Sophocles According to Aristotle, the Tragic Hero's Term Paper

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Sophocles

According to Aristotle, the tragic hero's suffering results from an error (hamartia) he or she makes. Does Antigone make a mistake, and if so, of what kind?

Sophocles wrote the play Antigone in 441 BC in which the emotions of loyalty, love and honor are found in conflict of each other as Antigone ignores Creon's law and follows that of the Gods, by burying her brother, Polynices who otherwise has died a traitor.

In this regard, Antigone shows nothing but pure, unadulterated love for her brother, coupled with the need to fulfill what has been written above that of Creon and the laws of man.

Antigone therefore does not make a mistake in wanting to bury her brother and disobey Creon, as she states in "As for the poor corpse of Polynices, however, they say that an edict has been published to the townsmen that no one shall bury him or mourn him, but instead leave him unwept, unentombed, for the birds a pleasing store" (Antigone, line 26-30). If Antigone has made a mistake, it was to step into martyrdom and wanting to redeem her family's honor in this fashion.

Having said this, I feel Antigone's character is one that considers family over law and the city, while Creon is the opposite. These two characters are strong-willed and have high individual beliefs and morals, it just so happens they do not mingle well.

Creon may understand Antigone's views on family, but as a new king, he had to establish his respect quickly amongst society.

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He must put the people first over the wishes of family, even though he appreciates their role within the community. His loyalties lie on the survival of his city after the rages of war.

Antigone's mistake is coupled with defiance as she shows no interest in taking the views of society into consideration. She has made her decision to bury her brother, and this so happens, goes against Creon's decree. Antigone is following what she believes is the honorable and right thing to do.

By doing this, Antigone has shifted the power from Creon to herself by proving that the law of the Gods is above that of the King's decree. Nevertheless she is subject to doom because she has broken the decree, and therefore the law of the new king. This is the most important aspect of Antigone's mistake. Antigone also rebels against her traditional role as a woman within Ancient Greece.

While Creon is able to 'bend' his views, Antigone has literally substituted her views as those of the Gods, especially when she says to Creon, "Similarly to you as well my views must be displeasing. And yet, how could I have won a nobler glory than by giving burial to my own brother?" (lines 500-506).

Antigone makes the mistake of letting her ego dictate and overshadow what originally was….....

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