Sophocles gave his audience Oedipus Rex and Antigone, among many others, through drama in order to capture the ideas of sorrow and mourning. Today, many ideas are disputed on the topic of Sophocles' characters. One notion that can not be denied is Antigone's embodiment of a tragic hero. Dealing with the specific conflict presented to us in this play, Antigone faces a conflict that splits her family into many parts. Her Uncle Creon, a strict Dictator, her sister Ismene, a fearful sister, and herself, a dedicated family member. Her eventual demise, though, is what defines her. Sophocles' script gives us insight into every detail as to why Antigone is considered a classical Greek tragic hero.
The defining quality of a tragic hero is the poor judgment that is constantly displayed through action and dialogue. Antigone, a grieving sister, has one goal in mind, to give her brother a proper burial even if she must offer her life in the process. From the beginning, this tragic hero keeps a closed mind to the consequences that follow her deed. Despite her valid reasoning about how Creon had put to shame one of the brothers yet kept the other on a pedestal (line 26), the goal Antigone desires will result in more pain within the family. Her selfish ambitions leave Ismene to decide whether it is better to die or spend her life alone and in pain.
As the story progresses, we learn that Antigone disregards her sister's concern and proceeds with the questionable deed. A sentry reports to Creon that the body of Polyneices is missing. (lines 268-271) It is already told to us that the punishment for removing his body is “death by stoning publicly” (lines 40-41). While the reader is aware that Antigone has buried the body of her brother, Creon is not. It seems as though Creon offers Antigone the opportunity to free herself of punishment when asking her “do you confess or deny what you have done?” (line 486) Antigone does not take the opportunity to lie about what she had done instead confesses whole-heartedly that the deed was hers (line 487). Not only does she ignore this hint but also admits to knowing the punishment for her crime “for it was public” (line492). In these lines, we see the determining characteristic of a tragic hero.
Antigone takes pride in her actions, so much that she is willing to give her life for it. A flaw of this size as shown by the hero is certainly one that causes mixed feelings. Is it certain to consider her actions a flaw? Surely she was correct in her undertaking. Was this act warranted despite the consequences clearly stated by Creon as well as the effect on her sister's life? Surely this is not the case. Is it still accurate to call Antigone a hero or more aptly named a tragedy? The chorus provides an excellent analysis of this girl, “The savage spirit of a savage father shows itself in this girl. She does not know how to yield to trouble” (lines 515-517). While being a biased source, even a neutral observer can agree. At this point, a conclusion can be drawn telling that Antigone only seeks to find her own destruction and disprove her uncle's dedication to their family.
During her questioning, Ismene appears and is asked to tell of her involvement. When she declares that she participated in the plot Antigone quickly refuses to allow her to claim she was involved (lines 589-592). What is shown here is a clear indicator that her flaw shines a light on her opinion on others. An opinion similar to hers, keen on denying others a share of the blame, can only be attributed to her stubbornness and pride. It is fair to say now that she is not a hero but moreover a prime example of the fall of a good willed person. A hero works to help others who are suffering and in need. If she refuses to let her sister die for the crime, she is allowing her to suffer for the rest of her life in agony.
When we see Antigone at the beginning of the play, we look upon her as a rebel fighting for a cause, following in her brother's footsteps. It is not uncommon for a hero to fight for what is right and defend those who are suffering or being treated unfairly. In the case of Antigone, we do not see these traits. Instead, we recognize several immoral and corrupt actions surrounding her single moral. Needless to say, Antigone appears to the readers much less a hero towards the end of the play. Causing death to more than herself and sorrow to others, it is not ideal to give such a noble name to someone who wreaks much havoc on the path the achieve a goal. It is most logical to call Antigone and her story, a tragedy.
Sophocles. Antigone. David Grene. The Norton Introduction to Literature. Peter Simon. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. Pages 1492 – 1523.
