Preview

Antigone Character Analysis

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
644 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Antigone Character Analysis
Heroes come in many forms. Some heroes are immense in size and strength like Hercules. Some are shunned upon like Harriet Tubman. Some are deaf and blind like Helen Keller. Some are Jewish victims of the Holocaust like Anne Frank. Others stand up for what they believe is right like Rosa Parks. Certain characteristics set them apart from the rest. Antigone is a tragic hero in the Greek play called Antigone. A tragic hero is character who is dignified and superior and whose downfall is caused by a tragic flaw. They usually think that they are in the right mind when the rest of society thinks that they are mad. A tragic flaw is a weakness or error that the tragic hero has. Antigone believes in her heart far stronger than that of the leader’s rule. …show more content…
This can also be called hubris. This excessive pride can be confused with honor. Antigone not only breaks Creon’s law but makes a mockery of it. When Creon asked Antigone about the order he made about Polyneices and in response she said “Of course I knew. Was it not publicly proclaimed?’’ (1082). This line shows that she isn’t ashamed of breaking the law. Antigone shows she doesn’t follow the state’s laws but the laws of the Gods. Antigone feels no regret in what she did and is proud of the fact that she never denied burying her brother, this shows that she has excessive pride. Ultimately, the thing that makes Antigone a tragic hero in this play are the traits that she possesses, which lead to her downfall. She exhibits all characteristic of a tragic hero. Her behavior demonstrates that she is driven by pride and self-confidence, in addition to her loyalty to her family. She is an example of someone who did what she thought was right. She is cast into a pool of danger between what she believes is right and what the state’s law says is right. Antigone died for what she believed in. This is a great characteristic that portrays a tragic

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    In the story “Antigone” both characters, Antigone and Creon are examples of tragic characters. The tragic character is a man of noble stature. He is not an ordinary man, but a man with outstanding quality and greatness about him. This character causes his own downfall due to his own tragic flaw. Creon is a tragic character in the story because of his tragic flaw, his pride and failure to understand when he is wrong. This flaw causes the downfall of Creon because he does not listen to anyone when everyone was telling him to just stop and release Antigone. Antigone is also a tragic character in this story. She is a tragic character because she is stubborn and goes through an outburst of fear and self-pity after she is facing death. Antigone stays loyal to her family that slowly brings her to her down fall. In my opinion though I believe that Creon is the real tragic character because Creon is a perfect example of what Aristotle described in his book “Poetics.”…

    • 1068 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    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
  • Good Essays

    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
  • Good Essays

    Role Of Creon In Antigone

    • 560 Words
    • 3 Pages

    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
  • Satisfactory Essays

    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
  • Good Essays

    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
  • Good Essays

    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
  • Good Essays

    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
  • Good Essays

    Antigone Vs Creon

    • 704 Words
    • 3 Pages

    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
  • Good Essays

    Creon Tragic Hero Essay

    • 1460 Words
    • 6 Pages

    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
  • Good Essays

    Antigone Research Paper

    • 602 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The protagonist of a tragedy is always someone who is passionate for what their mission is; they want their dream to become reality. Antigone is determined to be the ‘hero’ by burying her brother who has died, and she is killed in this process. Antigone disregards the danger and sacrifices her life for the honoring of her brother. Her heroism is displayed when she states, “Think Death less than a friend?…

    • 602 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    After Oedipus, the king of Thebes becomes exiled; his two sons Polynices and Eteocles become the joint rulers of Thebes. After both brothers argued over whom deserved the right to become the king, they decided to duel for the throne. Because of this dual, both brothers killed each other and now the question is who should rightfully become the next in throne. Antigone, by Sophocles was a story about a young woman, Antigone, who betrays her own uncle, Creon, to bury her brother. After reading this short play, I believe that Antigone was right to bury her own brother’s body.…

    • 1807 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Creon of Antigone

    • 404 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In the play, Antigone, written by Sophocles, the tragic hero presented is Creon, the king of Thebes. Creon’s obstinate personality led him to avoid listening to anyone else’s reasoning. Creon has used bad judgment while he was ruling over Thebes. However, Creon went to great lengths to correct his mistakes. Creon’s personality, wrong conduct, and effort to reverse his mistakes make him a tragic hero.…

    • 404 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Antigone is an award winning play by Sophocles, one of the three best Greek dramatists of all time. Antigone is a mythical princess of Thebes. She is the product of the accidental incestuous marriage between King Oedipus and Jocasta, whom is Oedipus’ mother as well. Antigone had two brothers and a sister: Polynices, Eteocles, and her sister, Ismene. After Oedipus discovered that he had married his mother, he fled, leaving Thebes to be ruled by his sons. Polynices and Eteocles had their differences arguing over the throne. Polynices left Thebes and returned with an army to declare war on Thebes. The two brothers killed each other during the war, leaving Thebes to be ruled by Jocasta’s brother Creon,…

    • 626 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Antigone - 9

    • 946 Words
    • 4 Pages

    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