Antigone

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In the play Antigone, by Sophocles, there are still many debates on who is the real tragic hero. Many would say that they believe that Antigone herself is the tragic hero of the play, after all the play doesn't only include her name, it is her name and she suffers through many traumatic events due to her attempt at honor. But in actuality, Creon is the tragic hero in the play of Antigone. In order to come to this conclusion one must first answer the question of "what is a tragic hero?" The definition of a tragic hero consists of 7 basic parts or steps. In the play Antigone, we find that Creon meets all of these criteria, making him the tragic hero.

The first step of a tragic hero is some act, which sets the tragic process in motion. Creon is the new king of Thebes, and he first asserts his power when he issues a law forbidding the burial of Antigone's brother, Polynices. Many would think that this would be the act which fulfils the first step, but in actuality the death of both brothers itself sets the tragic process in motion. Without the brothers killing each other there would be no reason for Creon to forbid Polynices' burial, so it is their death that is the first step of the pattern of a tragic hero.

However, Creon's forbidding Polynices' burial does have a step in the basic pattern. It is the second step where the tragic hero sets out to restore order. Creon believes that he is doing good by forbidding Polynices' burial. He thinks that Polynices was being selfish by killing his brother, especially when he was not fighting for his country, nor did he die for is country. " Eteocles, who fell fighting in defense of the city…is to be honored with burial and with all the rites due to the noble dead. The other-you know whom I mean- his brother Polynices, who came back from exile intending to burn and destroy his fatherland and the gods of his fatherland…he is to have no grave, no burial…it is forbidden." So Creon thought that by forbidding his proper burial he was giving Polynices a rightful and earned punishment, or in other words he was trying to restore order, which is the criterion of the second step.

College Essays on antigone

The third step is to suffer because you believe in what you're doing when others don't. Antigone, Ismene, Haemon, and even Chorus all speak up to Creon at sometime during the play to express their feelings on his reconsideration of Antigone's sentencing to death. This just adds to Creon's anger, which makes him lose his relationship with his son, and even with the city of Thebes. The people start to lose respect for him because he becomes such a power hungry ruler who cares about nothing but himself. "The people of Thebes! Since when do I take my orders from the people of Thebes?" By following what he believe in, he loses respect as a king, and even as a man.

The contrast of the hero's vision of the future and the actual outcome is the fourth step in basic pattern for a tragic hero. Creon, despite his bad choices, was trying to be a good ruler. His flaw was that his idea of a good ruler is an absolute ruler. Creon tried to take over Thebes and make it a better city, "I am determined that never, if I can help it, shall evil triumph over good." Ironically that is exactly what happened, and it is Creon who made it that way. I believe that it was that way because of his passion toward ruling and his need to be in power. This brings one to the fifth step of a tragic hero. This step is that when calamity occurs, the hero's real feelings are portrayed. This is true for Creon in the way that when Haemon tells his father how he feels about everything that Creon is doing, and how the people are against him, Creon basically outcasts Haemon. Creon tells Haemon that he is not a good son, and that he doesn't care if Haemon dies with Antigone. Thus fulfilling the fifth step.

When Creon loses his son, his wife, and the respect of the people he finally realizes that what he has done is wrong. He does not except his fate meekly, and this is the sixth step. " The sin, the sin of the erring soul drives hard unto death. Behold the slayer, the slain, the father, the son. O the curse of my stubborn will! Son, newly cut off in the newness of youth, dead for my fault, not yours." When Creon discovers his son dead, he cries out against himself for what he has done, and he suffers greatly for it.

The last step of one basic pattern for a tragic hero is the hero's understanding of his wrong doing through his suffering. Creon meets the criteria for this final step because the death of his wife and son bring him to it. When he looses everything he had, including the trust and respect of the people of Thebes he finally realizes his wrongs. But now it is too late, for ironically everything he tried to make good, has fallen apart because of his stubborn ways, and he knows it. Creon states at the end of the play, "Of happiness the crown and chiefest part is wisdom, and to hold the gods in awe. This is the law that, seeing the stricken heart of pride brought down, we learn when we are old."

Because of his realization of wrongs, Creon has successfully fulfilled all of the steps to become a tragic hero. Despite many beliefs that Antigone is the tragic hero in this play, and despite the fact that she suffers greatly throughout the play, she is not the tragic hero. Creon's stubbornness and need to be in power gave him the worst suffering of all. Not only did he lose everything of importance, but also he did it all without gaining any honor. Unfortunately Creon is the real tragic hero.

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