Introduction
Whereas Sophocles’ Antigone undoubtedly belongs to the genre of tragedy, there is much controversy over who the main tragic hero is in the play. At first sight, it may seem that the main character, after whom the play was titled, is a tragic heroine since she suffers from many obstacles and is destined for doom. On the other hand, Creon is frequently argued to be the main tragic hero since his stages of tragedy are more vivid than Antigone’s.
The major point of discussion is the stage of anagnorisis or the point of critical revelation. In Creon’s case, anagnorisis is both vivid to the audience and understood by the character. Meanwhile, in the case of Antigone, anagnorisis is clear to the audience but veiled for the heroine. A detailed examination of the text supports the conclusion that Antigone is a genuine tragic hero, as she undergoes every stage of tragedy, beginning with encroachment and culminating in catastrophe.
Stages of Tragedy
Encroachment
The first stage of a tragic hero’s journey is encroachment or a major violation of a law or social order that will inevitably cause the hero’s downfall. In Antigone’s case, encroachment is reflected in her fearless belief that she was the one who knew the true gods’ will. As a result, Antigone disobeyed her king and uncle, Creon. The stubborn loyalty to her brother, which is displayed in her decision to bury him irrespective of Creon’s law, is what will eventually ruin Antigone. Her declaration, “but I / Will bury him. For me it’s noble to do / This thing, then die,” shows both loyalty and the beginning of her demise (Sophocles 86-88).
Complication
The next stage of tragedy, complication, is explicated in Antigone’s excessive pride. This stage involves tying up the problems stemming from the encroachment. When Creon reprimands her for violating his law and asks her how she dared do that, Antigone responds, “It was not Zeus who made that proclamation,” implying that she is only obedient to the gods, not the king (Sophocles 495). At this point, it becomes evident that while being proud is good, being too proud can lead to disastrous outcomes. The desire to bury one’s close person is undoubtedly a noble intention. However, disregarding the ruling of somebody much higher in rank may not only be considered offensive but also lead to tragic consequences.
Anagnorisis
Antigone further passes reversal of fortune, or backfiring, and anagnorisis, or the point of critical discovery. The backfiring for Antigone is when Teiresias persuades Creon to free her by saying that the latter is “dishonorably compelling her, / A human spirit, to live inside a tomb” (Sophocles 1138-1139). Here, it is evident that Antigone’s misfortune receives a chance for a turn for the better. While she has been a disloyal subordinate to Creon throughout the play, at this point, someone is telling the king that it was he who was in the wrong. As a result, Antigone’s anagnorisis is in Creon’s decision to pardon her. He is quite hesitant about the decision but then finally groans, “Oh! This is hard —but I change my heart. I’ll do it! / One cannot fight against necessity” (Sophocles 1180-1181).
It is crucial to mention that anagnorisis is the only point when one can doubt Antigone’s correspondence with the tragic hero’s definition. Commonly, the critical revelation moment must be witnessed by the hero, not just the audience. In Antigone’s case, however, she is unaware of Creon’s decision. Still, the anagnorisis is present in the character, even if without her knowledge. Hence, Antigone passes both the reversal and anagnorisis stages, even if the latter is only vivid for the readers.
Catastrophe
Antigone’s inescapable downfall and catastrophe are evident, further adding to her heroic characteristics. The fate that cannot be avoided occurs when Antigone kills herself before Creon arrives to announce that he is willing to forgive her (Sophocles 1300-1302). The catastrophe for the girl is that, after all, with her own hands rather than his, Creon made her die.
Recognition and Catharsis
Although she felt excessive pride in the beginning, she eventually realized that she was in the wrong and would be punished by the king. Thus, she took her own life after spending much time thinking about her fate and her uncle’s decision. However, her death resulted in a catastrophic moment, which was reflected in the audience’s pity toward the character. Her last words, “I am seeing for The last time / The radiance Of the sun and / Never again!” make the readers feel sorry for the character who did nothing wrong but only wanted to pay the last tribute to her late brother (Sophocles 868-869). Thus, Antigone’s path through the stages of tragedy is complete as she starts with encroachment and ends with catastrophe.
Conclusion
While Antigone has two prominent tragic hero figures, some readers argue that Creon is more corresponding to this definition, but it is evident that Antigone is a truly tragic hero as well. She falls through all the stages of tragedy, beginning with violating the law and then moving through excessive pride, reversal of fortune, critical discovery, unavoidable fate, and catastrophe. Although some may argue that Antigone does not pass the anagnorisis stage properly since she does not know about the critical revelation, it is still viable to consider her a genuinely tragic hero who suffers for a good cause and makes the audience pity her in the end.
The catastrophe moment experienced by the protagonist makes the audience reevaluate her initial decisions and actions and makes them feel sorry for the young woman. Indeed, all she wanted to do was pay due respect to her late brother. Even though she disobeyed her king and uncle in the beginning, her hero’s journey demonstrates how much she has suffered for her good intentions. That is why, in the end, it is undeniable that she is a truly tragic hero.
Work Cited
Sophocles. Antigone. Translated by Reginald Gibbons and Charles Segal, Oxford University Press, 2003.