The Fight for the Tragic Hero
...ack away from it is for a good cause. Most of society’s morals today come from religion. Antigone’s servitude toward the gods is a primordial example of modern religion. Creon, on the other hand, refuses to back down from his original decree because he is power-hungry. Allowing Antigone to alter his original statement would mean granting her control over him, and what he really wants is supremacy. Antigone’s positive motivation draws further attention to Creon’s selfish drive. Power obviously is not a proper motivation to do anything. Antigone’s goal has nothing to do with power. She wants to help her brother, and when she confronts Ismene, she makes it known that she will do absolutely everything to achieve that. This may be what makes Ismene believe that she is unrealistic and perhaps even a bit crazy. However, when Antigone does die due to her bold and defiant actions, she dies nobly after remaining persistent until the absolute end. There is no change of heart and therefore no fall for her personally as a tragic hero always has. Creon can not do the same and must back down. As all Greek tragedies do, Antigone has peripety and anagnorisis leading to the falling action, catastrophe and closing message. The peripety occurs at the climax of the play when others besides Antigone stand up to Creon. Ismene attempts to follow her sister, followed by Creon’s argument with Tiresius, and finally the most dramatic conflict of all arises between Creon and his own son, Haemon. In the falling action of the play, Creon has anagnorisis and change of heart, but it is too late. Unlike Antigone, he loses what is most precious to him due to his tragic flaw. As a result of his refusal to change his harsh decree on Antigone’s brother and then Antigone herself, Creon is left alone without his son or his wife. He feels alone and wants to die, too. This realization and fall are very dramatic for the reader because of Sophocles’ use of imitation. He depicts Creon as larger than life. He steps in and takes control after his brother, Oedipus, and until Antigone, no one attempts to stand against him. People may cheer him on and support him, but only out of fear. He is a very powerful and convincing ruler and does not take dissention with a generous hand. A person who dares defy him faces possible death, as in Antigone’s case. He and his power and stubbornness are the focus of the play, and not Antigone who does not h...