(5. 109-111) Creon’s death sentence for Antigone led to his son’s suicide, which then caused the suicide of his wife. The reader feels pity for Creon for his lack of time to grieve and his tragic mistake that led to the loss of his family, this demonstrates his goodness. Creon, recently succeeded to take the throne of Eteocles, making him king. Therefore, giving him the title of royalty and showing superiority.
Antigone described Creon’s attitude towards ruling pretty accurately. Creon sometimes makes bad decisions but since he can do whatever he pleases everyone has to endure the consequences of that decision. When things do not play out perfectly to the way Creon ordered he gets extremely frustrated because he can’t control everything. That is the root of most of his
Soon after Haemon’s suicide, Eurydice kills herself too. Creon has begun to feel this heavy burden on his shoulders. All these deaths started because of his one choice to send Antigone to the cave. His emotions are being poured out “alas for me… the guilt for all of this is mine- it can never be removed from e or passed to any other mortal man” (Sophocles, 1463-1465). Creon is feeling numerous emotions after his downfall.
His fatal flaw is his inability to listen to anyone due to his hubris. His tragic fate is the destruction of everything he loves. His anagnorisis is when Tiresias tells him he has no other option and the fate he has been given cannot be reversed. Overall, Creon’s excessive pride is his ultimate downfall and also the main reason for being labeled as the tragic hero of
Creon, with his hubris, does not listen to the words of his son, Haemon. When he reluctantly calls for the release of Antigone from her imprisonment, he is too late. She has died and Haemon kills himself after failing to kill his father. “Nothing you say can touch me any more. My own blind heart has brought me.
His first edict prevents anyone from burying Polyneices because in Creon’s perspective, Polyneices attacks Thebes as a traitor. Antigone, Polyneices’ brother, defies Creon’s decree and buries Polyneices to follow the “laws of heaven.” to not bury Polyneices is defied by Antigone. He Creon decides to kill her, angering his city and son since they believe she bravely honored the gods by burying Polyneices. In Scene 3, Haimon, his son, informs him of the discord in the
Approaching the end of the book, Creon finally begins to acknowledge the fact that his excessive pride has gone way out of hand and it affects him deeply. “Oh it is hard to give in! But it is worse to risk everything for stubborn pride,” (235 Sophocles). In this quote, Creon comes to a realization about all of the actions that he has done. He begins accepting Teiresias’ prophecy after accusing him of selling out.
Even if someone had a close relative or friend fight against them they would most likely still want their soul to rest peacefully. Antigone didn’t care about any law, if it meant letting her own brother’s soul go to rest she didn’t hesitate for a second. That’s not always the case, Polyneices was a relative of Creon and Creon wanted his corpse to rot in the desert. Nobody wants their opposition to die peacefully. Creon acted as though Polyneices the worst person in the entire world.
Creon does not even give Antigone a second chance. He is sticking to his rule and there is nothing that will change that, even with his own nephew. He has no mercy. He has proven to be a brave and committed leader. Oedipus does not show this.
He is the one who makes the decree about Polyneices not being buried, “No man shall bury, none should wail for him.” In doing so, he angered the gods. Antigone knows she can’t leave Polyneices unburied for fear of not being able to see him in the underworld. So she buries him. Creon’s arrogance with the decree and his judgment on Antigone that she had to die greatly angered the gods. Then when Teiresias comes to expose the error in Creon’s ways, Creon continues in his arrogant ways and dismisses Teiresias as a prophet who was bribed to deliver false