Living is not easy when you know you caused the death of three loved ones. In the Greek tragedy Antigone, by Sophocles, Creon is the most tragic hero in the play because he has to live with so much guilt and regret which he cannot repent for until he is dead himself, but by then it is too late.
Antigone is a tragic hero because her hamartia was getting locked up in a cave by Creon. When Antigone says ”All these men here would praise me Were their lips not frozen shut with fear of you.” (S. 2, pg. 1083). Sophocles wanted the audience to know that Antigone’s actions were right in the eyes of the gods and the citizens of Thebes. But they were against Creon and his laws. Because of that, Antigone was forced to give up everything including her own life so she could bury her beloved brother.
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He controlled with fear and Haemon said “It is no city if it takes orders from one voice.” (S. 3, pg. 1091). This proves that Creon only thought what he said was correct. But in the end of the play he regretted all of his wrongdoings. In scene five, page 1101, Creon said ”Come with me to the tomb. I buried her; I Will set her free.” Creon realizes his mistake and is willing to make things right again. The worst part is that he cannot be forgiven by the people whom he has hurt most because they all have committed suicide and are now dead. Creon has to live with this major hole in his heart for the rest of his
Creon realizes his mistake and regrets everything he has done in the past, “I can’t fight against what’s destined… I must personally undo what I have done. I shouldn’t have tried being unorthodox. I’ll stick by the established laws in the future”, he said. (Scene 5, Lines 95-99).
Antigone died a tragic death, and she can be seen as an inspirational hero for women, however she does not display the characteristics of Aristotle’s tragic hero as well as Creon. While Antigone showed pride in scene 2 by saying, “I should have praise and honor for what I have done” after burying Polyneices, Creon showed excessive pride throughout almost all of the scenes. Likewise, one of Aristotle’s requirements to be recognized as a tragic hero states that, “The character’s fate must be greater than deserved.” Antigone committed suicide, which was not the final result she wanted from burying her brother, but killing herself was a choice of her own. Her decision to kill herself shows that she was not afraid to die, however Creon was afraid to lose his family.
In the distinguished play Antigone, there is argument over who the tragic hero is, Antigone, or King Creon. A tragic hero must meet certain specifications, which include having a great influence, being essentially good with good intentions, having a weakness in them that leads to their fall, they must commit great sin which leads to conflict, that their story begins in relative happiness and ends in utter disaster, and that the hero commits their actions of their own free will. In this play, I believe that Creon is the real tragic hero and that Antigone sparks the reaction to his downfall. Creon’s position as king gives him great influence over the people of Thebes, allowing him to create laws to restrain, abstain, and assist the citizens.
Near the end of the play, after he lost his immediate family, Creon has a conversation with the messenger. Creon begs someone to kill him, for he has lost his entire family due to his actions. The messenger implies that he has a curse upon him for the death of his niece, which he caused. He replies, “It is right that it should be.” (Antigone Exodos.
In the play "Antigone" by Sophocles, Antigone rightfully decides to bury her brother, Polynices, but when the king, Creon, finds out, she does not repent for her actions. She is a woman that stands for what she thinks is right, which in this case is that Creon is wrong for condemning the burial of her brother. She shows braveness with her actions because not all people have the courage to risk their own lives so that their brother can rest in peace. For instance, Ismene states "What? You 'd bury him – when a law forbids the city?"
While yes, in most cases the tragic hero typically dies, this does not need to happen to be a tragedy. One of the biggest things about the role Antigone fills, is can be transferred between different people. If we placed Antigone’s sister Ismene into Antigone’s position in the story, the story would not have been affected at all. However, if Creon’s position was changed, the entire dynamic of the story could change without trying, especially when Creon learns of his mistake (Ln. 1289-1300 and 1302-1307). The third and final point is that Antigone does not change throughout the story, while Creon does.
In the play Antigone, by Sophocles, the characters face tragedy, and in every tragic play there is a tragic hero. A tragic hero must accommodate the following five elements; noble stature, tragic flaw, free choice, excessive punishment, and finally, increased awareness. There are two strong characters in the play, Creon the King and Antigone the princesses, that consist of those elements, all but one, the final element, increased awareness. The character that embraces all five elements of a tragic hero is Creon.
Countless times, Creon was implored to change his mind to preserve the safety of others. However, due to his uncompromising and egocentric nature, he repeatedly denied this aid, and therefore caused the tragedies of the deaths of his niece and his son. The events that occurred in the play Antigone accurately represent the characteristics of a tragic flaw and subsequent suffering that define a
Creon regretfully says “I have killed my son and my wife. I look for comfort; my comfort lies here dead. Whatever my hands have touched has come to nothing. Fate has brought all my pride to a thought of dust” (Exodos). Creon comes to his senses when it was too late.
In the classic play by Sophocles, Antigone is a tragic story of the bold Antigone who defied her uncle, King Creonʻs, edict by burying her brother, Polyneices, who died attacking the city of Thebes, trying to take the power away from their brother, Eteocles, who refused to share the throne with Polyneices. Even though Antigone knew that going against Creon and burying her brother would not end well for her, she still choose to risk her life to do what is right. After being caught breaking the law, Antigone is appointed to be locked away, isolated in a cave until she dies, but she hangs herself at the end. At the same time, things for Creon are not looking good, as everyone around him seems to be against him in his decision for punishing Antigone. Everyone Creon cares about kills themselves from a curse that is put on Creon for not following the Godsʻ laws.
I alone am guilty. I know it, and I say it” (I.ii.1021-1022). This quote indicates that Creon blames himself and only himself. In addition he now he has to live with the fact that his hubris not only killed his family, it also will always torment him for
Antigone is one of the greatest tragedies ever written by Sophocles. There is a controversial question about this play: Who is the tragic hero? Could it be Antigone or Creon? Even though the play’s name is Antigone, but as I read the story. A sensible and responsible king, Creon, is a tragic hero because of his power madness, self-righteousness, and ruthlessness.
“Not so self-centered that you never listen to other people” (Hugh Hefner). In the story of Antigone, Creon shows the characteristics of a tragic hero, as he is the king he shows his self-confident and he does not recognize his flaws until the end of the story. All of this leads into his downfall in the tragedy and causes him to realized what he had done. Creon is a tragic hero because of his self-righteousness, his excessive pride, and he does not listen to the opinion of others.
In Sophocles’ play Antigone, Creon, the king of Thebes, best represents a tragic hero. Creon demonstrates goodness in his intentions for Thebes as well as his fragile state due to the fact that he recently lost several family members. Creon, newly named king, finds himself as highest ranking official around, showing superiority. Creon often acts stubborn and prideful, his tragic flaw. And lastly, he must come to terms with the fact that he caused the death of his wife, son, and niece.
Antigone’s love is so great for her brother that she went against the king and buried him with religious rights. Then Haemon kills himself because Antigone had died and he wanted to be with her. In the end Creon’s wife killed herself because her son had died. Creon is perceived as the tragic hero of the play when he is talking