In every Sophoclean drama, there is a hero of some kind. These heroes usually are the focus of the myth. Some examples would be Frodo from the Lord of the Rings, Jason and the Argonauts in the Quest for the Golden Fleece, etc. Characters such as Creon and Antigone of the myth Antigone are also great examples. All of these characters have the qualities of a tragic hero, according to Aristotle. These qualities would be that they are inherently good, have good intentions, recognize responsibility, and accept their fate with dignity. Unfortunately, every hero has a tragic flaw. Creon and Antigone embody characteristics of the traditional Greek tragic hero and the Sophoclean tragic hero, respectively.
             The traditional Greek tragic hero is defined by five characteristics, the first being Areté. Areté is having excellence. Hubris defines a hero as having excessive pride. Areté is blind recklessness that heroes may follow because they do not think about what is going to happen next. Nemesis is disastrous retribution. The tragic flaw that a traditional Greek hero harbors is their excessive pride. This is shown when Creon says, "But whoever steps out of line, violates the laws or presumes to hand out orders to his superiors, he'll win no praise from me (AI L746-750)." They will not accept defeat and this is bad. Creon of the myth Antigone is a traditional Greek tragic hero. He is also the antagonist in the story.
             The Sophoclean tragic hero is a character whose "rigid" and courageous adherence to a set of principles invites their disastrous fate. Their flaw is their rigidity. Antigone is a Sophoclean tragic hero in the self-entitled myth. She would not leave a family member unburied, which in turn breaks her father's law and proves to bring her doom.
             Characters such as Creon and Antigone are great examples of the traditional Greek tragic hero and the Sophoclean tragic hero. Their actions in the myth of Antigone prove this to be true. ...