course tragedies. Of course, she was blinded by the loss of her true love, but her burying of Polyneices by herself is also an act of rebellion that shakes the political power of King Creon.

Her stubbornness also caused her death in the indirect way. If Antigone yielded to her King, she would be pardoned. But she fiercely decided to take her own life, just not to give him the pleasure, not knowing that King Creon changed his mind and was riding to spare her life and bury Polyneices instead.

But he can play the clever drama, condemning her as a just King and then pardoning her as a merciful King, listening to the opinion of his people, who demand to release Antigone.

At the beginning of the play we can suggest that his stubbornness also would be his fatal flaw, but later we see that his anger and inability to seek compromise can be controlled pretty well. When King Creon regains his composure and listens to the rumors that are spread among the townsfolk, he changes his mind and decides to spare Antigone. So, his flaw turns into his benefit — he is a wise ruler, able to put aside his emotions.

The amount of compassion to Creon and Antigone also differs drastically. In the play Antigone is seen by the common folks as a woman of exceptional kindness and bravery who risks her own life to fulfill her family duty and just a duty of a human — releasing the soul of her brother for the afterlife. Not allowing to bury the dead body was, in ancient Greek culture, the crime much more brutal than the murder itself: instead of ending the mortal life of a person the offender banished them from afterlife for all the eternity.

Story-wise, Antigone deserves all the compassion the locals give to her. Even her bravery bordering with recklessness and her desire to die on her own terms are portrayed as something worth respect. From the modern point of view Creon can be pitied. Pretending that nothing happened would have shattered his authority. Still Antigone has more compassion even from the modern audience.

Then she has to face the decision of King Creon to leave her brother unburied, condemning him to the horrible un-afterlife. She risks her life and reputation to save her beloved from this fate and all the people support her, seeing the higher mercy in her actions. The epiphany of the tragedy also favors Antigone as tragic hero.