Over time, history has given society many heroes that we call true. There are many reasons why these heroes are admired, including: courage, dedication, confidence and inspiration. However, a tragic hero requires a few different qualities. Aristotle describes a tragic hero as a “royalty,” someone who “must fall from immense good fortune,” and someone who creates pity for himself (“Connections: A Theory” 2000). In Greek drama, Sophocles' Antigone and Euripides' Medea both contain several possible tragic heroes, including Medea, Jason, and Creon. Specifically, in Antigone, Creon best exemplifies the qualities of a tragic hero because of his prominent power as king of Thebes, the way he holds fast to his stubborn pride, and the sympathy felt for him in his tragic fall. In Antigone and Medea, three main characters – Creon of Thebes, Medea, and Jason – hold dominant authority in their own way. Jason, married to Megareus, daughter of another king Creon, receives a small recognition of power thanks to this marriage. He “is lying on a royal wedding bed.” (Medea 24). However, Creon of Thebes holds greater power as king. Born in Colchis, a “land of barbarians,” Medea’s power is in no way comparable to the power, in the royal sense, of King Creon (Medea 637). Her power lies in her evil actions of selfishly doing what she wants, deceptively poisoning Megareus and Creon, and angrily murdering her own children. Creon, the new king of Thebes, immediately demonstrates his position of authority in his speech to the people of his country. His opening speech to the people sets the tone of Creon's character: powerful, pleasant to his people, and full of confidence. These qualities are... middle of paper ... because he is only human. All human beings make mistakes and make rash decisions, and knowing this, one understands the desperate call to show compassion and understanding to Creon. However, with Jason and Medea, their mistakes harm not only themselves, but also the feelings of others. Creon best embodies Aristotle's definition of a tragic hero through his reign of power, his tragic flaw, and his tragic fall. Works Cited “Connections: A Theory.” Elements of literature, fourth course with readings from world literature. Ed. Richard Sime and Bill Wahlgreen. Dallas: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2000. Page 739. Print. Euripides. Medea. Trans Ian Johnston. Johnsonia. Np Web. March 20, 2011. Sophocles. Antigone. Trans. Dudley Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald. McDougall Little: Literature. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2011. Pages 968-1006. Print.