Heroic characters have been portrayed in many ways in literature. The hero character has been shown to be both infallible and imperfect, both strong and weak, and both superhuman and ordinary. Consequently, this central figure has evolved over time to become a very complex character. In his Theban plays, Sophocles presents to the reader typical Greek hero figures: strong and resilient, morally virtuous, but with some flaw that ultimately causes their respective demises. In both "Antigone" and "Oedipus the King," it is the title character that serves as this hero; Sophocles presents both characters as having this single underlying cause of their demise. Both Antigone and Oedipus are tragic heroes.
             Sophocles portrays Antigone as a virtuous young woman, one whose piety and loyalty are among her strongest traits. Unfortunately for her, these are also the traits that cause her demise; when she is forced to choose between the laws of the city and what she believes is religiously right, she makes a martyr of herself. Even when faced by Creon the king, Antigone not only does not deny that she has defied his decree, she refuses to express regret for her actions, or even beg for the mercy of the king. In fact, she spends much of what remains of her short life insisting that Creon is an unjust and impious ruler. It would seem, then, that the heroic character here is being represented as stoic and uncompromising in her beliefs; she is an intensely moral character, willing to die for her beliefs.
             Oedipus, from Sophocles' "Oedipus the King," seems a noticeably more flawed character. He is a very intelligent ruler, making his decisions mainly based on logic and messages from his seer Tiresias. He is also a very proud and stubborn man, which of course ultimately turns out to be his downfall. He is in almost every sense the typical king, believing in his own sovereignty to the point where the belie...