Caused by her “hard” nature “like [a] stone or iron,” Medea prevents herself from exemplifying a tragic hero because of her malicious acts (Medea 1517-1518). It is impossible to feel sympathy for Medea’s tragic downfall because she thoughtlessly killed her own children. The death of Jason’s children by his own ex-wife has “destroyed [him],” so some consideration of sympathy towards him develops (Medea 1562). However, Creon’s tragic downfall pulls at the reader’s emotions more than Jason’s downfall. These emotions come from Creon’s walls finally breaking down as he changes his heart and gives in that he has acted wrongly in convicting Antigone for the crime she committed. In learning that Creon’s tragic flaw generates from fear, one begins to reconsider previous dislike for him. The final scene of the drama leaves Creon with no family—his wife Eurydice has killed herself and so has his son, Haemon. Creon shows humbleness in the tragedy of losing his family because he recognizes that his continuous belief in his own self-importance has ended unhappily for him. In addition, the end of the drama foreshadows a self-committed death of Creon, providing ultimate sympathy for the reader.
With the tragic flaw of pride and Creon’s tragic downfall, Sophocles creates the best example of a tragic hero by generating sympathy for Creon because he is only human. All human beings make mistakes and rash decisions, and in knowing this, one understands the desperate calling to give compassion and understanding towards Creon. However, with Jason and Medea, their mistakes harm not only themselves, but also the feelings of others. Creon best embodies Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero through his reign of power, his tragic flaw, and his tragic