What makes a hero? In our society, a hero is thought of as a tall man who wears a cape and has super powers, but to the Greeks, it was very different. In every Greek tragedy, there is the tragic hero, defined by Aristotle as a character who is an extraordinary person, with both good and bad qualities. Although the character reaches a level of insight, a tragic flaw, such as hamartia, leads to their failure in the end. A perfect example of this can be found in Sophocles’ trilogy, The Theban Plays
The True Tragic Hero of Creon in Sophocles' Antigone There has always been a great debate over who is the true tragic hero in Sophocles' Antigone. Many scholars would stake claim to Antigone possessing all the necessary characteristics of a true tragic hero, but many others would argue that Creon holds many qualities as well. It is hard to discount Antigone as a tragic hero, because in fact, the play bears her name, but from careful reading, Creon meets Aristotle's criteria exactly and fits
Antigone as a tragic hero The debate over who is the tragic hero in Antigone is unanswered. The belief that Antigone is the hero is a tough one. Antigone is widely thought of as the tragic hero of the play bearing her name. She would seem to fit the part in light of the fact that she dies for doing what she believes is right. She buries her brother without worrying what might happen to her. Unlike Antigone, Ismene says “And break the law, our death will be more shameful even then theirs” (pg.5
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, and noble. Antigone is a tragic hero because
Creon as the Tragic Hero of Sophocles' Antigone Who is the true tragic hero in Sophocles' Antigone? This question has been the subject of a great debate for numerous years. Equal arguments exist that portray Antigone as the tragic heroine in the play and Creon as the tragic hero. Aristotle, in his study of Greek drama entitled Poetics, provided the framework that determines the tragic hero of a work. Though Antigone definitely possesses the characteristics and qualities that
once spoke that "A man doesn't become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall." A tragic hero can be defined in many different traits and definitions but what makes a perfect tragic hero? It also can have many different meanings and actions towards it. A perfect tragic hero must have a flaw of judgement leading to a tragic flaw also know as a Hamartia. Also a person who is a royal birth and holds a high place in society. Lastly a tragic hero must discover or recognize that the reversal
Creon from Antigone A tragedy, as defined by Ms. Tozar, is “the story of a falling from a high place to a lower place by a character.” In other words, a tragedy is a story of an individual who starts in a high position and descends throughout the story to end in a position that is lower than original position. The individual who makes the descent is known as the tragic hero. The tragic hero, as defined by Ms. Tozar, is “the character who falls from grace as a result of fate and/or a weakness
idea of two tragic heroes converging within one story may come across and seem as a common occurrence in tragedies, but among these great stories and heroes within them, there can only be one true tragic hero. According to the Greek philosopher, Aristotle, and his theory on the Nature of Tragedy, he believes the attributes and actions of a true tragic hero contains six main ideas. The play Antigone, by Sophocles, may be nebulous towards the readers, thinking of the possibility of two tragic heroes, Creon
What is a tragic hero? A tragic hero is a literary character who makes a judgement error that inevitably leads to his or her own destruction. In the Greek tragedy Antigone by Sophocles, a king named Creon places a law that makes it illegal to bury Polyneices who is Antigone’s brother. But not being buried in Greek culture is a big deal because it means you don't make it to the afterlife, so then Antigone buries her brother so he can be at peace. The tragedy is about how Antigone and Creon each
Thebian play of Antigone has excited many debates over the years. The most prevalent being who exactly could be characterized as the tragic hero in the story. The argument that Antigone is the hero is deffinatly a strong one. There are many critics who believe that Creon, however, is the true protagonist of the play. In order to determine whether or not Creon is the tragic hero one must first examine what a tragic hero is. Aristotle states that a hero is neither purely innocent nor purely malevolent