Essay on Antigone - The Tragic Flaw - 2238 Words

Antigone - The Tragic Flaw Antigone, Sophocles’ classical Greek tragedy, presents tragic flaw as the cause of the destruction of Creon, the king of Thebes. This essay examines that flaw and the critical perspective on it. Robert D. Murray, Jr. in â€Å"Thought and Structure in Sophoclean Tragedy† gives the perspective of the Greek audience, and thereby the reason why there has to be a tragic flaw in Sophoclean tragedy: â€Å"A Greek of the fifth century would, of course, have felt. . . . that moral instruction was a vital and valuable function of tragic drama, in particular, and that the voice of the poet was the voice of morality and wisdom as well as of beauty† (23). In Antigone the new king, Creon,†¦show more content†¦Ismene interacts with Antigone as a foil, demurring in the face of Creon’s threat of stoning to death as punishment for violators of his decree regarding Polynices. Antigone is a religious person who is not afraid of death, and who respects the laws of the gods more than those of men: Nay, be what thou wilt; but I will bury him: well for me to die in doing that. I shall rest, a loved one with him whom I have loved, sinless in my crime; for I owe a longer allegiance to the dead than to the living: in that world I shall abide for ever. But if thou wilt, be guilty of dishonouring laws which the gods have established in honour. Ismene is unmoved by the reasoning and sentiments of her sister: â€Å"I do them no dishonour; but to defy the State,-I have no strength for that.† Her conflict with her sister over the unlawful interment is not a serious conflict for either of the sisters. Ismene, in parting, accuses Antigone of foolishness in her bold plans: â€Å"Go, then, if thou must; and of this be sure,-that though thine errand is foolish, to thy dear ones thou art truly dear.† Ismene, one might say, is â€Å"humble and pious† to the king first and to the gods secondly. Creon is introduced into the drama, the antithesis of humility and piety; he replaces Eteocles as ruler in Thebes: â€Å"I now possess the throne and all its powers, by nearness of kinship toShow MoreRelatedTragic Flaws in Antigone Essay628 Words   |  3 Pagesplays is Antigone. Antigone is a tragic Sophoclean play, which portray two great examples for a tragic hero. I believe Creon and Antigone, the main characters of t he play to be tragic heroes. A tragic hero is a character who is known for being dignified and has a flaw that assists to his or her downfall. Both Creon and Antigone are dignified and flawed in their own ways, having a similar tragic flaw. Antigone is very proud, liker her father Oedipus, who also happens to be a tragic hero; I guessRead MoreThe Tragic Flaw Of Sophocles Antigone990 Words   |  4 Pageshamartia or tragic flaw is a predominant motif that can be seen throughout many works from the Ancient Greek time period. Hamartia means to â€Å"miss the mark† (Merriam-Webster) and is often what leads to the demise of the tragic hero. In the play Antigone by Sophocles, this proves to be true (comma or this idea proves to be true) as the tragic flaw of hubris leads to the downfall of two central characters. Hubris is known as a sense of great pride and through Antigone, Creon and Antigone are shown toRead MoreThe Tragic Flaw Of Sophocles Antigone874 Words   |  4 PagesThe Tragic Flaw in Antigone Classical Greek tragedy Antigone by Sophocles, shows the tragic flaw by defining Creon destruction who put a young girl sentence to death. Creon was a king of Thebes, he was a tyrant who liked to enforce his laws on people. 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Essay1293 Words   |  6 Pagestragedy Antigone, the characters Antigone and Creon can both be thought of as the tragic hero of the play. Though Antigone does show some of these characteristics of a tragic hero, Creon demonstrates the attributes more clearly and concisely. Creon is the King of Thebes, as well as the uncle of Antigone. Creon took the throne after a tragic quarrel between his two nephews, Eteocles and Polyneices. Despite his harsh governing and his crude ideals, he is not good or ba d. Creon is the tragic hero ofRead More Creon as Tragic Hero of Sophocles Antigone Essay593 Words   |  3 PagesCreon as Tragic Hero of Sophocles Antigone There has always been a bit of confusion as to the tragic hero of the Greek Drama Antigone. Many assume that simply because the play is named for Antigone, that she is the tragic hero. However, evidence supports that Creon, and not Antigone, is the tragic hero of the play. Examining the factors that create a Greek Tragedy, and a tragic character, it is clear that the tragic hero is in fact Creon. First, take into account the timeframe in whichRead MoreEssay on Sophocles Antigone923 Words   |  4 PagesThebian play of Antigone has excited many debates over the years. The most prevalent being who exactly could be characterized as the tragic hero in the story. The argument that Antigone is the hero is deffinatly a strong one. There are many critics who believe that Creon, however, is the true protagonist of the play. In order to determine whether or not Creon is the tragic hero one must first examine what a tragic hero is. Aristotle states that a hero is neither purely innocent nor purely malevolentRead MoreTragic Heroism of Creon Essay1032 Words   |  5 Pagesperson that has a flaw. By this flaw, the audience should feel pity and fear. Creon, a character in the Greek tragedy â€Å"Antigone†, resembles a perfect example of a tragic hero. This play was written by Sophocles, a historic playwright during the 5th century. It begins with the illegal burial of Polyneices, Antigone’s beloved brother. Creon, the King of Thebes, is coerced to condemn his niece Antigone to death. Being loyal to his city, Creon follows through with his punishment of Antigone. By doing soRead MoreAntigone by Sophocles1059 Words   |  5 Pages In the book Antigone, Creon and Antigone can be considered as the tragic heroes of the play. Antigone is considered the tragic hero because of the characteristics she shows such as her ambition to defeat Creon, Creon shows more of the characteristics clearly. Creon is the king of Thebes. He is also Antigones uncle. Creon became king after a fight between Eteocles and Polyneices. One may see Creon as a harsh and controlling ruler, but he is not good nor bad because he shows signs of both like when