Antigone is full of important literary elements for students to explore. One of these elements is the tragic hero, a protagonist who seems to be ill-fated, and destined for doom. In this play, Antigone is one tragic hero as she blindly pursues justice. Creon is another, as his struggle with Antigone leads himself and many others to their ruin and deaths.
The Greek philosopher, Aristotle, first articulated the specific attributes or principles of a tragic hero. For the storyboard above, students can use a template to storyboard the qualities that make Antigone, a tragic hero. The finished product outlines each of Aristotle's principles with a detailed explanation of the specific attributes.
| ATTRIBUTE | DESCRIPTION | Example from Antigone |
|---|---|---|
| Hamartia | Hero's Flaw that Causes Downfall | Antigone believes she can know the will of the gods, and acts in direct contradiction of Creon’s decree. She wants to be a martyr. |
| Hubris | Excessive Pride | Antigone sets herself above the laws of her king, unapologetically defying Creon. |
| Peripeteia | Reversal of Fortune | Tiresias convinces Creon to free Antigone. |
| Anagnorisis | Moment of Critical Discovery | The audience knows what Antigone does not: Creon is on his way to pardon her. |
| Nemesis | Fate that Cannot be Avoided | Antigone hangs herself before Creon can arrive. |
| Catharsis | Audience's Feeling of Pity or Fear After the Hero's Fall | The audience is sad that Antigone died for burying her brother, and for her pride. They recognize the same temptations to righteously defy authority in their own lives. |
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that shows how Antigone can be considered a tragic hero.
Engage your students in analyzing Antigone by organizing a structured debate. This strategy helps students practice persuasive speaking, deepens understanding of tragic hero traits, and encourages respectful discussion.
Divide students into two groups: one argues that Antigone is a true tragic hero, the other challenges this idea. Random team assignment keeps the activity fair and encourages flexible thinking.
Instruct students to find quotes and examples from the play that support their argument. Encourage them to use specific scenes and character actions to back up their claims.
Help each group organize their main arguments and anticipate counterpoints. Model how to build logical, respectful responses for a lively and productive debate.
Facilitate the discussion, ensuring all voices are heard and the debate stays focused. Afterward, prompt students to reflect on how their understanding of tragic heroes evolved through the experience.
Antigone is considered a tragic hero because she possesses a fatal flaw—her unwavering loyalty to divine law over human law—and this leads to her downfall. She defies King Creon to bury her brother, an act driven by pride and moral conviction, which ultimately results in her tragic death.
Aristotle's six traits of a tragic hero are: Hamartia (fatal flaw), Hubris (excessive pride), Peripeteia (reversal of fortune), Anagnorisis (recognition or discovery), Nemesis (inescapable fate), and Catharsis (emotional release for the audience).
Students can create a storyboard by identifying key moments in Antigone that illustrate each trait of a tragic hero, such as her defiance (Hamartia), pride (Hubris), and ultimate fate (Nemesis). Each cell should feature an event, a brief description, and a connection to Aristotle's principles.
Antigone’s fatal flaw is her belief that she knows the will of the gods and her willingness to challenge Creon’s authority, acting out of moral conviction even when it leads to her own destruction.
Understanding the tragic hero concept helps students analyze character motivations and themes, recognize universal struggles with pride and justice, and connect classical literature to modern ethical dilemmas.