In every Greek tragedy there is a tragic hero. In Sophocles play Antigone the tragic hero is Antigone 's uncle, king Creon because he meets the criteria set by Aristotle 's definition of a Greek tragedy. Antigone is the second play in a series of three plays called The Theban Plays. Antigone 's entire family has been plagued with a curse that has killed her parents. Her two brothers have perished as well after a large battle over the thrown. All she has left is her uncle and her dear sister Ismene. When Antigone breaks Creons law and buries her traitorous brother she is sentenced to be locked away forever. All of this brought a curse on Creon and his family which led to his tragic end. Aristotle defines tragedy as "an imitation of an action
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As the play continues it is easy to see many traits of a tragic hero appear in Creons character. Creon is the king of Thebes and his actions and character traits fit that of a ruler. However Creon has a few tragic flaws. He is prideful and always thinks he knows what 's best. He is impulsive and acts quickly without thinking, and he has a bad temper and will lash out at anyone who dares to question his authority. These traits eventually lead to his downfall. Creons downfall was the death of family. All of those whom he lived were dead due to his pride and temper. And as he admits this to himself in mourning all of Thebes mourns with him as not only are they cursed with a terrible fate, but they have also lost their queen and the only heir to the throne. Creons character in this play goes to show what happens to a person when they allow themselves to be overcome with pride. And in his grief stricken state he makes his final statement. "Whatever I touch goes wrong--- once more a crushing fate 's come down on my head"( Sophocles …show more content…
Though this would work for certain aspects of the play, Antigone does not have the series of traits for a tragic hero as defined by Aristotle 's Definition of Greek Tragedy. For example a tragic heroes personality must fit their character. This is untrue for Antigone as she acted nothing like a women of that time would. In that time women were quite and reserved as men were much more dominant in that time period. However Antigone was rash and outspoken against men mainly her uncle Creon. This is the exact opposite of how a woman would be expected to act during that time period. Another example would be admitting fault for their actions which is another requirement for a tragic hero. Antigone on the other hand never took any blame for what she did. Even as she lay on her death bed she remained insistent that all of this was caused, not by her, but by the curse that her father had brought upon their family. In Sophocles play Antigone the tragic hero is Antigone 's uncle, king Creon because he meets the criteria set by Aristotle 's definition of a Greek tragedy. Creon went from having it all to losing everyone he loved. His wife and son were dead due to his arrogance. The play was brought to an end with Creon admitting his fault in the deaths of his family. This moment is what defined Creon as a character, and a tragic
As the play continues it is easy to see many traits of a tragic hero appear in Creons character. Creon is the king of Thebes and his actions and character traits fit that of a ruler. However Creon has a few tragic flaws. He is prideful and always thinks he knows what 's best. He is impulsive and acts quickly without thinking, and he has a bad temper and will lash out at anyone who dares to question his authority. These traits eventually lead to his downfall. Creons downfall was the death of family. All of those whom he lived were dead due to his pride and temper. And as he admits this to himself in mourning all of Thebes mourns with him as not only are they cursed with a terrible fate, but they have also lost their queen and the only heir to the throne. Creons character in this play goes to show what happens to a person when they allow themselves to be overcome with pride. And in his grief stricken state he makes his final statement. "Whatever I touch goes wrong--- once more a crushing fate 's come down on my head"( Sophocles …show more content…
Though this would work for certain aspects of the play, Antigone does not have the series of traits for a tragic hero as defined by Aristotle 's Definition of Greek Tragedy. For example a tragic heroes personality must fit their character. This is untrue for Antigone as she acted nothing like a women of that time would. In that time women were quite and reserved as men were much more dominant in that time period. However Antigone was rash and outspoken against men mainly her uncle Creon. This is the exact opposite of how a woman would be expected to act during that time period. Another example would be admitting fault for their actions which is another requirement for a tragic hero. Antigone on the other hand never took any blame for what she did. Even as she lay on her death bed she remained insistent that all of this was caused, not by her, but by the curse that her father had brought upon their family. In Sophocles play Antigone the tragic hero is Antigone 's uncle, king Creon because he meets the criteria set by Aristotle 's definition of a Greek tragedy. Creon went from having it all to losing everyone he loved. His wife and son were dead due to his arrogance. The play was brought to an end with Creon admitting his fault in the deaths of his family. This moment is what defined Creon as a character, and a tragic