Antigone By Creon: A Greek Tragic Hero

The story Antigone is a Greek Tragedy about a maiden, Antigone, who buried her brother against the will of her king, Creon. Many have debated whether the protagonist Antigone or the antagonist Creon is who Sophocles intended to be the tragic hero of this story. Creon goes through a peripeteia and anagnorisis because of his flaws, which create emotions like fear and pity in the audience. Antigone on the other hand does not go through the realization of her wrongs that is known as an anagnorisis. All of these qualities are important because, according to Aristotle, they are what makes a tragic hero. Although some may argue otherwise, Creon is the best fitting tragic hero of the story Antigone. In Greek tragedy, a character usually possesses a hamartia, or tragic flaw, this flaw evokes emotions such as pity and fear into the audience. Creon’s hamartia is arrogance, throughout the story is uses his power to make him seem above others. When Teiresias comes to warn Creon of the gods wrath, they get into an argument with Creon saying “Dost know at whom thou glancest, me thy lord?”(54). Creon’s arrogance leads him to ignore the warnings of a prophet, who would normally be considered very trustworthy. Through ignoring this warning, Creon initiates the tragedy that will come. He

According to Aristotle a tragic hero should have a hamartia, or tragic flaw that evokes emotions from the audience. He also said that a tragic hero should go through a peripeteia, or reversal of luck, and anagnorisis, a realization, due to this tragic flaw. After reading Antigone you can see that Creon fits every one of these categories. However, Antigone doesn’t experience the realization that she had detrimental flaws, or an anagnorisis. Overall, it is much more logical to say that Creon is who Sophocles intended to be the tragic hero of this