Antigone: The Tragic Hero Of Sophocles

Register to read the introduction… A tragic hero is best defined as a person of high power, such as a king or queen, who has a tragic flaw that leads to their downfall and causes the conflict of the play. Antigone is the tragic heroine of Antigone, and Creon can also be considered a tragic hero because of his role in the plot. The young woman is a person of power, since she is in line to be queen. For many, Antigone’s tragic flaw should not be considered a flaw at all. She is unbelievably loyal to her beliefs and family and that is what starts the entire conflict of the play. If Antigone had not insisted upon burying Polyneices, she would be planning her wedding to Haimon and there would never have been any issues. The tragic flaw of Antigone caused many repercussions. The deaths of Haimon, Eurydice, and Antigone herself are all the results of Creon’s edict and Antigone’s rebellion. Another tragic flaw of the tragic heroine is something that she herself could have never helped. Her family is struck with this misfortune of unluckiness and tragedy. If it wasn’t for the incest of Oedipus and Jocasta, the parents of Antigone, Ismene, Polyneices and Eteocles, Oedipus would have never gouged his eyes out and given over a shared kingship to his sons. If they hadn’t of been greedy and unable to share the kingship, then there would have been no edict forbidding the burial of Polyneices. Therefore, being a kin of Oedipus’ family, Antigone fell into a trap and was destined to fall into a tragedy. The antistrophe, which represents society and their views, …show more content…
It can be said that any soldier has the characteristics of loyal and fearless, however, it takes a lot of guts for a woman to step out on the front lines and fight for her country. Even though women have gained a great deal of respect in modern culture, there is still a strong feeling of sexism. Many people do not expect women to enlist in the armed forces and they face a lot of criticism, when they should get praised. Antigone was treated the same way. She was the only one brave enough to do what everyone knew was right. Society was conflicted because they knew she was morally sound, but the actual law said something else. In the twenty first century, people know that it takes a strong women to give her life up for the country, but ridicule is still common and there is often a preconceived notion of masculinity in any woman that does serve. Antigone went into the forbidden burial completely aware of her fate and the impending, inevitable death. Soldiers, especially women, are also aware of the dangers ahead of them when they enlist and they are also conscious of the fact that often they are leaving a husband and children behind. It is a strong possibility, especially with the increased technology in warfare, that lives are changed by combat, and this is not hidden from those who choose to fight for the