The Similarities Between Antigone And Creon

According to Aristotle, a characteristic of a tragic hero is anagnorisis. The hero realizes too late that his actions are unjust and that the misfortune was brought by himself. In Sophocles’ Antigone, both Antigone and Creon meet a tragic end as the result of their actions. However, the tragic hero of this play is Creon because he does not know that his actions will bring him such fate until the end, while Antigone is fully aware of the consequence of her action from the very beginning.
Creon is not aware that his decree forbidding the burial of Polyneices is unjust and that it will cost him the loss of his family while Antigone knows from the beginning that by burying her brother and breaking the state law, she will be punished by death. …show more content…
Both Antigone and Creon face severe punishment for their crimes. However, while Antigone perceives the consequence from the beginning and has control over it, Creon does not. Antigone knows that burying her brother will bring her death, but she still chooses to do it and kills herself after the deed once locked inside a cave (1242-3). Since the consequence is brought by her choice, she deserves the punishment for her action. In contrast to Antigone, Creon has no control over his fate despite his mistake leading to all the events that occur in the play. When he realizes that he is the one at wrong, he tries to turn things around and save Antigone (1108-9). However, it is too late because she has killed herself. Antigone’s suicide represents her control of her fate but also Creon’s. Creon tries to amend for his wrong but is prevented by Antigone’s death and thereby cannot avoid his punishment for his wrongs. Since Creon was unaware that he was breaking the god’s law and in the end prevented from doing so by Antigone’s burying Polyneices, which also leads to his later decision to give proper burial for Polyneices (1110), his main crime is the refusal to admit his wrong. But, this too he admits in the end. Although due to his late decision, Antigone dies, her death is brought by her choice. Thus, the loss of his family is great for a man’s mistake brought by his …show more content…
Creon says to Haimon, "She was the only one to disobey me" (653). However, his refusal to admit his wrong leads to the loss of his family. His son kills himself after Antigone dies, and his wife follows their son. From having power and family, he loses both in the end, as his law is proven immoral and leads to his family 's deaths. This turn in fortune is brought unintentionally by Creon 's fatal mistake, denying he is at fault brought by his pride, which he realizes in the end. While Creon faces such a drastic turn in his fortune, Antigone suffers grievances throughout the play. She loses her brothers in the beginning and is a daughter of a cursed family (586-8), which Antigone regards herself the "most accursed" (886). She is also aware that she will die for she is determined to bury her brother. Then, for her action, she is locked in a cave where she kills herself, lamenting about her inability to marry and bear children due to her premature death (861-3). Since she is in languish throughout the play there is no reversal of her fortune. The awareness of her fate also prevents such reversal because she is in acceptance of her fate from the beginning and thus her death is expected from the beginning. Antigone’s awareness of her fate and Creon’s unawareness make Creon the tragic hero of Sophocles’ Antigone. Antigone, knowing her fate, is disqualified for