Antigone And Creon: A True Tragic Hero

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A True Tragic Hero A tragic hero is a literary character who makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to his or her own destruction. A tragic hero consists of 5 distinguishing traits including, noble stature, tragic flaw, free choice, excessive punishment, and increased awareness. Further explanation of these traits will be available but the choice of who and where this tragic hero is is argued. A great example of a tragic hero is plastered in the tragic play, Antigone, by Sophocles. A debate remains about the main protagonists in the story, Antigone, and Creon, of who the true tragic hero is. Without a doubt, Creon qualifies for the 5 traits of a tragic hero, furthermore making him the true tragic hero in the play, Antigone. `Starting …show more content…

“Part of what makes the action "tragic" is to witness the injustice of what has occurred to the tragic hero” (Pepperdine). As well as the previous trait it is self-explanatory, excessive punishment is an exaggeration of punishment given to the tragic hero for making a poor choice as seen previously. “They're dead and those alive bear the responsibility for those who've died” (Sophocles 27). Said by the messenger, he discussed with the chorus leader giving him the unfortunate news about the death of Antigone leading to the death of Haemon, both being suicides. Also mentioning that Creon is responsible for their lives lost. “She killed herself, with her own hands she stabbed her belly, once she heard her son’s unhappy fate” (Sophocles 30). Already losing his son, Creon’s wife was now lost as well. Although Creon did cause the death of Antigone he did not deserve to lose his whole family, but the wrath of the gods was pursued with extreme punishment. This excessive punishment took an emotional toll on Creon realizing what he has …show more content…

The final trait is increased awareness that Creon encounters in the play after realizing what has occurred. “An understanding of what went wrong or of what was really going on before he comes to his end” (Pepperdine). Which is exactly what Creon encounters in the next scene. “Alas for me… the guilt for all of this is mine it can never be removed from me or passed to any other mortal man. I alone.. I murdered you… I speak the truth. Servants hurry and lead me off, get me away from here, for now what I am in life is nothing” (Sophocles 30). Creon is speaking to the messenger and the chorus leader about the tragic things that happened to direct his speech to his now dead family. He feels extremely guilty and disgusted by himself telling the servants to take him away because he is not worthy of having a life either because he is nothing. “I killed you, my son, without intending to, and you, as well, my wife. How useless I am now” (Sophocles 31). This is the last thing Creon says putting an end to the story again stating how worthless he is. Showing signs of grief from the death of his loved ones, he states he killed them taking full blame and feeling quite guilty. As unfortunate as this story is, this is what makes Creon, the very misled king to be the Tragic hero of the

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