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The Problem of Creon’s Pride
In Sophocles’ drama Antigone, the society of Thebes is troubled by yet another set of standards and rulers. As the plot is introduced and conflict established, Creon, the new ruler of Thebes, remains committed to the standing laws of his society rather than adjusting the rules to allow for the heartfelt needs of the Antigone and those who defend her honorable actions. Creon is a strong ruler—but he turns into a bullheaded tyrant and winds up becoming a shattered man who ends up alone. King Creon misuses power and poisons himself with pride, resulting in his downfall as well as the suffering of others.
Sophocles first depicts Creon as having a sense of justice and respect for the people of Thebes. He rules with an eye for unity and community, declaring that “whoever places a friend above the good of his own country, he is nothing” (Sophocles 203-205). While Creon wants the best for his city, his pride, however, causes him to make tragic decisions that lead others to suffer.
Instead of listening to wise council, Creon follows the only sources he trusts— his own heart and mind. When Antigone...
Because of Creon’s arrogance, he denounces the humane advice stating that “the city is the king’s…that’s the law” (Sophocles 825). From this statement, readers can infer that Creon rules for his self-glorification rather than for the benefit of the citizens. He remains rigid about enforcing his self-made laws and thus exhibits his poor judgment and causes harm for Antigone. A humble ruler should have taken Antigone’s situation into consideration and sought the wisdom of his comrades.
Tiresias explains to Creon the problem he himself had created, and urges him to be unselfish and reverse his ruling. Tiresias explains that “a man can turn his back on folly, misfortune too, if he tries to make amends, however low he's fallen, and stops his bullnecked ways. Stubbornness brands you for stupidity… pride is a crime” (Sophocles 1135). With these words, Creon understands his mistake but is ultimately too late. His unfounded pride and self-confidence delays his decision to annul…
Antigone and Oedipus Rex are both tragic plays by Sophocles. In many ways, these plays are similar to one another as tragedies. For one, they are part of the same set of texts by Sophocles. Antigone is the first installment in the series of three plays. Oedipus the King (Oedipus Rex) is the second of the trilogy. Second, the title characters in the plays are related, as Antigone is the
Antigone is the last play in the Oedipus cycle written by Sophocles. In the play, Antigone, the Oedipus's sister-daughter challenges her uncle, Creon, who has ascended the Theban throne after he brothers, Polyneices and Eteocles, are killed in battle. In the play, Antigone defies Creon's mandate that Polyneices should not be granted a proper burial because he is an traitor and an enemy of the state. Because of her opposing
Antigone: A clash of state and personal values Sophocles' drama Antigone unfolds the tale of the tragic daughter of Oedipus Rex. At the beginning of the play Antigone is the bereft sister of two dead brothers who died fighting in the Theban civil war. Creon gives the brother (Eteocles) who defended the city's current leadership a hero's burial while leaves the other brother (Polyneices) to rot in the streets, exposed to
As a character, Creon is almost and inverse of Antigone, because his concern for his own authority trumps his love for his own family, as he all but disowns his son Haemon for the latter's support of Antigone. As these flaws are the most important elements of characterization in terms of the plot, they essentially define the characters even in spite of the interior emotional lives hinted at within
Thus, the nobility of Antigone's character lies in her reluctance to condemn her sister, whereas her tragic flaw lies in her fanatical devotion to the men in her family, to the point that she wishes to lie with her brother's corpse. Antigone's fall comes when she is caught burying Polyneices' corpse, and the fact that her subservience to patriarchy is the precise reason for this fall is revealed in Creon's
Antigone What is fate, and what is free will? In Sophocles' play Antigone, both fate and free will are important in determining the outcome of the play. Fate is presented as something that the gods determine. It is the destiny of human beings, and something that people have no control over. No matter how hard a person like Antigone or Creon tries to fight fate, their lives are not entirely our