Chris Pecoraro
Hour 6
12-21-12
FCAs:
1. Must use 3 words from the vocabulary list similarities and differences- highlight
2. Must use a minimum of 2 introductory participle phrases- highlight
3. Correct use of literary terminology from Greek drama

Tragic Hero? Who Could It Be? In the play of Antigone there is much dispute over who is the tragic hero. The two main candidates for this position are of course Antigone, but also Creon. Both are very analogous and have good reasons why they should be considered to be the tragic hero of the play, but one of them is much more obvious. Creon is by the far the obvious choice however for many reasons. Creon has more qualities of a tragic hero than Antigone, him being the center of all conflicts, suffering more, and having the moment of recognition and discovery. Antigone and Creon both seem to be at the center of all the conflicts that occur within the story. When Antigone says, "I dared. It was not God's proclamation. That final Justice that rules the world below makes no such laws" (2.65-67). Antigone is telling Creon that she is not regretful of burying her brother, because it was not Creon's decision to tell her she couldn't. She thinks that the Gods are the only ones who can decide the fate of her dead brother, and that their rule is more important. Creon, having multiple conflicts, is involved with the same conflict, and one where he says "No, and I will not. The woman dies" (3.29-30). Creon is involved in the fight with Antigone, and also decides that Antigone must die when talking to his son. Because of Creon being the center of conflict for every conflict in the play he has to be the tragic hero. The two have very comparable conflicts throughout the play, but Creon is more involved in all of them. . Both Antigone and Creon experience much pain and suffering during the course of the play. Antigone suffering is much different than Creon's hers is "She had made a noose of her fine linen veil and hanged herself" (5.67-68). Antigone knew that she was going to die either way, and ended up killing herself. To be at the point of killing herself, she must have been suffering very much and felt she needed to escape. Creon's experiences a different type of suffering at this point, "To trample out the thing I held most dear. The pains that men will take to come to pain" (5.105-106). At this point Creon knows that Antigone, his son, and his wife are all dead. He is realizing that it is his entire fault that everybody he loved is dead. Both Creon and Antigone have much suffering in their lives, but they are not tantamount, Creon must live with the fact that it is