The Tragic Hero of Sophocles Antigone :: Antigone essays

The Tragic Hero of Antigone In Sophocles' Antigone, the question of who the tragic hero actually is has been the subject of a debate for years.   It is unlikely for there to be two tragic characters in a Greek tragedy, and there can be only one in the play Antigone.   The king Creon possesses some of the qualities that constitute a tragic character, but does not have all of the necessary traits. Antigone, however, contains all of the aspects that are required for her to be the   main character.   According to Aristotle's Poetics, there are four major traits, which are required of the tragic character.   The character must be a good and upstanding person.   The character must focus on becoming a better person, must be believable, and must be consistent in his or her behavior. Due to the fact that Antigone represents these four character guidelines, as well as several other protagonist traits, she can definitely be defined as the tragic hero. In order for Antigone to be the tragic character, she first must be a good   and upstanding person.   Antigone is indeed a good-hearted person and has committed no crime up to her decision to give her brother, Polynieces, a   proper burial.   There is no doubt that Antigone is upstanding and a person   of importance in Thebes.   She was scheduled to marry Haemon, the son of   Creon, and was considered a princess.   Aristotle stated that the aspect of a good person was first and most important when creating a tragic character.   The fact that Antigone is a woman makes no difference, because Aristotle   expressly said, "Even a woman may be good.though the woman may be said to be an inferior being."   Aristotle's second rule for determining a tragic character is that the   person must aim at propriety.   The character must work towards becoming a   better person.   Antigone illustrates this second guideline by her effort to   clear her conscious and bring honor to her family by giving Polynieces a   decent burial.   By taking this responsibility, and by denying Ismene's   involvement in her crime, Antigone shows that she has acquired a greater   courage within herself than she had possessed before.   In no way does Creon comply with Aristotle's second guideline.   Throughout the play, he does not   allow himself to see the point of view from other people, such as when   Haemon tries to reason with him, and he neglects the blind prophet,   Tiresias, when he warns Creon of his actions.   The last two expectations of a tragic character are intertwined. According   to Aristotle, the character must be true to life and be consistent in