In the story, Antigone by Sophocles, there is a tragic hero and that is Creon. Being self-centered can affect the surroundings of those who are acting like that, people act like this without knowing because they are too focused on themselves as in not taking other people advice or thinking that they are always correct. Creon became king of Theses and saw himself on top of everyone else. His selfishness affected everyone and himself. In the story Sophocles states, “She will not escape my hardest punishment her sister to whom I accuse as well. She had an equal part in all their plan to do this burial” (Scene 2: 552-555). Creon’s noble stature was king and it affected the society because Creon did not make smart decisions. Like as quoted Sophocles talks how Creon was accusing both of the sisters when it was only Antigone who did it, Creon was not listening to the others since he knows that …show more content…
This was backfired. Since Creon refused to change his law about the burial it affected his punishments. Sophocles writes, “Your gaze makes citizens afraid they can’t say anything you would not like to hear but in the darkness I can hear them talks the city is upset about the girl” (Scene 3 783-786). The city of Thebes began to be upset because of the law Creon was creating for Antigone and they began to disagree with him and that made him start thinking things over again. That was the beginning of the punishments but he still did not do much about it. Sophocles states, “Order you see gods paying respect to evil men? No, no for quite a while some people in the town name. Secretly been muttering against me they don’t agree with what I have decreed” (Scene 1 333-337 Exods). Creon also began to notice that people began to say things behind his back because they did not like that he was deciding and it was bugging him bit because he thought he was doing a good job at leading. Then his punishments
During this time, the belief that Antigone had was that if one was not awarded a proper burial, they are never truly laid to rest. Since she went against Creon and buried her brother, she was executed. If she hadn’t
Creon was not only looking to be a good ruler, he was looking to prove that he was strong or may be better than Oedipus. He did not accept offenses, but it was worse in the case of Antigone because she was a woman. For example, when Creon realized that Antigone had taken her brother’s body and she accepted her guilt without feeling scared from his rules, he said “She is the man, not I, if all unscathed, Such deeds of might are hers” (532-33). In that statement, he was making a difference between what a woman can do or not.
Sophocles shows Creon as being selfish as he takes so much pride in his laws and explains through this quote that when laws are keep the city is perfectly fine, but when the laws are broken and people keep breaking the laws then the city is a mess. However, Antigone is fighting for the gods’ laws and respect for her brother, which in turn is breaking Creon’s
This only adds more fuel to the fire, and angers Creon even further. As discussed above, Antigone is later imprisoned for her actions of defiance and commits suicide. We are left with a question: “How could Antigone’s fate have been different if she had listened to Creon’s orders and left Polynices’ body unburied?” Well, Antigone would definitely not have been the same Antigone if her stubborn nature was removed, wouldn’t she?
King Creon was Oedipus’ uncle and brother-in-law. Creon did not allow for Polyneices to be buried because Polyneices betrayed him and the town. Antigone wanted to do as the gods said, which was burying her brother, but doing so led her to a sequence of problems. Creon is the tragic hero in “Antigone” because he is excessively prideful and stubborn as a king. Creon’s downfall began with him not burying Polyneices and ended with him being alone without a family.
The article “The Tragic Hero in Greek Drama” claims that Sophocles, through the tragic heroes in Antigone and Oedipus the King, suggests, “we could do everything right, act on the best information available, and with the best of intentions, yet still commit unspeakable horrors” (“The Tragic Hero in Greek Drama”). Aristotle, a well-known ancient Greek literary critic, created a definition of a tragic hero. His definition is known as the Aristotelian tragic hero, which has many requirements that the character must possess. Creon is the character that best exemplifies Aristotle’s tragic hero because of his virtue, his hubris, and his realization of his fate; however, others may argue that Antigone is a better example of a tragic hero because of
Creon is known as a tragic hero from the play Antigone by Sophocles. Antigone went against Creon to bury her brother regardless of Creon’s punishments. “Your figures of speech may entertain you now, but unless you bring me the man you will get little profit from them in the end(scene 1, 139-141).” Once Creon found out about the burial, he wanted to know who did it. That resulted in the Sentry finding Antigone as the person who did it.
Pride can be one of man's strongest qualities. In Sophocles' play, Antigone, the Theme of pride becomes the cause for destruction for both Creon and Antigone in the play.. Creon's Pride blinds him to the injustice he commits against Antigone and the gods. Antigone's pride leaves her no choice but to be killed because of her beliefs. They Both automatically surrender to their own hubris and demonstrate how uncontrolled pride leads to personal downfalls and destruction in Antigone.
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.
(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.
In Sophocles’ play Antigone, Creon, the king of Thebes, best represents a tragic hero. Creon demonstrates goodness in his intentions for Thebes as well as his fragile state due to the fact that he recently lost several family members. Creon, newly named king, finds himself as highest ranking official around, showing superiority. Creon often acts stubborn and prideful, his tragic flaw. And lastly, he must come to terms with the fact that he caused the death of his wife, son, and niece.
His free choice is represented by a quote from the guard surveying Polyneices body, “We saw this girl giving that dead man's corpse full burial rites—an act you’d made illegal” (337). Although Creon's own niece turns out to be the one that went against his word, he still chooses to follow through with the punishment even though the deed Antigone did was morally right. The punishment that he lays upon Antigone is excessive and unjust considering the crime. While in an argument with her, he calls to his guards proclaiming, “Take her and shut her up, as I have ordered, in her tomb’s embrace [...]
The play Antigone features a deep struggle of power for King Creon. Creon faced several insecurities, during his rule, as king of Thebes. These insecurities, which stemmed from an internal power struggle, went on to, not only affect his rule as king, but his personal relationships, and emotions as well. Other reasons for his actions stem from family matters that have hindered Creon's ability to successfully control and rule by himself.
Eric Estrella Professor: Corinne Croce ENG 210 September 28, 2016 Antigone The character from the play that I have chosen is Creon. Creon in the play is the king of Thebes and is Antigone’s uncle. Creon is a powerfully built person who cherishes order and loyalty above anything. Creon is also the man who suffers the burdens of the rule he had enforced over his pride to make the Gods satisfy and to make people see he wasn't someone to be disobey too.
Creon realizes it’s too late his mistakes, and now that he lost his family, he realizes he should of listened. All his family dead, he is now alone because he was blinded by his pride that he didn't listen. He realized too late of all the consequences that his ignorance brought upon him. Throughout the play Antigone by Sophocles Creon is seen as a tragic hero, due to the fact that he is rude to others when they try to talk to him and acts childish when insulting others.