Tragic Hero In Antigone

Heroes come in various shapes and forms. Some as strong and powerful as Superman, some who changed and defied society such as Dr. Martin Luther King, and some that only heroes to a few such as a family relative or celebrity. In Sophocles’ Antigone, the debate of who the actual tragic hero is has been discussed for quite some time. It is very unlikely for there to be more than one tragic character in a Greek tragedy. Creon, the other main character in the play has some of the traits that make up a tragic character but not enough to make him the main one. Antigone on the other hand embodies all of the features that are necessary to be a tragic hero. There are four main qualities which are essential of the tragic character. The tragic hero must be respectable and honorable. This character also has to be convincing and unwavering in their actions throughout the play. Because of the fact that Antione possesses all of these qualities and carries many other protagonist traits, she can most definitely be defined as the tragic hero. Antigone is indeed a good-hearted person and has not committed any crimes regarding her decision to give her brother, Polynieces a proper burial. There is no doubt that Antigone is very upstanding and an individual of importance in the city of Thebes. In the play, Antigone was arranged to marry Creon’s son, Haemon. The …show more content…
By taking matters into her own hands and not allowing Ismene to help take the blame, Antione demonstrates bravery within herself than she ever has had before. Creon does not comply with the second requirement of being a tragic hero. Throughout the play, he never allows himself to understand or see the point of view from other people. This is seen when Haemon tries to reason with him and he disregards the blind prophet Tiresias when he tries to warn Creon of his