Who Is Creon Tragic Hero

Sometimes we are not responsible human beings. Sometimes decision are made that we regret - decisions we wish to revert and ones we wish were never made. Who is the tragic hero in “Antigone”? Every character makes some very questionable and admittedly remorseful decisions in this Greek play that has led them to downfall. But who, out of all the possible candidates, is the main tragic hero, and what are the characteristics that make them one? Creon is the tragic hero in the Greek play “Antigone” because of his characteristics and the flaws that he creates as the story progresses. Creon is know as the tragic hero in Antigone. One of the many traits that show him actually being the tragic hero is the fact that he was born into nobility. The

A second strong reasoning showing this is that he was doomed to make a serious error in judgement. The main explanation he was doomed to make a serious error in judgement is because of his uncompromising ego. In the story it states, “Do you want me to show myself weak before the people? Or to break my sworn word? No, and I will not. The woman dies.”. Creon does not want to be viewed as weak before the people. Being that he is a fairly new leader, he is very impressionable. First impressions are the most important, as they say, so does he want to look wrong, or does he want to look strong-willed and independent? If one were to look at this quote, he is practically he is admitting that he is wrong, before he actually admitted that he was wrong. As if Creon knew Haemon was right all along, but he just does not want to appear weak. Another reasoning for Creon being doomed to make a serious error in judgement is because of his appetite to have justice, whether or not that justice was the right or wrong thing to do. In the text it states, “You know your orders: take her to the vault and leave her alone there. And if she lives or dies, that’s her affair, not ours: our hands our clean.”. Creon has the mentality that because what he thinks is the right decision, everyone, including the citizen of Thebes think that is a justified decision. In this quote, Creon is stating that whether she (Antigone) likes it or not, she is going into that tomb and

The reasoning for the fact that there is a lot of suffering and calamity is because of his poorly made decisions and is beginning to feel strong remorse. The story states, “O God, I am sick with fear, are there no swords here? Has no one a blow for me?”. Creon is so disgusted with the decisions that he has made he started to feel remorseful. His family is gone, his respect from the civilians is gone. Creon is emotionally crushed. This could have very well been avoided if he thought through his decisions rationally. Another explanation for Creon’s strongest flaw is his openness to want to punish himself. In the text it continually states, “Lead me away. I have been rash and foolish. I have killed my son and wife. I look for comfort, my comfort lies here dead. what ever my hands have touched have come to nothing. Fate has brought all my pride to a thought of dust.”. Creon has now completely realized that his decisions were completely the wrong ones to make, but he also admits that he thinks that it was fate that brought him to this low point. In summarization, Creon is a tragic hero because he recognizes his rash and premature decisions that he has made and he felt and endured the consequences. The difference between making bad decisions and not facing the consequences and making bad decisions and facing