In the novel “Antigone,” the author, Sophocles, gives the reader many different ideas when it comes to the tragic hero. Typically when we hear the word hero our minds think of one who has superpowers and protects their citizens, such a Superman and Spiderman. But when it comes to the Aristotle, a tragic hero in the Greek world often refers to the character that belongs to a higher class, but yet is one who has their very own human flaws. After reading the play, many readers believe that the tragic character is in fact Antigone because she is the main character, but that is not the case. The real tragic hero that is being portrayed throughout the story is Creon. Creon posses all of the qualities that a tragic hero must have, such as his authority, high status, actions and many flaws that later on leads him into a vicious cycle.
Since the death of Antigone’s parents, Creon has turned into the powerful, wealthy king. Creon holds such an authoritative role throughout the story that it allowed him to fall into the character of a tragic hero. The people were so loyal to Creon and this showed throughout the burial …show more content…
Due to Creon’s many flaws, the downward spiral continues throughout the story. Creon is a very stubborn character when it comes to listening to others around him. For example, he states "My voice is the one voice giving orders in this city" (Scene 5. Line 35). He believes that his voice is the only one that matters and he does not take order from anyone else. The moment he became hubris is when most of the problems started. This Greek term is used for those tragic heroes who do not necessarily follow the laws, ignore the gods and in the end create a catastrophe. Creon states, “Oh it is hard to give in! But it is worse to risk everything for stubborn pride" (Scene 5, Lines 93-94). When the encounter with Teiresias occurs, Creon realizes that he put his pride and power over his