Tragedy

The Aristotelian elements of a classical tragedy, according to the following website http://faculty.gvsu.edu/websterm/Tragedy.htm  is “plot, characters, verbal expression, thought, visual adornment, and song composition.”  In class, we went over the idea of tragedy, and what makes up a tragedy.  It seems like Antigone fits into the term tragedy, because of the content of the play.  The overall plot is set up to be tragic.  The characters posses certain characteristics that promotes the tragic events.  For example both Creon and Antigone both are stubborn and would not give. Their verbal expression and thought process all leads to the tragic ending as well. 

It is debated that Antigone could have two different tragic heroes, namely Antigone and Creon.  In my own understanding of a tragic hero, the hero is not a perfect being.  The hero will have his or her own flaws that will lead them down to their downfall.  The downfall will be tragic, and normally the downfall is brought about by pride, or some other personal trait.

I think the true tragic hero of the play would be Creon.  I think this way, because, he is the one who has to live with all the death that he thinks and accepts that he has caused.  In the play Creon, is definitely a major role, and it is his pride that brings the downfall.  Creon at the beginning was not necessarily a bad person, and did not have all bad motives. He wanted to make a point, and have the city be more important than family.  Later on in the play, he let his pride go to far, leading to the tragic events.  Creon let the pride go so far, as to at first, not listen to his trusted prophet.  Pride was inevitably his downfall, and this is why Creon is the Tragic Hero.