Creon as the Hero of Sophocles Antigone Essay examples -- Antigone es

Creon as the Hero of Antigone The dilemma of identifying the true hero, or heroine, of Sophocles Antigone has tortured students for years. It is indeed a difficult decision to make. The basis for this decision is what the ratifier perceives to be Sophocles dramatic issue in this get together. The dramatic issue of the play is twofold Antigone is a fanatic who is driven by her religious febrility to bury the body of her criminal brother, Polyneices, against the edict of Creon. In the second part, Sophocles shows how the reinvigorated King Creons refusal to change his decision in the face of sorrow is admirable, but at the same time his political morals balance up destroying his family. His fall from grace is tragic, whereas Antigones fall is welcome. In this manner, Sophocles sympathizes with Creon, and thus he becomes the hero of the Antigone. Contrary to the belief of Jebb, a critic of Antigone, Antigone cannot be the heroine of Antigone. at that place are several reason s for this she is a one-dimensional character who does not go with any development during the course of the play, her behavior is illogical and does not evoke a sense of pity from the audience nor the chorus, and her personal vendetta outshines her religious goal. These same reasons are also basis for the dismissal of the claims of Hogan, some other critic of Antigone who has Antigone and Creon as dual heroes. Antigones character does not win in the play. Jebb sees her as enthusiastic, at once steadfast and passionate, for the right as she sees it- for the performance of her duty, and having an intense tenderness, purity, and depth of domestic affection (Jebb 1902 p.12) Calder and I disagree with this statement. Calder is a critic of the pla... ...is more likely the tragic hero of Antigone, quite an than Antigone herself. At first glance, Sophocles Antigone seems to have two protagonists, Antigone and Creon. The hero cannot be Antigone because of her one-dimensional chara cter, illogical behavior and lack of pitifulness. And upon closer inspection, it is revealed that Creon is indeed the tragic hero, through the fact that his original edict concerning the burial of Polyneices contained the means of Creons downfall. full treatment Cited Calder, William M. III (1968). Sophokles Political Tragedy, Antigone. GRBS 9, 389-407. Hogan, James C. (1972). The Protagonists of the Antigone. Arethusa 5, 93-100. Sophocles (1902). Antigone (Richard Jebb, Trans.). Cambridge Cambridge University Press. Sophocles (1991). Antigone (David Green, Trans.). Chicago The Universiry of Chicago Press.