ipl-logo

Antigone Tragic Hero Report Essay

751 Words4 Pages

Olivia Constantino
Mr.Doede
Honors Composition & Literature
05 December 2016
Antigone: Tragic Hero Report
In his Poetics, Aristotle defines a tragic hero as possessing 4 key elements: arete, hamartia, peripety, and anagnorisis. Arete is human excellence or nobility. Hamartia is a fatal flaw leading to the downfall. Peripety is a sudden reversal of fortune or change in the tragic hero's life. Anagnorisis is when the character realizes their true nature and/or fatal flaw. Creon from Sophocles’ Antigone clearly illustrates the four elements of Aristotles’ tragic hero.
At the beginning of the play, Creon cleverly and distinctively displays arete. Creon is king of Thebes, which makes him noble by default. Creon, however, is also noble in character. Postliminary to Eteocles and Polynices killing one another during war, Creon was crowned king of Thebes. “The two of us were robbed of our brothers” (Line 17). Another way that Creon displays Arete is how the people are afraid to speak against him and disobey him. Ismene says something that proves she lives in fear of the king; “What? You’d bury him-when a law forbids the city?” (Line 52) “I’d do them no dishonor…but defy the city? I have no strength for that.” (Line 94). Both quotes prove that Creon has an excellence/nobility that is displayed throughout the play. …show more content…

Creon states; ‘No man can foretell his fate. Take the case of Creon: Creon was happy once, as I count happiness: Victorious in battle, sole governor of the land, Fortunate father of Children nobly born. And now it is all gone from him!” (Exodus line 5). Take this as example for Creon’s peripety. A sudden reversal of fortune has occurred and Creon has lost so very much even when he thought he had it all. The tragic events from the play have ruined Creon’s pride and turned him into a complete and utter humiliation of

Show More
Related
358 Words | 2 Pages

Creon’s conflict involves two choices that seem equally righteous—that is, between the stability of the state and obedience to divine law. Initially, he wants to protect his people and stand against all odds. He is willing to listen to advice, take no man who does not support Thebes as his friend, and bury all bodies according to divine law. Instead, Creon opposes the gods’ law and does not follow through with his initial plans. Therefore, his tragic flaw is hubris, or excessive pride that causes his transgression again the gods.

Read More
1430 Words | 6 Pages

Creon refuses to treat him with respect, and he demoralizes and scares him. Another scene that represents Creon’s lack of humanity in the beginning is when the chorus compares his fate to

Read More
986 Words | 4 Pages

but it is worse to risk everything for stubborn pride.” (Scene 5, Lines 91-93). Creon becomes conscious of his act of pridefulness and reaches a state of enlightenment which in turn prompts him to try to make up for his mistakes. Additionally, this change shows his ability to accept advice and do what is right, which had not been shown throughout the play. Consequently, These acts lead Creon to the

Read More
606 Words | 3 Pages

However, Creon is not only authoritative but also wise. An example of this is when he says, "...whoever shows by word and deed that he is on the side of the state -- he shall have my respect while he is living, and my reverence when he is dead" (1. 45-47). As the king of Thebes, Creon is a man whose respect is earned, not given. Creon explains to the Chorus that a man who is loyal to the state and the ruler earns his total respect. A clever ruler would compel his subjects to obey him and follow his rules without explicitly stating the consequences.

Read More
679 Words | 3 Pages

Creon realizes that he is at fault for the deaths of all of the people around him and sees how foolish it is for him to blame Antigone in the first place. This is his epiphany following his meeting with Tiresias, and he finally admits to all of his wrongdoings. Due to his defect of excessive pride and his epiphany after understanding all the wrongs he has done, Creon is a tragic

Read More
660 Words | 3 Pages

Creon’s tragic flaw is his overwhelming ego. The series of events began to occur when Creon denied

Read More
746 Words | 3 Pages

(Sophocles 25). This quotation displays Creon’s focus on the state, forgetfulness of his family, and stubborn personality when not listening to other’s opinions. All three of these traits that Creon possesses prove that he is determined and in a right mindset, but all of them also lead to his downfall at the end of the

Read More
1234 Words | 5 Pages

Creon believes that whatever he says or decide is true, he has so much of self-righteousness. The word that Creon said “Am I to rule by other mind than mine?” (Antigone, page 26). He thinks that he should rule everything because he is a king, he believes that people should obey him and the law he sets because he thinks that it is the right thing to do. Creon does not want other people to tell him what to do.

Read More
828 Words | 4 Pages

This quote says, Creon does not want to go back on his word and does not want to let a criminal get away, but he has to so his people can view him as a better ruler than they initially thought. This made me feel sympathetic because he was willing to give up something he cared about for the life of someone else. It shows a change he undergoes but was never able to fix his mistakes because Antigone had already killed

Read More
1092 Words | 5 Pages

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.

Read More
734 Words | 3 Pages

His inept leadership is shown through Creon’s inability to listen to his people, his rule over his people through fear, and his opposition towards supporting his people. Creon learns his greatest lesson, with a terrible price, that his hubris, pride, ruined him, as a result of his inability to seek advice and adjust to his

Read More
1097 Words | 5 Pages

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.

Read More
1035 Words | 5 Pages

Creon is a recurring character in the Trilogy whose demeanor changes with the gain of the throne. In Oedipus the King, Creon's actions are noble and show that he is wise. He is the man sent to seek the help of the oracle at Delphi; however, this makes him a target for Oedipus' cruel judgement. Despite being ridiculed by Oedipus in the beginning of the play; Creon tells Oedipus that he has "not come to mock" him but rather to take him into the royal palace to avoid being seen by the Thebians by the end of the play. (Sophocles, Oedipus 192; Exodus)

Read More
613 Words | 3 Pages

Creon goes against God's divine fate, so he is punished by losing his family and his powers. Various members of his family, including his wife and son, committed suicide. Creon upon realizing the gods were angry and seeking vengeance states “I have learned, and it is misery. Some god leaped full force onto my head” (Sophocles, lines 1272-1273). This is Sophocles’ way of teaching the audience that we should never attempt to change our fate, or else a tragedy might await us.

Read More
1136 Words | 5 Pages

Creon finally realizes that his hubris has not let him effectively deal with his conflicts. Creon has his epiphany and even says, “I have been rash and foolish.” He finally acknowledges that he has let his pride take over for the worse. Creon also realizes that it was his fault Haemon dies. He would not listen to Haemon and take his advice.

Read More

More about Antigone Tragic Hero Report Essay

Related Topics

Open Document