Issues in Antigone And there are a few ……

They are … Dilemma Hamartia Peripeteia and anagnorisis Hubris Nemesis Catharsis Who is the protagonist?

Dilemma Noun A predicament in which a difficult choice has to be made between undesirable alternatives

Dilemmas in Antigone Antigone`s dilemma? Should she defy the king and cast herself out from society or leave her brother unburied? Ismene`s dilemma? Does she support her sister or her king? Haemon`s dilemma? Support his father the king or his wife to be?

Hamartia the flaw in character which leads to the downfall of the protagonist in a tragedy. Whether Aristotle regards the “flaw” as intellectual or moral has been hotly discussed. It may cover both senses. The hero must not deserve his misfortune, but he must cause it by making a fatal mistake, an error of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamartia#Major_examples_of_hamartia_in_literature

Hamartia in Antigone Although she has been presented with the decree from her uncle not to bury her brother and her obsession with her dead family ties initially gets her in trouble, the true hamartia or “error” in this tragedy rests on Creon. It occurs when he orders his men to properly bury Polynices before releasing Antigone which can be identified as the mistake or error that led to her death. “Creon believed himself to be acting rightly in the interests of the city. Antigone, Haemon, Tiresias, the chorus and Creon himself recognize that he is in fact mistaken” (Dawe 113). True Aristotelian hamartia arises when mistakes or errors cause the plot or direction of action to change in a tragic way as described in the tragedies of Antigone and Oedipus.

Peripeteia and anagnorisis The best case for Creon as protagonist lies in the fact that he is the one that experiences Aristotle's concepts of peripeteia and anagnorisis. Both of these were important elements for a tragic hero or heroine to have. The peripeteia is a reversal of fortune. Creon certainly experiences this. The tragic events of the play transform him from a pillar of pride into a puddle of humility. After his downfall he experiences anagnorisis or a recognition. He realizes the law he passed was a really bad idea and regrets his pride. Antigone on the other hand, knows exactly what is going to happen to her from the beginning of the play and never regrets a thing.

Hubris Noun Excessive pride or self-confidence In Greek Tragedy Excessive pride toward or, defiance of ,the gods leading to nemesis

Hubris excessive pride, arrogance, where characters are overstepping ‘normal’ boundaries. Many people argue that both Creon and Antigone both exhibit hubris. This text is very controversial for modern audiences as it forces its audience to question its characters’ motives and decide if their actions are justified. Central to the debate are topics such as what a king’s duty to his country is and what a woman’s role in society is

Nemesis Downfall

Nemesis The gods cannot and will not be defied There will be horrible consequences to such hubris How much does Creon lose? His wife His son His crown

Catharsis Noun The process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions The notion of `release` through drama derives from Aristotle`s Poetics `For a tragedy to be a tragedy, according to Aristotle, the story must cause Catharsis, the production of pity and fear within someone's soul/heart`

Catharsis In Antigone, many believe that the characters that have these characteristics are Antigone, Ismene, Haemon and Eurydice But, a better character that shows these characteristics is actually the character many don’t think of …. In Antigone, what happens to Creon fits Aristotle's idea of a Catharsis.

Just who is the protagonist? Is it Antigone? The young girl who fights the oppressive state Or is it Creon? He defends his state against rebellion and the treachery (both personal and political) of Antigone?