Creon Tragic Hero Essay

Many Greek plays have a tragic hero, and Sophocles's Antigone is no exception. Aristotle believes a tragic hero is a man that is not too good but also not too bad, is lifelike, is appropriate, is consistent, and who “does not fall into misfortune through vice or depravity, but falls because of some mistake” (On Tragic Character, 1145). Creon, the new king of Thebes, is the tragic hero in Antigone because he fulfills the four main characteristics of a tragic character, and he makes a fatal mistake that directly leads to his downfall. Creon fits Aristotle’s mold for what a tragic hero should be in a Greek tragedy because he fulfills the four characteristics Aristotle says a character must have to be a tragic hero. He is not too good that the audience …show more content…
Creon also acts appropriately as a king: proud, decisive, and manly. Creon fulfills the requirement that a tragic hero should be consistent because he is stubborn and proud throughout the entire play. Only at the very end, when it is very clear that he has lost everything, does he realize he has made a mistake. During the fight between Creon and his son, Haemon, Haemon tries to explain to his father why he and the city believe that Creon should revoke Antigone’s punishment, even though she disobeys his decree. However, when Haemon tells Creon how the citizens of Thebes challenge Creon’s decision, Creon exclaims, “my voice is the one voice giving orders in this state!” (220) Creon’s reaction shows how extremely stubborn and set in his ways he is, but also how he has excessive pride. He is too proud to listen to anyone else’s opinion but his own, and too stubborn to change his opinion when he is wrong. His pride and stubbornness allow him to make his fatal mistake carrying out Antigone’s punishment. Antigone breaks Creon’s first decree he has made as king, so Creon immediately says he must punish her with death; however, he refuses to go back on his word and take away Antigone’s punishment, even