Question: Discuss whether or not a hero who is tragic by trait and definition can exist within the structure of the monomyth. Quote Bank “untroubled influence” (Fitzgerald, 31) “can not lift her head from the death surge” (Fitzgerald, 4) “what defilement?” (Fitzgerald, 7) “how shall [they] rid [themselves] of it?” (Fitzgerald, 7) “no help in the truth” (Fitzgerald, 17) “the net God has been weaving for him” (Fitzgerald, 39) Response By definition, a tragic hero is a character who is unavoidably
Daniel Nierenberg Comparative Essay 11-20-01 "Oedipus Rex" & "Antigone" It is only natural that an author use similar vessels of literature, such as figurative language, literary devices, and elements in his/her work. It is even more apparent between works that are connected by character, time, and theme. Sophocles did this when he wrote "Oedipus Rex" and "Antigone". When comparing the two pieces, it becomes evident that very similar vessels connected these very different plays. Sophocles uses a
Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) defines a tragic hero as one who possesses the characteristics of hamartia, peripeteia, anagnorisis, and that the characters fate must be greater than deserved (Else). Since the main character in Sophocles’ classic tragedy Oedipus Rex or Oedipus the King matches up to Aristotle’s definition, Oedipus certainly exemplifies what it is to be a “tragic hero.” The play’s protagonist Oedipus is revered as a good man and intelligent ruler who acts quickly to support Thebes- a city
Oedipus; The Tragic Hero In the Fourth Century BC, a famous philosopher named Aristotle wrote about the qualities that a tragic hero must possess. Ever since that time, there have been many examples of tragic heroes in literature. None of those characters, however, display the tragic hero traits quite as well as Oedipus, the main character from the play Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. Oedipus is, without a doubt, the absolute quintessence of a tragic hero. His example shines as clear as a sunny summer
Tragic heroes are individuals that face adversity. A Tragic hero is usually the important or the main character of the story. Eventually, these characters make mistakes they learn from. A mistake in where a turning point takes place in their life. A turning point for a tragic hero can be a tragic death of a loved one. They are destined for a down fall or defeat. The play Antigone makes use of two important characters as tragic heroes, Creon and Antigone. They are both main characters of this play
these are all actions the main character, Oedipus, commits in Oedipus the King and Oedipus at Colonus, which adds to his tragic heroicness. He starts off with the potential to be great, but was doomed to eventually fall and by the end, he meets his moral victory. Although some may disagree with the fact that Oedipus is a tragic hero, there are a plethora of examples to prove that he is the tragic hero of both plays. In fact, almost every major action Oedipus takes throughout the two plays are actions
In Antigone the role of tragic hero is not expressly declared. Some people believe that Antigone has the role of tragic hero, probably due to her having the role of the protagonist and dying towards the end of the play. However, others believe that Creon due, to the loss of his son and wife, arrogance after becoming king, and getting cursed by his wife when she dies, best fills the role of tragic hero. Creon has all of the parts of the tragic hero happen to him, and what happens to him extricates
Everyone agrees that Oedipus is the quintessential Greek tragic hero. In fact, Aristotle had Oedipus specifically in mind when he first set down the requirements for tragedy in his Poetics. However, in other Greek tragedies, the tragic hero isn’t always so easy to identify. For example, in the play Antigone, the reader may have some difficulty deciding who the tragic hero is. Nevertheless, a careful examination of the facts reveals that Antigone is the true tragic heroine because she’s brave, flawed
The Tragedy of Antigone In the story of Antigone, Oedipus has already died, his two sons. Polyneices and Eteocles, left to contend for the throne of Thebes. In their contention for the throne, the two brothers slay one another, leaving Creon once again to be the acting regent of Thebes. With this power, Creon declares that Polyneices must be left to rot on the battlefield, the highest disgrace to any Greek. Antigone, daughter of Oedipus, is left torn between state of family, and in the end,
Creon as the Tragic Hero in Antigone This essay will compare two of the characters in “Antigone”, Antigone and Creon, in an effort to determine the identity of the tragic hero in this tale. To identify the tragic hero in Sophocles’ renowned play “Antigone”, we should first consider both the elements present in Greek tragedies and what characteristics define a tragic hero. Aristotle’s definition of tragedy is: “Tragedy is a story taking the hero from happiness to misery