Antigone: The Greek Tragic Hero

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A tragic hero in Greek tragedy is the character who has, because of a fatal flaw, brought a horrible fate on themselves. In order to be considered a tragic hero, the character has to be both good and bad, and have an epiphany (a realization) about their fatal flaw. The tragic hero is not required to die though. The tragic hero of Antigone, by Sophocles, is Creon, Antigone’s uncle, because he has fate turned against him, as his son and wife both commit suicide, and he has an epiphany about his fatal flaw. The false tragic hero is Antigone. She could be mistaken as the tragic hero because she has a horrible fate and appears to have a fatal flaw, stubbornness. Her determination to bury her brother is showcased by her line on page 103, “Never,

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