Aristotle who comprised his poetics through the analysis of plays and poetry was highly interested in Sophocles' work and the concept of tragedy as a whole. "Tragedy, then is an imitation of an action that is serious , complete, and of a certain magnitude in language embellished with each kind of artistic ornament, the several kinds being found in separate parts of the play; in the form of action , not of narrative: through pity and fear effecting proper purgation of these emotions. " (Aristotle Chap.VI) Aristotle goes on to examine what he thought were the most important elements in a...

• Word Count: 1654
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

By further examining the character of Antigone, one can conclude that she in fact fits the pattern of a tragic heroine as outlined by Aristotle. Aristotle believes that the chief character in a tragic play should be a person of great consequence and one of exalted station. ... Antigone fits this description of Aristotle's ideal tragic heroine because her insistence on her desire to bury Polynices to the point of her own death locates her in a line of tragic heroes, specifically that of Oedipus, her father. ... Instead the chorus was merely used as a rhetorical display, thus making them...

• Word Count: 1410
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

By then it is too late, and thus he follows the path of a tragic character, displaying the characteristics as described by Aristotle: The character has a hamartia1, which is a characteristic that is seen as a fatal flaw, which, in most cases, is the excessive pride that Creon demonstrates. ... "Go, quibble with thy reason. ... When Tiresias attempts to make a sacrifice to the gods, the birds he uses would not burn. ... His hubris is the root cause of his refusal to effectively deal with situations and the reason he dismisses the importance of Haimon's and Antigone's relationship...

• Word Count: 951
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate