Tragic Hero Essay, Research Paper

Aristotle described a tragic hero as being a individual who, through a defect, in their ain character, is brought from a high place and learns to? see the visible radiation? before their ain devastation. In the Theban drama. ? King Oedipus? , Oedipus is considered to be a tragic hero after his female parent and male parent attempt to rip off destiny, so subsequently when Oedipus discovered his ain destiny, he tried to rip off his destiny besides merely in truth stoping up where fate had planned. Another Theban drama, ? Antigone? , besides written by Sophocles includes Oedipus? girl, Antigone, as the tragic hero when she dies for what she believes in.

When Laius and Jocasta discovered the destiny of their unborn kid, Oedipus, was to kill his male parent and get married his female parent, Laius and Jocasta tried to rip off destiny. By puting Oedipus on a hill and infixing a spike into his pes and through the land Jocasta and Laius had hoped to kill their kid, and rip off their destiny. However, a shepherd adult male discovered this ignored kid he brought him to the place of a male monarch who was seeking to gestate kids without any success. This male monarch took Oedipus into his household ne’er stating him about his tragic yesteryear. After Oedipus grew up cognizing merely of one household he excessively tried to rip off his destiny. Oedipus had learned by agencies of a prophesier that his destiny was to kill his male parent and get married his female parent, so he left the town in which he had lived his whole life, and traveled to Thebes. On the manner to Thebes, Oedipus had killed a adult male and saved the town by work outing the conundrum of the Sphinx. ( The Sphinx was an atrocious sea monster who would eat everyone traversing his manner who would non correctly answer his conundrum. ) Upon geting in Thebes the town praised him and the Queen, Jocasta, married hello. Unaware of what had happened and his destiny coming true without his ain realisation was Oedipus? ruin. Prior to recognizing what he had done, Oedipus promised Jocasta that he would kill the adult male who had killed her hubby. When Oedipus recognized that he had been the 1 who had killed Laius, he took a knife to his eyes go forthing himself blind, as to typify himself non seeing his ain day of reckoning coming true. Oedipus himself exclaimed, ? Cone, feel you brother? s custodies. It was their work that darkened these clear eyes? your male parent? s eyes as one time you knew Ts

hem, though he ne’er saw nor knew what he did when he became your male parent. They can non see you ; but they weep with you. ?

Antigone, one of Oedipus and Jocasta? s girls, is perceived as a tragic hero in the eyes of many for traveling against her uncle, Creon, the male monarch of Thebes, when she buried her brother and lover, Polynices. Though no longer a princess, Creon still recognized Antigone as one which keeps her high in her societal category. Due to this high societal acknowledgment, Antigone had more to lose than most. This high place could set her to dishonor, and because she had ne’er lived her life without the things she needed, it may be hard for her to make so. However, Antigone has such a large bosom that even though her darling Polynices went against the household, she still believed that he should be buried in order for his psyche to populate on as the Greeks had believed.

The deceases of both Oedipus and Antigone genuinely do them tragic heroes. If destiny had been good for both of them they would non hold been tragic heroes, alternatively merely heroes. Oedipus, though life for old ages after being sentenced to decease, lived blindly. He didn? T want to confront what he had done to himself, and to the people whom he lived the most. When he eventually died he had to go forth his kids to non hold a male parent any longer. Antigone had admitted to the burial of her brother/lover due to her strong caput, obstinacy, finding, and the award in which she had felt. Antigone? s brother, Haemon, even said, ? And I have heard them, mumbling and whispering? They say no adult female has of all time, so unreasonably, died so black a decease for a generous act. ? However, she didn? T want to give her uncle, Creon, the satisfaction of cognizing that he had killed her. So, to hurt Creon Antigone went to a cave and killed herself.

In decision, Oedipus and Antigone are tragic heroes in the eyes of Aristotle. Both were high in societal category, nevertheless, had a ruin due to their sodiums? ve behaviour. The error ( s ) made by Oedipus and Antigone ensuing in their ultimate death. If Oedipus had non tried to rip off destiny he would hold lived a long, happy life. Just the same, if Antigone had non decided to travel against the Torahs of her uncle she would non hold been forced to kill herself. Both were tragic heroes due to their sodiums? ve behavior.