Who is the hero in Antigone?

In Antigone, the tragic hero is Creon.  By definition, a tragic hero is one who comes from noble birth, experiences hamartia, and has an epiphany regarding his/her actions.  Creon as a member of Oedipus' and Jocasta's family, is of noble birth, so he fits this criterion.  Creon is blinded by his own hubris and insecurity--as a new king, he feels that he needs to make the people of Thebes respect him, so he refuses to go back on his word regarding the burial of Polynices.  Even when Creon finds out from Haemon that the people of Thebes wish to see mercy given to Antigone, Creon refuses.  Further, Creon insults the respected Tieresias and does not heed his warning to reconsider the punishment.  After Creon banishes Antigone, he finally realizes that his pride has guided him in the wrong direction, and he tries to undo his actions.  But it is too late--Antigone and Haemon have committed suicide, as does Eurydice near the end of the play.  Creon understands that his actions have led to his downfall, making him the tragic hero of the play.

How is Antigone the protagonist in Sophocles' Antigone?

One could argue that Antigone is the protagonist in the play named after her because most of the events that happen in the play, certainly the most important events, come about as a result of her actions.

There is a huge debate as to whether Antigone or Creon is the protagonist in the play. Although a strong case can be made for Creon, the same could be said of Antigone, as she makes a lot of very important things happen in the play. Had it not been for her courageous defiance of Creon and her refusal to obey his order not to bury her brother Polynices, it's almost certain that by the end of the play, Antigone, Creon's son Haemon, and Creon's wife Eurydice would still be alive.

That they all kill themselves is a direct and tragic consequence of Antigone's brave defiance. If she had buckled under and obeyed Creon's command, none of these deaths would've happened. In standing up to Creon out of fidelity to a higher moral law, Antigone has unwittingly set in train a series of events that will culminate in tragedy. This, more than anything else, makes her the protagonist of Sophocles's classic play.

Who are the protagonist and antagonist in Antigone?

Antigone, the titular character, is the play's protagonist. She chooses the morally correct route in performing what the gods say she must: she provides a ritual burial of her brother, Polyneices. In doing so, she defies her tyrannical uncle, Creon, who has forbidden the burial and has promised death to anyone who dares to contradict him.

Creon, then, is the play's antagonist. He acts against what the gods have decreed as proper handling of a corpse. Creon is caught up in local politics; he sees Polyneices's act as an attack on his own people, so he takes it upon himself to dishonor his remains. Creon is also angry because his niece dares to publicly embarrass and defy him. Creon's rigidity and defiance of the gods leads to more deaths: Antigone's, Haemon's, and Eurydice's.

In Sophocles' Antigone, who is the protagonist: Creon or Antigone?

I see Antigone as the protagonist and Creon as her antagonist. The play presents a conflict: Antigone and the rest of Thebes have been told that those who fight against them in battle will not be given a proper burial. Nonetheless, when one of Antigone's brothers dies fighting for the other side, her familial and moral duty tell her she should bury him anyway. She sees Creon's law as unjust. This is a matter of opinion, but I believe Sophocles presents the characters in a way that makes most readers sympathize with Antigone. Since most of us will take her side, I would call her the protagonist. The antagonist would be the character she is pitted against in the conflict, and that is Creon.

A related theme of the play is how justice is defined. Another way to put this is that the play raises the question of whether legal justice and moral justice are always the same, and when one feels there is a discrepancy, whether one has the right or the justification to break the law. Although Antigone suffers and dies as a result of her actions, she feels she is justified in the eyes of her family and of the gods.

In Sophocles' Antigone, who is the protagonist: Creon or Antigone?

Indeed, the previous thoughts are valid in that both can be considered tragic figures or protagonists.  I think that I have already written as to why Creon can be seen as the protagonist/ tragic figure.  In the interests of presenting both sides, I think there is a case to be made as to why Antigone can be seen as the tragic figure in the play.  Simply put, Antigone is the agent of action in the tragedy.  It is she who brings about the tragic collision between two equally desirable, but ultimately incompatible courses of action.  She is the embodiment of this tragedy.  On one hand, she feels honor towards her brother and her family and on the other hand, this love brings her in direct contradiction with the state.  Antigone represents the fundamental tragic position of the law and justice.  Creon only represents the former of these two, while Antigone brings about the foundational tragic dilemma of what happens when the law denies a sense of justice to its citizens.  It is this idea that becomes the theme of the tragedy, as it plays itself out entirely throughout Antigone's belief system and how she proceeds with it.  Antigone becomes the tragic figure and protagonist in the play because she is the one who seeks justice in a world that is devoid of it.  I think that another reason why one can argue that she is the protagonist is because of the title.  There's a reason the play is not called, "Creon."  (The last reason was cheap, but you get the idea.)

In Sophocles' Antigone, who is the protagonist: Creon or Antigone?

It is possible to argue that this play has two tragic figures.  Sophocles presents such a balanced perspective of both characters that is difficult to determine which is the true protagonist.  Both suffer from excessive pride. Both are headstrong and stubborn.   Both are right in their own way--Creon upholds civil law; Antigone follows the laws of gods.  Each is urged by others to reconsider and compromise.  In fact, Creon does change his mind, but alas, he is too late.  I think it boils down to which character you sympathize with more. 

Since the play is called Antigone, it could be effectively argued that she is the protagonist.  Yet, Creon suffers more at the end.  He is the one who realizes his mistake and tries to change.  This type of realization is characteristic of a tragic hero. 

Various themes are developed through this conflict:  the choice between various kinds of moral codes--civil and religious, the consequences of excessive pride, the difficulty in determining when one must stand his ground or compromise. 

In Sophocles' Antigone, who is the protagonist: Creon or Antigone?

While it would seem obvious at first glance to assume that Antigone is the tragic hero of the play of which she is the titular character, she does not fit the strictest definition of a tragic hero given that she does not have a readily apparent tragic flaw. She is, compared to other characters in the play, a paradigm of virtue, and she sacrifices herself for what she knows is right by the gods. Though she meets a grim and miserable fate, she meets it with her spirit unbesmirched and is a victim of external forces rather than herself.

Creon more readily fits the archetype of the tragic hero, as his eventual fall from grace is due to his excessive pride. He believes himself above the will of the gods and doubles down on his poor decisions even when evidence of his error overwhelms him. Creon no doubt has good intentions and wants to lead well, but by the time he abandons his pride to do right by those he has wronged, it is far too late.

In Sophocles' Antigone, who is the protagonist: Creon or Antigone?

This question is interesting because it brings to light just how much heroism and tragedy's definitions have shifted in the last couple thousand years.

In Aristotle's definition of tragedy, a character experiences a reversal of fortune, leading to events which inspire pity and fear in the audience. This certainly happens to both Antigone and Creon, who are both high-born characters that lose everything. Antigone loses her life, and Creon loses the people he loves most.

However, Aristotle's definition goes farther than this. A tragic hero's fall comes from an error in judgment—a mistake. No matter what one might think of Antigone's principled actions, it is clear from the moral perspective of the play that she is not making a mistake in choosing to bury her brothers properly. Rather, it is Creon who makes a mistake in acting against the will of the gods by trying to enforce his monstrous decree. His execution of Antigone is the final straw, leading to the deaths of his son and wife. So from the classical perspective, Creon is the tragic hero of the play, not Antigone.

In Sophocles' Antigone, who is the protagonist: Creon or Antigone?

Although what happens to Antigone in Sophocles' play is certainly tragic (she commits suicide as a result of an unjust decree) and she is considered a heroine in the modern sense of the word (i.e., we admire her because she stands up for what she believes is right in the face of adversity), I'm not sure Antigone is what Aristotle had in mind in the Poetics when he tried to define the hero of a tragedy.

For Aristotle (Poetics 13), the hero of a tragedy was a noble male, who was neither "eminently good and just, yet whose misfortune is brought about not by vice or depravity, but by some error or frailty" (S.H. Butcher translation). This description fits the character of Creon rather than Antigone.

Creon is nobleman whose misfortune is caused not because he is a wicked and vile human being, but because he makes an error in judgement that he does not decide to rectify until it is too late. His failure to reverse course on the decision to execute Antigone, results not only in Antigone's death, but also in the deaths of Haemon and Creon's wife.

We also need to keep in mind that our modern definition of hero is different from the ancient definition of hero. In modern times, we think of heroes as people that we admire and would wish to be like. In literary terms, however, the hero can be the focal point of a story without being someone that we would admire or want to be like.

So, while Antigone is certainly an admirable and heroic person in the modern sense, she may not be the sort of tragic hero that Aristotle had in mind in the Poetics. On the other hand, surely no one would want to be like Creon, but he probably fits the bill for the literary definition of a tragic hero.

In Sophocles' Antigone, which character is considered the tragic hero, Antigone or Creon, and why?

Aristotle, in Poetics, defined a tragic hero as the protagonist in the story to whom something happens that elicits pity from the audience. A tragic hero is a "virtuous" person whose life changes from being prosperous to being a life full of "adversity," or tribulation (Aristotle, Poetics).

As the title Antigone suggests, by Aristotle's definition, Antigone is most definitely the tragic hero. One way that we can tell that Antigone is the tragic hero is that the play opens with lines spoken by Antigone, indicating that she is the most important, or main character of the play. While Creon is a very important character, he is not the main character.

Another way we can tell Antigone is the tragic hero is that misfortune befalls Antigone for burying her brother. Despite the fact that Creon has decreed that Polyneices shall not be given burial rights because of his betrayal of the state, the act of burying her brother, in and of itself, is a blameless and virtuous act. While the act goes against royal decree, there is nothing wrong, in and of itself, with burying a brother.

We can also tell that Creon is not the tragic hero because, even though tragic things happen to him as well, particularly the death of his son, it is his actions that are frequently questioned. The chorus frequently accuses Antigone of being prideful and unyielding, but the chorus accuses Creon of being unwise. The chorus believes that Creon is foolish and arrogant for disregarding Antigone's strong desire to bury a deceased, beloved brother. In the end, the chorus blames Creon for the tragedy that befalls Creon, including the death of Antigone and his son.

In Sophocles' Antigone, who is the protagonist: Creon or Antigone?

Which character can be considered a "tragic hero" in Sophocles' Antigone has been widely debated. While modern critics, especially those interested in feminism and social justice, have been fascinated by the character of Antigone, other critics have argued that Creon is actually closer to the ancient conception of the tragic hero.

Antigone drives the action of the play in many ways. In attempting to bury her brother, she is taking on a traditionally female task of caring for and mourning the dead. In violating the authority of Creon, however, she is overstepping the bounds of what is considered proper for a woman. Ismene, her sister, was actually considered a much better female role model in antiquity. She is also a somewhat static character; we do not see her growing in wisdom or recognizing her own flaws.

Creon, however, is portrayed, like Oedipus, as a fundamentally good ruler, striving for what is best for Thebes in trying to end the fratricidal wars that are destroying the city. Also like Oedipus, his initial decisions appear fair and guided by good judgment. Where he errs is in stubbornly persisting on a path once divine signs such as the dust cloud enveloping Antigone and the warnings of Tiresias suggest that the gods disapprove. By the end of the play, he has developed as a character, learned wisdom, and even reversed his decision about Antigone, albeit too late. Thus Creon is more of a traditional tragic hero than Antigone.

In Sophocles' Antigone, who is the protagonist: Creon or Antigone?

Antigone is not really a psychological drama "about" a single character. It is a play about the conflict between characters and more generally about the conflict between human and divine law.

The question of which character is the "protagonist" (literally "first contestant") of the play has been widely debated. There is no single correct answer, as solid arguments can be made for both sides of the debate. 

While modern audiences tend to sympathize with Antigone, there is some evidence that Creon would have been considered a protagonist in antiquity. The tragic hero is characterized as one suffering a reversal of fortune followed by some recognition of a truth or insight. Antigone is a somewhat flat character, taking a consistent position throughout the play, while Creon suffers a more traditional reversal and eventually repents of his actions, albeit too late. Thus, Creon follows a more typical pattern of a tragic hero than Antigone and is somewhat more likely to have been considered the protagonist. 

Who are the protagonist and antagonist in the play Antigone?

The protagonist of Sophocles' Antigone is the titular character, Antigone, who is the sister of the slain Polyneices. After a decree by Creon--the ruler of Thebes and the antagonist of the play--that Polyneices' body must be left without holy rites or a burial in order to publicly shame him for his rebellious behavior, Antigone goes against the law and attempts to give her beloved brother a proper burial. This infuriates Creon, who has Antigone imprisoned and plans to have her buried alive in a cave as punishment for her insolence and violation of the decree.

Despite the city's grief over this decision and the warning of the blind prophet, Tiresias, Creon refuses to change his mind. Antigone kills herself, which sets off a chain of other death: the subsequent suicides of Creon's son, Haemon, and his wife, Eurydice. Ultimately, Creon is the one who suffers for acting out against the wishes of the gods.

Who are the protagonist and antagonist in the play Antigone?

When we consider what the central conflict of the play is it becomes clear that the protagonist and antagonist of the play are Antigone and Creon. As the play begins, we are presented with a grief-stricken Antigone because she has just found out that Creon, the ruler of Thebes, has decreed that anyone who died rebelling against his rule must not be buried or mourned. Antigone is caught between following the gods and their rules and the rules of Creon - the ruler of Thebes since the death of her father. To break this rule would be punishable by death:

Whoever

disobeys in teh least will die, his doom is sealed:

stoning to death inside the city walls!

Thus it is clear that Antigone is the protagonist, trying to struggle to be faithful to her brother and the gods, whilst the character opposing her is Creon.