Most Tragic Hero

Most Tragic Hero

  • Submitted By: paul0413
  • Date Submitted: 11/30/2008 5:30 PM
  • Category: English
  • Words: 913
  • Page: 4
  • Views: 561

In the stories of “Antigone” by Sophocles and “Oedipus Rex”, there are many tragic heroes apparent in the events. Of those heroes in the two stories, Oedipus is well known for the suffering he received, trying to run away from fate in “Oedipus Rex”. In the other story “Antigone”, Creon is the tragic hero that received the most hardships and sufferings. Despite how much Oedipus may have obtained for the decision he made, it has been strongly suggested that Creon is definitely the more tragic hero than Oedipus by analyzing the intensity and amount of loss, the greater fall from prosperity to adversity and the degree of punishment each received for what deed or decision they have made.
Based on the stories of Oedipus Rex and Antigone, it is crystal clear that both Oedipus and Creon had extensive degree of losses. Both of their losses are comprised of family members dying. For Oedipus, this quote “…that his wife and mother had hanged herself in horror at the grotesque deed she had unknowingly made” shows the loss Oedipus went through. Nevertheless, it is doubtless that Creon received the larger amount of loss. This quotation “What fate awaits me now? My child in my arms…and there, the other…The son…the mother…”(Sophocles 16) explains the death of every
member of Creon’s family. In thinking that for one decision that seemed right for Creon and for all his people, the consequences he received was just too much for one mortal to cope with. His own son Haeman, betrayed his father and killed himself while his mother Jocasta, Creon’s wife, pierced her own heart with a sword after hearing the death of her son Haeman. As stated earlier, the extreme misfortune that happened to Creon was so great that it seemed like the hardships and loss Oedipus went through was completely shadowed.
Not so surprisingly, Oedipus and Creon have so many similarities in common as they are the tragic heroes of the two stories and were also family members. They were both the king of Thebes,...

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