Comparing the tragic heroes in antigone and julius essay 2

Antigone does not suffer hubris, nor is she ignorant of her situation. She understands her uncle’s decree and the danger of defying it, but she chooses to risk Creon’s anger in favor of her loyalty to her family. Antigone recognizes Creon’s stubbornness and insists upon going against his unjust decree to bury her dead brother, a noble gesture.

In large part, the cause of her martyrdom is Creon’s pride. The uncle and his niece are both strong-willed characters. Antigone shows unusual courage for a female in Greek mythology. While most women are portrayed as wives, daughters, or mothers, Antigone has lost a father, and her husband plays a relatively minor part in the conflict.

Her courage becomes clear from the play’s opening lines, when she vows to her sister Ismene that she will bury their brother, with or without Creon’s approval. Her loyalty to her family is stronger than her fear of the punishment promised by the king.

A tragic hero is most commonly a character who, despite their good intentions, is doomed to fail, suffering or defeat. Ordinarily, the hero’s own hubris or other character flaw is the cause of their downfall. The most classic tragic hero of all, of course, is Oedipus himself.