In the play of Antigone there are two choices of tragic heroes or figures. By many of Antigones actions I feel that she is the one who fits this description perfectly. A tragedy is a play in which a central character, called a tragic hero or protagonist suffers some serious misfortune which isnt accidental and therefore meaningless, but is significant in that the misfortune is logically connected with the heroes actions. I feel that this definition fits Antigone perfect. Antigone made a huge decision, which put her and er sister Ismenes life on the line and that was to bury her brother polyneices.
It was very important to Antigone that her brother and any other family members get an honored burial. However, if this didnt occur than she would give up her own life in the place of her brother. Antigone very well knew that this was against the law, yet that didnt stop Antigones motivation was purely about the honor she wanted for herself and her family. However, Ismene at first, didnt want anything to do with this because she knew the consequences of breaking the law.
Although Ismene just wanted to have the credit for helping Antigone, she didnt have the courage to complete such a tragic cause. In many cases Creon could have been the protagonist in this story, yet he himself didnt realize this until the end of the story. Creon believed that everything he did was always right, but he never had anything to back it up with. Despite the fact that Antigone broke the law, I felt that Creon handled this problem without even thinking what he might have done. Creon was a very strong king and always stuck to what he said, though he ever thought about others feelings.
Until the end, Creon doesnt recognize that some of the things he did were wrong and that he should be punished for what he did. When he does realize it, he feels he should die for his wrong doing. From both of these characters actions you can tell that they both fit the definition of a tragic hero, nonetheless it was Antigone who kept her beliefs the same all throughout this tragic story. Both of these characters are very strong and willful and by sticking to their beliefs they prove that they are protagonists.
