Sophocles, Antigone, is a play that demonstrates tragedy to its fullest. Antigones image as a tragic character sets up many elements for the play. Her love for her brother drives her to go against laws and stand up for the morals she believes in. She is so strong headed and perhaps this is why she releases her tragedy on other characters and the story itself.
The first thing we experience as an audience is the burial controversy. Although the proper burial of her brothers body was forbidden, Antigones moral standards would not allow or such a thing. Her sister, Ismene warned her it is not her responsibility as a woman to aim too high, too far. Antigone admitted to her guilt with honesty which might just have been her tragic flaw. And she did not allow her sister to take blame neither, sparing one life. Perhaps, because she saved one life, the rest would have to fall.
Her actions led to terrible suffering for Creon and his family; almost like a curse. Haemon, her fianc, was so in love with her that he actually fought with his father, the King, for her rights. When he could not do anything about Antigone being buried alive, he stabbed himself out of grief for his love with Antigone and anger towards his father. Because of the sons death, Creons wife, too, killed herself out of grief. For once, Creon felt terrible about a situation he thought that he had created, but in turn, it was actually Antigone who had made his family fall. Her personal actions led Creon to killing her and therefore killing his family.
Antigones actions brought suffering to everyone around her, including herself. She was to be buried alive, but in turn, hung herself. The suffering of everyone around her emphasizes the tragedy of the play, by enlarging the entire outcome. If it were not for Antigone, for which the play is named, all of the deaths might not have occurred. Her sudden suicide leaked into a total chain reaction to other characters involved inside the plot. In result, the suffered much more than Antigone had ever suffered in the beginning.
With this being said, the tone of the play ultimately changes. Not that it ever started on a happy note, but the beginning is just eerie. Then suddenly everything feels lighter and heroic once Antigone is caught. But towards the climax when she kills herself does the tone become dimmer and dimmer. This causes an overall effect on the reader to suddenly feel pity or anger towards Antigone and grief or sympathy to Creon. Suddenly the tables are turned on the intent of the story. Antigone, who should now be the heroine of the story, makes Creon seem like a likeable King.
Yet the reader is not totally in love with Creons character and sees flaws. This adds to the tragic outcome of the story; none of the characters are left with total sympathy from the audience. Even after, when all thats left is Creon, the audience feels a sense of catharsis to know that the struggle is finally over.
This all adds to the reason Antigone inflicts suffering on others to create a tragic story. It is virtually impossible to have one single tragic character that does not create a type of tragedy on others as well. The thing about tragedies, however, is that not every audience member feels the same reaction at the end. So to make the tragic vision come to life, all characters must affect each other at some point during the story.
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