Antigone Tragic Hero
Identify the true tragic hero of the play Antigone. Which character fits each of the criteria listed
below and provide evidence from the text to support your choice for each.
Tragedy & Tragic Hero Defined
Tragedy: Its function is to arouse pity and fear in the audience so that they may be purged or cleansed
of these unsettling emotions.
Catharsis: term used to describe this emotional cleansing or purging
Tragic Hero Defined
 Neither all good or all bad
 Highly renowned/prosperous (high social class—wealthy or elite)
 Must fall from a tremendous good fortune (tragic reversal of fortune)
 Hero must have a tragic flaw or character weakness that leads to this tragic reversal of fortune
or downfall—not a random act of “the gods” or fate (Example of tragic flaws: hubris—excessive
pride, ruthless ambition, obsessive jealousy)
 In the end, the tragic hero comes to recognize his or her own error and to accept its tragic
consequences
 The real tragic hero is humbled and enlightened by the tragedy
The effect of this tragedy leads to the audience’s catharsis