Aristotle created what he believed to be the definition of a tragedy. It consists of three parts: imitation, catharsis, and a tragic hero. One example of a tragedy written during the classical Greek period was the tale Antigone, by the playwright Sophocles. As the daughter of Oedipus, Antigone already has a curse upon her family when she sets out to bury her brother, Polynices, against the wishes of Kreon, her uncle and king. In response, he condemns her to be buried alive in a cave and she decides to hang herself instead of enduring the slow death. As a consequence, Kreon loses his wife and son and is left to rule alone. Even with this plot, it is argued that Antigone is not a tragedy because it does not fit into Aristotle’s mold like Oedipus the King does and therefore has not become as classic of an example of tragedy.
Proving that Antigone is not a tragedy consists of evidence from all three parts of Aristotle’s guidelines. In the category of catharsis, Antigone does not bring about a feeling of pity to the reader; she brought the penalty upon herself because she knew what the consequences were for flouting the king. “I will bury him myself. / If I die for doing that, good: / I will stay with him, my brother; / and my crime will be my devotion. / The living are here, / but I must please those longer / who are below; for with the dead / I will stay forever” (Antigone 87-94). Antigone makes the choice even though she fully knows the consequences; she sees a greater reward for her in the afterlife. In addition, the reader does not experience a purification of their emotions because there are no intense emotions of pity. The next aspect of the play that does not fit is that Antigone is not a tragic hero. Even though she is the daughter of the former king and niece of the present king, she is not honored in the community. A hero, according to Aristotle, must be respected and renowned. Because of the frequent differences, it can easily be concluded that Antigone is not a valid tragedy.
Still, Antigone is widely considered a tragedy because there is some evidence for it being one, even according to Aristotle. Antigone comes from noble birth because her father, Oedipus, was king; furthermore, she is engaged to Kreon’s younger son, Haimon. It is important for the hero to be elevated above the average person. The play is also extremely eloquent, no matter who is speaking. One example is when a lowly messenger speaks to the chorus leader, Koryphaios: “For indeed, when men have forfeited their pleasures, / they are not alive, but the living dead. / To be sure, if you desire it, / gain wealth and power, / live in regal fashion. / However, should the pleasure of such a life be lost, / I, at least, would not purchase the rest, / not if the shadow of smoke were its price” (1339-1346). The eloquence and nobility are part of the imitation component, but fear is important for catharsis. The audience feels a certain amount of fear that they, too, may become so devoted that they do something to put themselves in danger; additionally, it might turn the other way so that the government will go against the beliefs of the people as Kreon did with the rituals of a burial. Moreover, Antigone can be described as a tragic hero for two reasons. The first is that she is a righteous person. She shows that quality when she explains her reasons behind her mutiny. “I didn’t suppose your decree had strength enough, / or you, who are human, / to violate the lawful traditions / the gods have not written merely, but made infallible. / These laws are not for now or yesterday, / they are alive forever;…” (555-560). Secondly, Antigone carries the “curse” of her family and, therefore, her downfall is from a tragic flaw. Even though Antigone can be thought of as not being a true tragedy according to Aristotle, it is adequate enough for a less restrictive classification.
One problem with generalizing Antigone as a classical tragedy is that it is placed along side Oedipus the King even though the latter fits the definition much better and much more completely. The most obvious difference is that Oedipus lasts only a single day: from when Oedipus visits his people and learns of the solution to Thebes’ problems to when he finds the truth about his family. A second aspect is that Oedipus is pitied a great deal from the audience because he did nothing to be worthy of the misfortune that fell upon him. He just lived his life respectably but ended up destroying himself and his family. Oedipus is also exceptionally respected as king of Thebes. His people ask for his wisdom for how to help the city be protected from the plague. “Help us. Oedipus, we beg you, we all turn to you, kneeling to your greatness. / … Power and experience are yours, all yours. / … Oedipus, more like a god than any man alive, / deliver us, raise us to our feet…” (Oedipus the King, 59-67). Even though they compare Oedipus here to a god, the people recognize that he is only human no matter how superior he is. Since Oedipus the King fits the Aristotelian mold of a tragedy much more, it is hard to place Antigone in the same category.
By comparing Antigone with the definition of a tragedy and Oedipus the King, it can be deduced whether Antigone is a true tragedy. Overall, it is apparent that the play is not a tragedy by definition only. However, looking from an inclusive view, it can be reasoned that Antigone is, in fact, a tragedy, especially because of the numerous unfortunate events that take place. It is inappropriate to rank and categorize a story from a single guideline; it is necessary to at is as a whole.

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