Why Is Antigone A Tragedy?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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The play Antigone is often thought to be a Greek tragedy because

each of the tragic heroes is neither extremely good or bad

, their fortunes change from good to bad, their misfortunes do not result from their own wrong doings, and they arouse pity within the audience.

Why Antigone is a tragic play?

Creon is the tragic hero because he tries to restore order in Thebes and is a good ruler but ends up alone due to his excessive pride. Antigone is the tragic hero

because she sticks to her beliefs in the Gods and family and dies because of her loyalty to them

.

Is the story of Antigone a tragedy?

Antigone (/ænˈtɪɡəni/ ann-TIG-ə-nee; Ancient Greek: Ἀντιγόνη) is a

tragedy by

Sophocles written in or before 441 BC. Of the three Theban plays Antigone is the third in order of the events depicted in the plays, but it is the first that was written.

Why isn’t Antigone a tragic hero?

In Antigone by Sophocles the tragic hero is not Antigone

because she only meets the characteristic of a tragic flaw, hers being pride, but doesn ‘t meet the other three characteristics of a

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Who is the true tragic hero of Antigone?


Creon

is often mentioned as the tragic hero in Antigone, the third of the Theban plays.

What are the elements of tragedy in Antigone?

In his book on dramatic theory titled Poetics, Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) identifies six elements of tragedy:

plot, character, diction, thought, spectacle and song

. The first two, plot and character, are the most significant as they define the action and the moral implications of the play.

Who killed Antigone?

The king is super mad and confronts his son, telling

Haemon

that he’s still got to kill Antigone. Hercules, who’s a god by this point, comes down and tries to reason with Creon. Creon won’t listen, though. So, Haemon ends up killing Antigone and then killing himself.

How does Antigone end?


Antigone has hanged herself and Haemon

, in desperate agony, kills himself as well. On hearing the news of her son’s death, Eurydice, the queen, also kills herself, cursing Creon. Alone, in despair, Creon accepts responsibility for all the tragedy and prays for a quick death.

Why Creon is not a tragic hero?

Creon’s tragic flaw, hubris, causes his downfall.

Creon will not listen to anyone

. He is stubborn and his pride is so great, he can not bring himself to acknowledge that he could ever wrong. When Creon is talking to Teiresias, he thinks that he is being paid off.

What is Creon’s biggest fear?

Creon’s greatest fear is:

War

.

What was Antigone’s tragic flaw?

Antigone believes her flaw to be her strength; although her strength may be seen as a flaw, this is not what brought her to her untimely death. Antigone’s major flaw was

her loyalty

, and her commitment was what brought her to the afterlife.

Who is the villain in Antigone?


Creon

the Villain

Throughout the play, he speaks to lawful reason. He is pragmatic to a fault and, like Antigone, he is also a victim of extreme pride.

Is Okonkwo a tragic hero?

Okonkwo is

a tragic hero

in the classical sense: although he is a superior character, his tragic flaw—the equation of manliness with rashness, anger, and violence—brings about his own destruction.

Who suffers the most in Antigone?

In “Antigone” there are two main characters who suffer:

Creon

and Antigone. The suffering of Creon is more complex than Antigone’s. Creon’s struggle to rule his country according to the absolute power is opposed not only by Antigone, but also by Haimon and Teiresias. He is also the central character of the play.

What are the 5 elements of tragedy?

They are:

Plot, Character, Thought, Diction, Song and Spectacle

. The Plot is the most important part of a tragedy. The plot means ‘the arrangement of the incidents’. Normally the plot is divided into five acts, and each Act is further divided into several scenes.

What are the six elements of tragedy?

In Poetics, he wrote that drama (specifically tragedy) has to include 6 elements:

plot, character, thought, diction, music, and spectacle

.

Leah Jackson
Author
Leah Jackson
Leah is a relationship coach with over 10 years of experience working with couples and individuals to improve their relationships. She holds a degree in psychology and has trained with leading relationship experts such as John Gottman and Esther Perel. Leah is passionate about helping people build strong, healthy relationships and providing practical advice to overcome common relationship challenges.