Creon's Tragic Hero In Sophocles Antigone

According to Aristotle a tragic hero is “that of a man who is not eminently good and just, yet whose misfortune is brought about not by vice or depravity, but by some error or frailty. He must be one who is highly renowned and prosperous” (Poetics Section XIII) in other words a tragic hero is a man who is composed and has his life under control, but really has this tragic flaw that is slowly killing him even though he does not know it exists, until he realizes it and he is too late for that tragic flaw will have destroyed him before he even realizes it. This can be exhibited in the Grecian tragic play “Antigone” by Sophocles; the city of Thebes has just survived a civil war in which two brothers Eteocles, and Polynices, fought each other for …show more content…
Creon first shows hubris, when Antigone argues with Creon that she was morally right in burying her brother, in which Creon says: “if you must — love the dead! While I’m alive, / no woman is going to lord it over me”(592-593). Creon is not just showing his hubris, but also his misogyny and blatant sexism. Even though it was customary at the time for woman to have no role Creon still disrespects them as he goes on to say “never let some woman triumph over us.”(758) The way Creon forms his sentences and his tone is down right arrogant meaning Creon thinks his way of thinking is supreme. Although Creon starts out as this great, aloof, king, he soon turns into a tragic pitiful character as he looses his family. The prophet Teiresias predicts this, however Creon rejects these ideas as his hubris allows him to see past criticism. Nonetheless Teiresias was correct as Creon looses his wife and his son, which bring him to say “Take me away quickly, out of sight. / I don’t even exist — I’m no one. Nothing.”(1445-1446) Perhaps the most pitiful element of this excerpt is the fact that Creon went from having such pride in himself to insecurity and no faith in himself anymore. Creon’s hamartia, or moment or recognition of his tragic flaw was when he realizes he had been wrong about himself his entire life, that he had no reason …show more content…
When Haemon and Creon argue over Antigone and whether she is correct or not in breaking the law Creon responds t Haemon opening argument with “Fine, Haemon. That’s how you ought to feel within your heart,” (713). Creon is letting his son know that no matter where this argument takes them they still have a father son relationship, which is more important than any rule, however though this side of Creon that we see is very different, he only shows this to the people whom he needs to impress like his son whom he cares so much about as he is his legacy, his one way to truly survive. Creon also shows sincerity to the chorus when he tells them that they wont know him until he rules, instead of letting his actions speak louder than words, “Of course you cannot know a man completely, / his character, sense of judgment not till he’s shown his colors,”(194-196). Creon starts out his reign by letting his people know he wants to be known by his people and not judged, as the opinion of his people clearly matters to him. However tis does not necessarily make him exempt from being a tragic hero, just because he shows sincerity and is not arrogant in all his monologues does not mean he is not the tragic hero. Creon is the tragic hero, because he starts out so high but with

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