Kreon, Tragic Hero in Antigone Essay - 546 Words

In the play, Antigone, by Sophocles, there is a character, King Kreon, who is portrayed as the tragic hero, or protagonist. A tragic hero is the main character with tragic flaw, or a defect that leads to their downfall and the character is usually of high status. King Kreon would be considered the protagonist because he is opposed by an antagonist and is the main character in the play, he has the tragic flaws of stubbornness and too much self-pride, and these flaws are struck with bad luck. King Kreon is the tragic hero in Antigone because he is the main character and he is opposed by an antagonist, Antigone, who disobeys Kreon’s decree to not bury Polynices’ body. On page 22, Antigone says to Ismene, â€Å"He (Kreon) cannot keep me from my†¦show more content†¦Kreon and Antigone’s conflict definitely sets them as the protagonist and the antagonist. Kreon is also portrayed as the tragic hero because he has tragic flaws. Teiresias, the trusted future-t elling prophet, comes to Kreon to tell him that he is making a mistake. Even then, Kreon accuses him of being bribed and is too stubborn to compromise. Kreon is blinded by his pride and can’t see what is going to happen. On page 52, Haimon says to Kreon, â€Å"While I am with her, she will not die. And you, you will never see me again.† Haimon, Kreon’s own son and Antigone’s bridegroom, tries to save his father from misfortune. Kreon is too blinded and self-pride has become his adversary. Kreon’s tragic flaws eventually led to his inevitable downfall. Kreon’s tragic flaws were also unfortunately paired with bad-timing. â€Å"I’ve changed my mind. I did it and I’ll undo it,† is said by Kreon after he realizes that he and his family are in danger for the mistakes he has made. When Kreon finally changes his mind and tries to go tell his son that he will not execute Antigone, he finds Antigone dead, dead by her own hand, and Haimon turns on his father and tries to kill him. When Haimon fails at that, he turned the blade on himself. If Kreon would have realized his mistake a bit sooner, maybe even 10 minutes sooner, he would still have his wife, his son, and his son’s bride. Kreon’s wife killed herself after she heard the news.Show MoreRelatedThe Tragedy Of Antigone By William Shakespeare1001 Words   |  5 Pagesoften a gray area that goes unexplored. Antigone manages to venture into this gray area through a complicated conflict of values. Kreon, the ruler of Thebes, has declared the leader of a rebellion against the state must not be buried. This conflicts with the leaders’ sister, Antigone, as she feels compelled to bury him. 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