The Tragic Hero of Antigone

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Around 442 BC in the city of Athens, Greece, Sophocles wrote the greatly admired tragedy, Antigone. Antigone includes many themes such as Freedom, Protection of Personal Dignity, Obedience to Civil Law, Protection of Community/Nation, Loyalty/Obligation to Family, and Observance of Religious Law. Many of the Greek tragedies that have been written include a tragic hero that has his/her tragic flaw. In Antigone there are two main characters; Creon, the tyrant king of Thebes, and Antigone, the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta. One of these main characters must be chosen to be the tragic hero in the story. Creon and Antigone are almost polar opposites when it comes to views of society, but their attitudes are almost identical. Religion and Politics both have separate rules and ideals; some of them contradict each other, and some of them are in accord with each other. King Creon believes that obedience to civil law and the protection of community or nation is above all else. This shows that he is loyal and very strict when it comes to the punishment of those who disobey him. He is a ver...

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