Tragic Heroes In Sophocles Essay, Research Paper

Heroic characters have been portrayed in many ways in literature. The hero character has been shown to be both infallible and imperfect, both strong and weak, and both superhuman and ordinary. Consequently, this cardinal figure has evolved over clip to go a really complex character. In his Theban dramas, Sophocles presents to the reader typical Grecian hero figures: strong and resilient, morally virtuous, but with some defect that finally causes their several deaths. In both Antigone and Oedipus the King, it is the rubric character that serves as this hero ; Sophocles presents both characters as holding this individual underlying cause of their death. Both Antigone and Oedipus are tragic heroes.

Sophocles portrays Antigone as a virtuous immature adult female, one whose piousness and trueness are among her strongest traits. Unfortunately for her, these are besides the traits that cause her death ; when she is forced to take between the Torahs of the metropolis and what she believes is sacredly right, she makes a sufferer of herself. Even when faced by Creon the male monarch, Antigone non merely does non deny that she has defied his edict, she refuses to show sorrow for her actions, or even implore for the clemency of the male monarch. In fact, she spends much of what remains of her short life take a firm standing that Creon is an unfair and impious swayer. It would look, so, that the heroic character here is being represented as Stoic and uncompromising in her beliefs ; she is an intensely moral character, willing to decease for her beliefs.

Oedipus, from Sophocles Oedipus the King, seems a perceptibly more blemished character. He is a really intelligent swayer, doing his determinations chiefly based on logic and messages from his visionary Tiresias. He is besides a really proud and obstinate adult male, which of class finally turns out to be his ruin. He is in about every sense the typical male monarch, believing in his ain sovereignty to the point where the belief covers much else. When, as the prophet instructs, he is looking for the liquidator of Laius, he discovers the possibility that he is involved someway. At this point, his personal ends take over from the good of the metropolis as his chief concern. In the terminal, it is his insisting that Tiresias reveal to him what Tiresias does non wish to that causes Oedipus actions. One gets the sense, nevertheless, that it was personal pride that causes Oedipus to tease Tiresias into uncovering said information. Once once more, so, Sophocles portrays the hero character as one that is worthy of his hero position, and yet possesses within him the really trait that brings him down.

In Sophocles Antigone and Oedipus the King, the heroic character is apparently painted as being strong and of moral value ; both Oedipus and Antigone exhibit the features that make heroes considered to be such. In both, nevertheless, exists some trait that contradicts those hero features, and finally causes the death of each of them. For Antigone, her piousness and trueness were both her strengths and her Achilless heel, so to talk ; for Oedipus, his logic and ground worked for him, but his pride and obstinacy did non. It is because they each contain within themselves the ground for their ain death that

they are tragic heroes.

Heroic characters have been portrayed in many ways in literature. The hero character has been shown to be both infallible and imperfect, both strong and weak, and both superhuman and ordinary. Consequently, this cardinal figure has evolved over clip to go a really complex character. In his Theban dramas, Sophocles presents to the reader typical Grecian hero figures: strong and resilient, morally virtuous, but with some defect that finally causes their several deaths. In both Antigone and Oedipus the King, it is the rubric character that serves as this hero ; Sophocles presents both characters as holding this individual underlying cause of their death. Both Antigone and Oedipus are tragic heroes.

Sophocles portrays Antigone as a virtuous immature adult female, one whose piousness and trueness are among her strongest traits. Unfortunately for her, these are besides the traits that cause her death ; when she is forced to take between the Torahs of the metropolis and what she believes is sacredly right, she makes a sufferer of herself. Even when faced by Creon the male monarch, Antigone non merely does non deny that she has defied his edict, she refuses to show sorrow for her actions, or even implore for the clemency of the male monarch. In fact, she spends much of what remains of her short life take a firm standing that Creon is an unfair and impious swayer. It would look, so, that the heroic character here is being represented as Stoic and uncompromising in her beliefs ; she is an intensely moral character, willing to decease for her beliefs.

Oedipus, from Sophocles Oedipus the King, seems a perceptibly more blemished character. He is a really intelligent swayer, doing his determinations chiefly based on logic and messages from his visionary Tiresias. He is besides a really proud and obstinate adult male, which of class finally turns out to be his ruin. He is in about every sense the typical male monarch, believing in his ain sovereignty to the point where the belief covers much else. When, as the prophet instructs, he is looking for the liquidator of Laius, he discovers the possibility that he is involved someway. At this point, his personal ends take over from the good of the metropolis as his chief concern. In the terminal, it is his insisting that Tiresias reveal to him what Tiresias does non wish to that causes Oedipus actions. One gets the sense, nevertheless, that it was personal pride that causes Oedipus to tease Tiresias into uncovering said information. Once once more, so, Sophocles portrays the hero character as one that is worthy of his hero position, and yet possesses within him the really trait that brings him down.

In Sophocles Antigone and Oedipus the King, the heroic character is apparently painted as being strong and of moral value ; both Oedipus and Antigone exhibit the features that make heroes considered to be such. In both, nevertheless, exists some trait that contradicts those hero features, and finally causes the death of each of them. For Antigone, her piousness and trueness were both her strengths and her Achilless heel, so to talk ; for Oedipus, his logic and ground worked for him, but his pride and obstinacy did non. It is because they each contain within themselves the ground for their ain death that they are tragic heroes.