Creon As A Tragic Hero In SophoclesAntigone - 1509 Words

In Poetics, Aristotle describes a tragic character as someone who experiences an error in judgement, experiences a reversal of fortune due to the error, has an excessive pride, and receives a fate much greater than what is deserved. In Sophocles’ Antigone, many would argue that Creon is the tragic hero of the play. However, he is not alone as the recipient of tragedy. A young woman by the name of Antigone also fits the characteristics for being considered a tragic heroine. A key element in the tragedy of any character is their error in judgement, what Aristotle referred to as â€Å"hamartia†. Antigone’s tragic flaw is, most obviously, her love for her brother, Polynices, and the stubborn loyalty that she has for him. This love, as it seems,†¦show more content†¦When warned by her sister that she should not go against the decree, she says, â€Å"He is my brother and—deny it as you will—your brother too. No one will ever convict me for a traitor.† (2) This statement shows her pride in the fact that as long as she is doing right by the gods, by giving him a proper burial, the polis will not be able to find her guilty of a crime. Not only does she believe that she will not be convicted, but she does not care if she is convicted and put to death. This can be seen when Antigone says, â€Å"I have longer to please the dead than please the living here: in the kingdom down below I’ll lie forever.† Using this statement, Antigone makes her case for holding the laws of the gods in higher honor and clearly defines the place of her loyalty. Unfortunately for Antigone, Creon has a view that is exactly the opposite. Creon believed that honor within the polis was more important than honor among the gods. This led to the onset of what Aristotle would refer to as Antigone’s â€Å"peripeteia†, or reversal of fate. If Antigone falls short of being a tragic character in any way, it is the reversal of fate. Antigone’s reversal of fate appears when she is brought before the king and sentenced to death, having been found guilty of disobeying the decree of the king— a crime she may not have committed. The fact that the first time the body was â€Å"buried† it was only covered by a thin layer of roadShow MoreRelatedCreon : The Tragic Hero In SophoclesAntigone886 Words   |  4 Pagesit presents a certain type of hero or heroine who is neither completely good nor completely bad† (â€Å"What is† 739). He or she must also be â€Å"highly renowned and prosperous,† have a tragic fla w, learn a lesson, and suffer greatly (â€Å"What is† 739). Therefore, in Antigone by Sophocles, Creon is the tragic hero because he is a king who has the tragic flaw of pride, learns to respect god’s law, and suffers more than he deserves. The first thing that makes Creon a tragic hero is his pride. When the Choragos