Characterization of Tragic Hero Creon in Antigone A tragic hero is an overall good person who has flaws that lead to his own downfall. The concept of the tragic hero is represented in the drama “Antigone” written by Sophocles. Creon, king of Thebes, is the tragic hero. Creon's characteristics, the way he acts, and the decisions he makes prove that he is the tragic hero of this drama. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Creon has the traits of an acceptable person. He treats everyone equally and doesn't make exceptions even for family. Creon speaks angrily: “This girl is guilty of a double insolence, breaking the given laws and boasting thereof” (Sophocles 762). This shows that he is willing to treat and punish Antigone as he would any other person who breaks the law. He does this to assure people that he is an admirable leader and wants to set a good example. Likewise, Creon does not want to show weakness as a leader. Creon states, “You or I, if this crime goes unpunished?” (762). He is saying that if he shows fear or hesitation, people will feel like they don't have a satisfactory leader. He must be assertive and follow through on his decisions, even if it means punishing his granddaughter. Furthermore, after speaking with Haimon, Creon realizes that he should not punish Ismene. Creon says, “No, you're right. I will not kill him whose hands are clean” (775). Even though Creon is penalizing Antigone for breaking the law, he notes that Ismene is not guilty of anything. This shows that Creon is trying to be as righteous as he believes he can be. Show mercy by sparing Ismene. All these actions demonstrate Creon's goodness as a person. Creon displays good traits but also acquires imperfect traits. One of these faulty traits is insensitivity. Haimon says, “Then he must die, but his death will cause another” (775). Creon later responds: “Bring out the woman! Let her die before his eyes!” (775). Creon expresses no sympathy for Haimon when he says this. He doesn't care that Haimon kills himself if Antigone dies. When Creon reacts to this in a less than delicate way, it represents his detachment and disinterest in something that does not involve him. Later, Creon demonstrates traits of arrogance and overconfidence when he denies the burial of Polyneices. Creon states: “An enemy is an enemy, even a dead one” (764). He is arrogant because he is excessively proud of his decision. Antigone claims that Creon is Polyneices' brother and that there are honors due to all the dead but Creon continues to think he is right and that Polyneices does not deserve a burial. As a result, Creon indicates that he has an inability to listen to others, especially if they are younger than him. Creon chuckles: “Do you think it's right for a man of my age and experience to go to school with a boy?” (774). Creon assumes that Haimon is wrong only because he is younger than him. Haimon tries to give Creon advice but Creon doesn't want to listen. This shows that Creon is ruling in his own favor and does not take anyone else's opinions into consideration. These actions show how Creon's character is flawed. The scenes in this drama support the evidence that Creon deserves sympathy. Creon finally realizes that what he is doing is wrong. He admits: “Come with me to the grave. I buried her, I will free her” (783). He not only realizes, but also admits his mistakes. Creon finally realizes that he should bury Polyneices and not punish Antigone, but he realizes this too late. Furthermore, bad timing affects Creon's plan to free Antigone and build a tomb for Polyneices. Il Messaggero states: "He had a.