Creon is a tragic hero in Antigone

Throughout history there have been many people known as heroes. Most of these people have done wonderful things to help society. However, in literature there is another type of hero, the tragic hero. While tragic heroes do wonderful things too, they also have a character flaw that causes their downfall along with others. This essay is to prove that in the play “Antigone”, written by Sophocles, Creon is a tragic hero.

One of the requirements to be considered a tragic hero is the person must be of noble birth. Creon was the son of Menoeceus and the brother of Jocasta. He was also the brother-in-law and uncle of Oedipus. Creon became king when Oedipus was banished and he married Eurydice and had two children, Megarus and Haimon. Creon is the king of Thebes and all these people are of noble birth so therefore Creon can be considered a tragic hero.

To be a tragic hero you must also bring about your own downfall along with the downfall of others. Creon shows this at the end of the play. He brings about his own downfall by murdering Antigone. When Haimon and Eurydice find out that Antigone is dead they both kill themselves. Even thought Creon didn’t actually kill himself he still brought about his downfall emotionally and now hates himself. This is another clear fact that Creon is a tragic hero.

Another requirement of being a tragic hero is having a tragic personality flaw. Creon’s tragic flaw is that he is too stubborn and lets his honor get in the way of his decisions. When Eteocles and Polyneices killed each other, Creon gave Eteocles a full military burial and decreed that Polyneices should be left to rot. When Antigone heard this she buried her brother Polyneices anyway. Creon sentenced her to death and would not change his mind because he thought he would look weak to his people. This stubbornness caused him to murder Antigone. Creon’s stubbornness is his tragic flaw which is shown throughout the play.

These facts clearly show that Creon, from the play “Antigone” written by Sophocles, is a tragic hero. He is noble, he caused the downfall of himself and others and he has a tragic flaw. Even though these things may seem more like the traits of a villain, he is still considered a hero in literature.