The Tragic Hero In Antigone Essay, Research Paper

The Tragic Hero in the Play Antigone

Antigone, which was written by Sophocles, is perchance the first written drama that still exists today ( www.imagi & # 8230 ; 1 ) . There is much contention between who the & # 8216 ; tragic hero & # 8217 ; is in the drama. Some people say Antigone, some say Creon, others even say Heamon. I believe Creon displays all of the features of a & # 8216 ; tragic hero & # 8217 ; . He receives compassion through the audience, yet recognizes his failings, and his ruins from his ain self-esteem, obstinacy, and commanding demands. He is the true supporter.

Though the audience notices how nefarious Creon is, they still express sympathy towards him. They realize that he has brought all of his jobs on himself and should hold been more open-minded, but think no 1 should hold to travel through what he has. They understand how the warrior male monarch Creon felt when he notices his boy is love struck. The audience besides expresses commiseration towards him because Antigone is a liquidator and understands why he is disquieted. Creon & # 8217 ; s baronial quality is his caring for Antigone and Ismene when their male parent was persecuted.

Creon is a really important individual and demands control of others. When speaking to the Chorus, Creon does non inquire them to hold with the edict but demands that they follow it. Creon expects trueness from others. It is evident that Creon is really ascendant and wants to be in control. & # 8220 ; The adult male the metropolis sets up in authorization must be obeyed in

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little things and in merely but besides in their antonyms & # 8221 ; ( 717-719 ) . Through this quote the reader realizes that Creon wants obeisance in everything he decides even if he is at mistake.

& # 8220 ; There is nil worse than noncompliance to authorization & # 8221 ; ( 723-724 ) . Further back uping Creon & # 8217 ; s belief that everyone shall stay faithful to him even if he regulations below the belt. This is proved true when Creon says, & # 8220 ; Should the metropolis state me how I am to govern them? & # 8221 ; ( 790 ) . Creon has forgotten that the swayer is supposed to make what is best for the metropolis and its citizens.

Creon is under the feeling that he is ever right in his judgements and his beliefs. Before the lookout even explains the event that has occurred, the lookout states that he is merely a courier and has non committed the offense. Yet Creon still accuses the lookout of having money to make the offense and threatens to penalize him. & # 8220 ; That will learn you in the yearss to come from what you may pull net income [ & # 8230 ; ] , dirty additions ruin more than they save & # 8221 ; ( 342-346 ) . Consequently, the Chorus suggests that the Gods may hold committed the act. Creon stops this & # 8220 ; nonsense & # 8221 ; conversation instantly and comments that Zeus and the Gods would non honour felons. Creon seems to believe he knows everything and pig-headedly refuses to listen to others. He does non even believe Haemon his boy. Haemon informs his male parent of the repute he has created for himself. Creon thinks, & # 8220 ; It seems this male child ( Haemon ) is on the adult female & # 8217 ; s side ( Antigone ) & # 8221 ; ( 798 ) . Creon refuses to believe what Haemon says and gets into an statement with him for siding with Antigone.

Creon presumes that he is the 1 and merely perfect swayer for Thebes. He believes that he can make a better metropolis with his presence: & # 8220 ; I would non be soundless if I saw ruin [ & # 8230 ; ] .

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I would non number any enemy of my state as a friend [ & # 8230 ; ] , & # 8221 ; ( 202-206 ) . Creon farther continues by saying & # 8220 ; I will do her greater still & # 8221 ; ( 210 ) . In this quotation mark Creon declares that he will better the metropolis ( she ) by his opinions. Creon describes how his qualities make him a good swayer. Furthermore, Creon views himself as a good leader because he believes he has the best properties and no 1 can compare to him. He feels he has no clip for ordinary people because he is of higher criterions. When Creon says & # 8220 ; I will non soothe you with hope that the sentence will non be accomplished & # 8221 ; ( 982-983 ) , this shows his absolute deficiency of compassion when he is speaking with Antigone.

King Creon noticed that he had a failing in which he tries to rectify but is excessively late. His failing is unprompted with his decision-making. He ne’er truly sits down and thinks about things ; alternatively he merely says what comes to mind. Creon SA

Y “you will ne’er get married her while she lives” ( 807 ) , right after his first treatment about Antigone. Creon summarizes his programs for Antigone, which comes to his head after speaking with Haemon ( 833-841 ) . These two determinations decided the lives of two immature people, but the unprompted Creon ne’er thought about that. Creon’s stubbornness brings about his ain ruin when he chooses non to believe Teiresias, the blind prophesier. Alternatively, Creon falsely accuses Teiresias of doing “profit from silver-gold” ( 1088 ) . Insulted by the false comment of seeking to do money, Teiresias tells Creon of his unsafe future in front of him. Creon tries to rectify his impulsiveness with, “I will travel, merely as I am. Come, retainers, all of you ; take axes in your custodies ; off with you to put you see, there. For my portion, since my purpose is so changed, as I bound her myself, myself will liberate her” ( 1175-1180 ) . These lines show how he changed his unprompted determination, but

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unluckily was excessively late. He is forced to populate, cognizing that three people are dead because of his ignorance.

Self-pride is the tragic defect that Creon faces in this narrative. Creon is obstinate and does non desire to compromise. Due to his overpowering power of pride, he makes devastation autumn upon him. His ruin comes from trying to be merely and right by implementing the jurisprudence. Since he acted the manner he thought was right, he finally suffered a calamity. Creon displays the image of a & # 8216 ; tragic hero & # 8217 ; on history of the mistakes he has made. Harmonizing to Aristotle, quoted in McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of World Drama, Creon fits the image of a & # 8216 ; tragic hero & # 8217 ; & # 8220 ; A adult male who is non eminently good and merely, yet whose bad luck is brought about non by intent, but by some mistake or infirmity. He must be one who is extremely celebrated and comfortable & # 8221 ; ( Hochman v4 1274 ) . Creon & # 8217 ; s tragic defect causes the deceases of both his married woman and boy. This is because he shows so much ignorance in every determination he makes. Even if his determinations are incorrect he will non rectify them, because he is the male monarch, and the male monarch is ne’er incorrect. By Creon & # 8217 ; s self-pride decision making to ne’er allow his boy marry Antigone, ends up killing his boy besides.

In shutting Creon is non wholly good, he does do errors, nevertheless the errors he made are merely and mistake of judgement, and wholly apprehensible. His greatest mistake was that he genuinely believed that Polynices was a treasonist, which accordingly forced him to publish a edict, prohibiting Polynices a proper entombment. Polynices & # 8220 ; sought to savor the blood he shared with us, and take the remainder of us to slavery ; [ & # 8230 ; ] shall no one award with a grave and none shall mourn & # 8221 ; ( 220-224 ) . Creon loses all that he lives for & # 8220 ; I do non cognize where to turn my eyes to look to, for support. Everything in my custodies is

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crossed. A most unwelcome destiny has leaped upon me & # 8221 ; ( 1405-1408 ) . After the decease of his married woman he acknowledges his great errors in being disdainful and realizes how his pride has caused agony. & # 8220 ; Lead me off, a vain cockamamie adult male who killed you, boy, and you, excessively, lady & # 8221 ; ( 1402-1403 ) . He blunders and pays drastically for his infirmity, but in the terminal he realizes what he has done incorrect accepting the guilt and duties for his actions. As the editor in head Stanley Hochman stated in McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of World Drama & # 8220 ; a & # 8216 ; tragic hero & # 8217 ; learns, although excessively late, from their experiences, as when Creon calls in the terminal of the drama:

Yes, I have learned it to my resentment. At this minute

God has sprung on my caput with a huge weight

and struck me down. He shook me in my barbarian ways ;

he has overturned my joy, has trampled it,

underfoot. The strivings work forces suffer

are strivings so & # 8221 ; ( 1337-1342 ) .

To be a good leader you must hold the stone solid principals to fall back on in times of emphasis. Creon lost appreciation of these, and that contributed to his failure as a leader. By tragically losing all, one is forced to experience sympathy toward him, by making what he ever thought was right, and what he thought would further protect his land, he is regarded as a hero. These elements combine his obstinacy, commanding demands, and self-pride made Creon a true antediluvian Greek & # 8216 ; tragic hero & # 8217 ; .