In the article Character and Plot in the Antigone by Norman W. DeWitt, he argues that Antigone is manifested as a martyr; however a martyr cannot be a hero. DeWitt notes that Antigone is ready to accept the consequences of defying her king Creon. In fact she views her death as a reward, by looking forward to a happy reunion with her father, mother and brothers. DeWitt is unforgiving to the audience for viewing Antigone as the hero. In the eyes of the audience she has chosen the right faith; and therefore she is the martyr and the hero who stood up for what the audience thinks is right. DeWitt states his thesis by saying Creon is the true hero of the play. “It is his career, and not Antigone’s, that enforces the lesson of tragedy.” Creon runs the country how he sees fit, determine to follow the rules that were set; rejecting all advice until his kingdom falls. DeWitt views Creon as a human being, not loved but one who suffers from his own mistakes in life that led to his inevitable doom. One of DeWitt’s major argument is that writers of plays does not like to disappoint its audience. As depict in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Brutus is the real hero if the plot is analyzed correctly. Caesar like Antigone are perceived as the hero because it is ideal to the audience. DeWitt also states that in terms of Aristotle the way the play is structured; the plot is the soul of the play while character is secondary. However it is not so in Antigone. Creon is the plot while Antigone who stands for character, out shines the central theme of the play.
Norman DeWitt makes some good points. Creon is the hero, a tragic one at that but still a hero. He did what he thought was right, and he fought to keep and follow the laws of the land. He recognized his wrong but only after he lost his entire family. He put the law of the land above all, and in doing so falls to his own doom. As DeWitt states the audience sees Antigone as the real hero but isn’t she in the wrong also. She was expecting a reward beyond the grave, so it was as if she had nothing to live for. Her morals are also in questioning. Every good story needs a villain, and in this play the audience views Creon as the villain. however the villain is the one that makes the central theme of a story. The lessons are often learned from the antagonist, which proves DeWitt’s point, that the plot is the soul of the play.
The article Character and Plot in the Antigone is a work of literary criticism, which Norman DeWitt analyze and breaks down the central idea of Antigone. In this literary criticism DeWitt draws on the aspect of Myth theory which emphasizes the myth of the hero, his enemies and his fall. It also draws on various psychologies, and often compare what it has in common with similar works of literature. Incorporating this literary criticism in an research paper about tragic hero would be a great source. DeWitt’s article could be used to highlight the way a hero falls to his own doom. It could also be used as a source in a research paper to debate what makes a hero, and the difference between a hero and a martyr. However way it’s used it is a great article that stretches the imagination, to allow one to analyze the play Antigone.
