tragic hero
In Sophocles' tragedies, Oedipus and Antigone, there are three major characters that experience a downfall from their place of high esteem, but only one character fits the criteria of tragic hero, as defined by Aristotle. Only Oedipus' story arouses pity and fear from the audience, therefore he is the only true tragic hero of the plays. Aristotle believed that a tragedy must arouse pity and fear from its audience; in doing this the audience would feel a sense of catharsis. Catharsis is a term dubbed by Aristotle, its meaning is attached to the audience of the Greek tragedy, who would feel a sense of an emotional purging. In order to arouse pity and fear, the main character must meet a set of credentials. The main character must have a dignified or heroic stature, have a noble or outstanding character, have a tragic flaw, and of course be courageous and high-ranking. (Aristotle) Oedipus meets all of the requirements of the tragic hero. First, he is a brave man of heroic stature. Oedipus is intorduced after he has unraveled the riddle of the Sphinx. The city has been paralyzed within its walls, caught in famine, while a plague has spread throughout. In solving the riddle, Oedipus is granted kingship of Thebes
When Oedipus solves the riddle of the Sphinx, he is granted the kingdom of that man. In the very beginning of the story, when everyone is in pursuit of the slayer of the ex-king, Oedipus fails to even examine himself, though in good conscience he knows he has killed someone. Creon cannot even be considered as a tragic hero, because he makes gains as the tragedy moves forward. In the war torn ancient times, it would not have been uncommon for someone to lose a loved one, therefore his fall is no greater than a commoners. She defies the king, but in ancient Greece the gods were supreme, and their will must be acted on. This man goes from an able and well respected king, to a blind wretched beggar of a distant land. His losses are the greatest, and there is no gain to speak of. Oedipus's tragic story fulfills the requirements of Aristotle's tragedy. Antigone is already looked down upon, she of mixed Levesque 3offspring. The crowd must have found it hard to empathize with a man who gained kingship, thus making it impossible to arouse pity or fear. Antigone is not guilty of a tragic flaw such as hubris, she goes in accordance with the divine will of the gods by burying her brother, and cannot not be faulted for that. Only upon hearing of the place where the former king was killed, does he start to use reason. An even better example of this, is the fact that he ran away from his homeland, trying to avoid the fate of the all-powerful gods.
Common topics in this essay:
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Jocasta Oedipus,
Aristotle Oedipus',
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Oedipus Antigone,
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Hero Sophocles',
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