As the play Antigone unfolds, it becomes clear that it is a tragedy that revolves around a tragic hero. Written by Sophocles’, Antigone is a Greek tragedy set in Ancient Greece after a devastating war. A new King has come to power after the two men next in line for the throne killed each other in the war. The two men, Eteocles and Polyneices, are brothers. Polyneices was exiled from Thebes but came back to fight against his country. The new King, Creon, is very arrogant and excessively prideful. He is put into power and makes a decree that Polyneices is not allowed to be buried because he is a traitor to the country. Little does he know that this decree is going to make him the tragic hero in the play. There are several different characteristics that make a tragic hero. Creon’s flawed judgement, his reversal in fortune and recognizing that his reversal was brought on by himself paints him as the tragic hero in the Greek tragedy Antigone.
The downfall of a tragic hero always begins with an error in judgement, as shown with Creon in Antigone. The flaw in judgement is typically made to enact justice or revenge against someone. As the new King of Thebes, Creon’s first decree is that “‘Eteocles, who died as a man should die, fighting for his country, is to be buried with full military honors…’” (Sophocles 163-164) while Polyneices “‘...is to have no burial: no man is to touch him …show more content…
At the beginning of the story, Creon is in a great position as the King of Thebes. However, his downfall is set into motion with his flawed decree about Polyneices’ burial. His good fortune is completely reversed as his actions and stubbornness catch up with him. His son and his wife die all in one day. He finally realizes that the deaths were because of the law that he created, and he now knows that he has been rash and foolish. Creon’s downfall is ultimately a result of his own actions, making him the tragic hero in
The downfall of a tragic hero always begins with an error in judgement, as shown with Creon in Antigone. The flaw in judgement is typically made to enact justice or revenge against someone. As the new King of Thebes, Creon’s first decree is that “‘Eteocles, who died as a man should die, fighting for his country, is to be buried with full military honors…’” (Sophocles 163-164) while Polyneices “‘...is to have no burial: no man is to touch him …show more content…
At the beginning of the story, Creon is in a great position as the King of Thebes. However, his downfall is set into motion with his flawed decree about Polyneices’ burial. His good fortune is completely reversed as his actions and stubbornness catch up with him. His son and his wife die all in one day. He finally realizes that the deaths were because of the law that he created, and he now knows that he has been rash and foolish. Creon’s downfall is ultimately a result of his own actions, making him the tragic hero in