Creon realizes his mistake and regrets everything he has done in the past, “I can’t fight against what’s destined… I must personally undo what I have done. I shouldn’t have tried being unorthodox. I’ll stick by the established laws in the future”, he said. (Scene 5, Lines 95-99).
This quote is other people noticing that what creon is doing is wrong. He is killing his son’s bride and this will lead to the death of his son due to his sadness without
Creon was the leader of Thebes and he took his job very seriously. He wanted to have all of his citizens be loyal to him and respect his rule. This wish led Creon to a strong hatred for traitors,
For I'll never act to respect an evil man with honours in preference to a man who’s acted well. Anyone who’s well disposed towards our state, alive or dead, that man I will respect.” (line 237-239) Creon is giving his reasoning about why one brother deserved a burial and the other did not to the chorus leader. “ I did not think anything which you proclaimed strong enough to let a mortal override the gods and their unwritten and unchanging laws. They’re not just for today or yesterday, but exist forever and no one knows where they first appeared.
A practical man, he firmly distances himself from the tragic aspirations of Oedipus and his line.” (981) That Creon is actually trying to do something different compared to the last kings of the city he is demanding more power, respect and oyalty from his people which then gives him the right to give them the same respect as they would for him. Which is understanding, only a true leader would do anything to make sure his people are understanding about his decisions that he will
In the first scene of the play we meet Creon. The overly prideful power hungry King of the City of Thebes. His City has recently been met with terrible strife as his nephew Polyneices has attacked the former leader Eteocles. Being abruptly placed into power so soon after the city lost their previous leader, Creon needs to show his people that he is a strong trustworthy leader.
People have many different reactions when given power. The reaction is usually either one where they use power for a greater good and to guide others in a better situation, or they can misuse the power given and take advantage of the circumstances or others to make themselves feel even more dominant and in command. In the play, Antigone by Sophocles one of the main characters , King Creon, abuses his power to take superiority of others and in an attempt to gain control. The misuse of power is more frequent than the use of power for the favorable, even in many current events.
Correspondingly, Creon's bona fide adherence to the laws of man is evident in the defense for his resolute actions. In the conversation aforementioned between Haemon and Creon, the latter defends his decision by declaring it is to "respect his own authority". As in his opinion, a respected ruler who is in the early stages of establishing authority must be uncompromising and resolute in making decisions. Creon rejects using divine laws to rule his people for they are irrational, and trusts that solely following man made laws will he be able to guarantee a peaceful and prosperous existence for his city. Creon says that the laws enacted by the city’s leader "must be obeyed, large and small, / right and wrong."
(Scene 1. 39-42) Creon must rule with iron fist in order to gain respect from the people. He loses two family members,, takes the throne, and must banish the prayers for his poor, fallen nephew. Additionally, Creon loses his wife and son in scene five. CREON.
(Antigone 8). This quote shows that he wants everyone to obey him and anyone who disobeys him will get in trouble. The last support can be found when Creon said, “But he who crosses law, or forces it, or hopes to bring the ruler under him, shall never have a word of praise from me.” (Antigone 23). This means that Creon is “madly in love” with his power and thinks that he can do anything because he is the king.
As long as I am King, no traitor is going to be honored with the loyal man. But whoever shows by word and deed that he is on the side of the State,––he shall have my respect while he is living and my reverence when he is dead ( Scene 1). Creon’s regards towards his own laws cause him to withdraw from all other beliefs or opinions that others have to offer him. He believes that the people of Thebes should obey his rules if they want his support.
He is stubborn, and his pride is so great, he cannot bring himself to acknowledge that he could ever wrong. King Creon also possessed the character trait of being very strict and inflexible, even though his character may have brought protection, or a sense of safety among the Theban people, even when his. When Creon is talking to Teiresias, he thinks that he is being paid off. He does not want to believe he could be wrong about Antigone. Creon even says, “Whatever you say, you will not change my will.”
This contributed to the fact that he was mentally lost. He had clouded judgment because of his idea of what is right for the city is the only way he would rule. As Burt describes “Creon remains adamant, and his judgment on Antigone and Ismene, along with his subsequent argument with his son, Haemon, reveals that Creon's principles are self-centered, contradictory, and compromised by his own pride, fears, and anxieties. ”(Burt). Creon can only think in his mindset and any other view to him is impossible to understand.
When asked, “Who is the tragic hero in Antigone?,” you might automatically think of the character Antigone. The character’s name is the title of the play like in “Hamlet”. The only difference is that Hamlet was the tragic hero in “Hamlet” moreover Creon is the tragic hero in “Antigone”. It all comes down to the definition of Aristotle’s tragic hero. Aristotle states that a tragic hero is, “a person who must evoke a sense of pity and fear in the audience.
Love is a powerful motivation it can even drive you into hating someone, love drives you to do even what you wouldn’t normally do. Creon makes a law that forbids anyone from burying Antigone’s brother. When she finds out she goes against the king and buries her brother. When he is informed about what happened he punishes her. Antigone kills herself and then his son kills himself when he finds out that his love had died.