Preview

Antigone: Aristotle's Definition Of A Tragic Hero

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1081 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Antigone: Aristotle's Definition Of A Tragic Hero
Aristotle defines a tragic hero as “having high estate, nobility of soul, ability to have free will, having tragic flaw, also somebody we are able to empathize with, a person who suffers from reversal of fortune, achieving enlightenment, accepting responsibility for his/her fall and being able to die bravely.” I am going to use Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero to support evidence to the character Antigone, in the play Antigone. To me, the tragic hero in the play is Antigone. Antigone, who is the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta, becomes infuriated with Creon, who is the king of Thebes and her uncle. Creon will not allow Antigone's brother, Polynices, to be buried. Antigone tells her sister, Ismene, that she will defy Creon’s ruling …show more content…
When Antigone had gotten caught by the guards while burying her brother, she was taken to Creon to announce what she had done. There is a quote in there that shows how free willed of a person she was, Antigone says to Creon “Of course I did it. It wasn’t Zeus, not in the least, who made this proclamation—not to me…These laws—I was not about to break them, not out of fear of some man’s wounded pride, and face the retribution of the gods.” This quote by Antigone shows that she was capable of making her own choices, whether she would follow man’s law or the gods. She also showed that she was not afraid of the choices she made for herself. (Line …show more content…
The whole city empathized with Antigone and felt that “No woman ever deserved death less, and such a brutal death for such a glorious action. She, with her own dear brother lying in his blood she couldn’t bear to leave him dead, unburied, food for the wild dogs or wheeling vultures. Death? She deserves a glowing crown of gold!” I feel that quote right there sums it up. (Line 775) The sixth tragic hero listing that Aristotle feels is necessary, is that the character “should suffer a reversal of fortune (peripeteia), falling from a pinnacle to the depths.” Antigone was considered a princess and to be married to the king’s son, Haemon. After being caught by the guards, she was sentenced to death by the king, Creon. Now she is looked upon as a slave, not as a princess. She is treated like trash and looked down upon. She went from being of royalty to quickly being nothing. Antigone definitely serves the sixth tragic hero
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Creon Tragic Hero Research Paper
    • 391 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Creon Tragic Hero Research Paper

    Throughout history there have been many people known as heroes. Most of these people have done wonderful things to help society. However, in literature there is another type of hero, the tragic hero. While tragic heroes do wonderful things too, they also have a character flaw that causes their downfall along with others. This essay is to prove that in the play "Antigone", written by Sophocles, Creon is a tragic hero.…

    • 391 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Creon Tragic Hero Research Paper
    • 645 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Creon Tragic Hero Research Paper

    A tragic hero is a person of noble birth with heroic or potentially heroic qualities. Because the tragic hero simply cannot accept a diminished view of the self and because of some personality flaw, the hero fails in this epic struggle against fate (csus.edu). In "Antigone" written by the infamous Sophocles, the characters, Antigone and King Creon, can both be deemed as tragic heroes despite of their beliefs differing immensely. Antigone, who is engaged to Creon's son, is a strong-willed woman who wants to bury her deceased brother, Polyneices, with honor despite the fact that he killed their other brother in war. On the other hand, Creon…

    • 645 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Role Of Creon In Antigone
    • 560 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Role Of Creon In Antigone

    A tragic hero is a literary character who makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to his/her own destruction. In the play antigone probably the most logic character to pick as a tragic hero would be antigone’s uncle creon. Creon is probably one of the most stubborn, ignorant character in antigone that was looking for someone to blame for Eteocles’s death. But creaon was so blind to the fact that this would lead to his emotional downfall in sorrow and distress because of his haemon and creon’s loving wife.…

    • 560 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Creon Tragic Hero Analysis
    • 1800 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Creon Tragic Hero Analysis

    Antigone's reasons for burying her brother were strictly to demonstrate love, loyalty, honor, and respect for her family and for her brother to be accepted in the gods' land. However, the main reason that Creon is angered is not the fact that Polynieces fought against his city, and yet the insult and betrayal of his own niece, especially by being a female figure who disobeyed him in public; it is even worse because she is his son's (Haemon) fiancé, and, therefore, his ego is quite damaged. "Go down below and love, if love you must – love the dead! While I'm alive, / no woman is going to lord it over me". The type of punishment given to Antigone was very severe and cowardly, in contrast to the main reason that caused…

    • 1800 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Antigone Creon A Tragic Hero
    • 245 Words
    • 1 Page

    Antigone Creon A Tragic Hero

    In the play Antigone, by Sophocles, There a few characters that can be described as tragic heroes. The character that best represents a tragic hero is Creon. Creon is the uncle of Antigone, the main character of the story. Creon is very powerful and many people of the town answer to him. Many times in the play he refers to the Gods for counsel and guidance. His main purpose in life is to answer to them. All of this power leads to his downfall as a tragic hero. He sentences Antigone and her sister, Ismene, to death. Some would say this is misuse of his power. He realizes this, but it is too late. Antigone has already passed.…

    • 245 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Why Is Antigone A Tragic Hero
    • 449 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Why Is Antigone A Tragic Hero

    Why is Antigone the tragic hero of the story? Antigone is the tragic hero because she chooses to bury her brother Polynices, even though Ceon her uncle prohibited anyone to touch his corpse and to let it decay. This shows that Antigone has a lot of loyalty towards her family and her brother. Ceon wanted Polynices to have the least honorable death, this is because Polynices was against Ceon and the Plebs, so Ceon wanted to give Eteocles a honorable burial because Eteocles was on fighting for the Plebs (Shmoop).Through the story of Antigone you see Antigone’s loyalty to her brother when she’s talking to her sister Ismene, Antigone informes Ismene of her plan to bury Polyneices. Ismene is scared for Antigone because she knows that burying Polyneices is a royal edict, Antigone knows this but decides to bury her brother anyway.…

    • 449 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Tragic Hero In Sophocles Antigone
    • 956 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Tragic Hero In Sophocles Antigone

    A tragic hero is a character who has good intentions, has a fatal flaw, and has a downfall. Creon is the tragic hero of Antigone because his intention was to keep Thebes a place where they honor someone who died for their city rather than fight against their city. His loyalty to the throne and his obsessive pride were his fatal flaws. He was oblivious to his fatal flaws which caused the demise of Haemon, Eurydice, and…

    • 956 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Antigone: A True Tragic Hero
    • 850 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Antigone: A True Tragic Hero

    This character must have noble or high standings socially and politically, have heroic qualities and characteristics that set him or her apart from any other character; and have a tragic flaw, which leads to his or her demise, as well as to his or her people losing their respect for said character. In Antigone, it is very easy to assume that Antigone is the play’s tragic hero, she fits the criteria almost perfectly, the play is even named after her. However, Creon, the Theban king in the play and Antigone’s uncle, is the tragic hero in this case. Both Antigone and Creon are of high estate in Thebes and are very heroic and honorable. Despite this, Antigone lacks the true tragic flaw that Creon possesses, which means she cannot be the play’s tragic…

    • 850 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Antigone Vs Creon
    • 704 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Antigone Vs Creon

    The definition of a tragic hero in Greek theatre is a character who makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to their own destruction. In the Greek tragedy, Antigone, by Sophocles, Creon is the tragic hero. Antigone contrasts the character Creon, helps develop Creon as the tragic hero, and interacts with other characters to help advance the play.…

    • 704 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Creon Tragic Hero Essay
    • 1460 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Creon Tragic Hero Essay

    In Sophocles ' Antigone, the question of who the tragic hero has been the subject of debate for years. It is uncommon for there to be two tragic heroes in a Greek tragedy, therefore there can be only be one in Antigone. Although Creon possesses some of the characteristics that constitute a tragic hero, he does not have all of the necessary qualities. Antigone, however, possesses all of the traits that are required for her to be the tragic hero. According to Aristotle, there are four major characteristics, which the tragic hero is required to have. The character must be a good, upstanding person, they must focus on becoming a better person, they must be believable, and they must be consistent in his or her behavior. Due to the fact that…

    • 1460 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Antigone Character Analysis Essay
    • 626 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Antigone Character Analysis Essay

    If she had been pliant and had conformed to the laws of Creon she would not have died. Antigone had a separate opinion on the matter and “she has never learned to yield” (II, 86). She was completely shameless in burying her brother and denied nothing. Actually, when her sister Ismene offered to keep Antigone’s actions a secret, Antigone thundered, “Oh tell it! Tell everyone” (Pro 76)! She “dared” to defy Creon, and did not fear the consequences of her actions (II, 65). She even put her pride above Creon as she said, “Creon is not strong enough to stand in my way” (Pro,…

    • 626 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Antigone - 9
    • 946 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Antigone - 9

    Thebian play of Antigone has excited many debates over the years. The most prevalent being who exactly could be characterized as the tragic hero in the story. The argument that Antigone is the hero is deffinatly a strong one. There are many critics who believe that Creon, however, is the true protagonist of the play. In order to determine whether or not Creon is the tragic hero one must first examine what a tragic hero is. Aristotle states that a hero is neither purely innocent nor purely malevolent. A hero is usually born into high rank of society, and this person must possess a tragic flaw. This flaw normally stems from either poor judgment or extreme arrogance. This flaw will inevitably contribute to the character's downfall.…

    • 946 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Antigone - 11
    • 1238 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Antigone - 11

    By burying her brother, Antigone knowingly and willingly went against royal orders and in doing so chooses her own death. She knows as well as anyone in the town that death would come to all that disobeyed Creon's order. Antigone says to this "no one will ever convict me for a traitor,"(Act I: Scene II: Line 361) and decides to bury the body, this is quite ironic because by burying her brother a traitor is exactly what she is convicted of being. Antigone's actions went against her homeland. Creon had declared that "Our country is our safety. Only while she voyages true on course can we establish friendships truer than blood itself. Such are my standards. They make our city great."( Act I: Scene II: Line 382) He says this meaning that if everyone acted as a whole they would always prosper. If someone were to go against the laws and ideals put by Creon it would only cause dissension. When Antigone went against the law this was exactly what happened. Chaos would not have ensued if she trusted her king to be right in his decision, just as all the townspeople and her sister Ismene did.…

    • 1238 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Creon The Tragic Hero
    • 999 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Creon The Tragic Hero

    A tragic hero is defined in most cases as a literary character of great stature whose moral defect leads to tragedy but some self-awareness brings the character to make the right decision (World Literatures). That is why although Antigone portrays many characteristics of a tragic hero, the real tragic hero of this play is Creon. A tragic hero in the Greek world is very different from our perceptive of a hero in the modern world. When today’s society thinks of a hero they think of superpowers and modern heroes such as Spiderman, Superman, and ect... A tragic hero is an 'above average ' person, who still has very human flaws and therefore performs very “un-heroic” actions. The hero part takes place in the realization of the wrongs they have done and the attempt to strive for the betterment of themselves because of it. The Tragic Hero often takes a little more than he can handle, and this always leads to their ultimate suffering, which in this time era was most often death. In the Greek play Antigone, by Sophocles, Antigone is often mistaken to be the tragic hero. After all, the play is named after her. However, after reading through the entire play, this is not the case. The genuine tragic hero is Creon, as his power, actions, and flaws are what set the tragedy into a downward spiral. What Antigone lacks is remorse for her actions. A huge part of being a tragic hero is knowing the wrong-doing and showing remorse for the act weather it be criminal or on an immoral level.…

    • 999 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Tragic Characters In Sophocles Antigone
    • 569 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Tragic Characters In Sophocles Antigone

    In Sophocles’ play Antigone, he creates two tragic characters. A tragic character is someone who experience’s unfortunate events that led to his or her own destruction. Antigone is a character who is Headstrong she will do anything for her family dead or alive. She is willing to go through anything and suffer the consequences ahead.…

    • 569 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics