Tragedy is a word used to described the death of John F. Kennedy, starvation in South Africa, massacres in Afghanistan and Algeria, hurricane damage, traffic accidents, divorce, plant closings and layoffs, low GRE scores, even cancelled theatre plays. What do all these events have in common? Well to some extent, they all involve human suffering. And that’s what tragedy is all about. At least that’s what classic play writers like Shakespeare believed in. …showed first 75 words of 1895 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1895 total…lonely and hated life. In conclusion, Creon fits all 5 criteria perfectly. First, he is a good and wise king. Second, he is not perfect. His flaw is in his excessive pride. Third, his own flaw led to his doomed downfall. Fourth, he reaches a point of enlightenment which we, as the audience, should also learn from. Finally, his punishment delivered by fate exceeds his crimes. Thus, according to Aristotle, Creon is the prefect tragic hero.