Why Is Creon Wrong

“Humble yourself or life will do it for you,” is a common quote used by many. This idea of being humble to avoid consequences applies well to the book Antigone by Sophocles. It shows how if one has too much pride, they will be humbled in one way or another. In Antigone, Creon had tunnel vision, not listening to anyone. His fatal flaw was hubris, ultimately leading to the downfall of him.

Pride can do great things but it can also lead good people to make terrible decisions. In the play, Antigone buries her brother Polynices. Polynices was announced a traitor by her uncle Creon. Creon punishes Antigone; Creon ends up trying to take this back. It is too late, and Antigone is dead which leads to the death of Creon’s son and wife. In the play Antigone, pride plays as Creon’s hamartia. Creon’s pride leads him to make decisions he wishes he could take back, makes him do many things that he does not actually want to do, and losing many of his loved ones

In the play Antigone, by Sophocles, the characters face tragedy, and in every tragic play there is a tragic hero. A tragic hero must accommodate the following five elements; noble stature, tragic flaw, free choice, excessive punishment, and finally, increased awareness. There are two strong characters in the play, Creon the King and Antigone the princesses, that consist of those elements, all but one, the final element, increased awareness. The character that embraces all five elements of a tragic hero is Creon. Creon has the increased awareness of discovering the outcome of his choices, unlike Antigone who dies without ever knowing what her choices got herself into. Creon realizes that his tragic fall, was due to his pride.

In the distinguished play Antigone, there is argument over who the tragic hero is, Antigone, or King Creon. A tragic hero must meet certain specifications, which include having a great influence, being essentially good with good intentions, having a weakness in them that leads to their fall, they must commit great sin which leads to conflict, that their story begins in relative happiness and ends in utter disaster, and that the hero commits their actions of their own free will. In this play, I believe that Creon is the real tragic hero and that Antigone sparks the reaction to his downfall.

In the play Antigone, written by Sophocles, Creon is the king of Thebes. He is highly regarded and looked up to. He is a fair ruler and he does well to capture his peoples trust. However, Creon’s excessive pride leads to his downfall. He does not realize what his fate is because he is too busy trying to get revenge on Polynices.

Sophocles, in Antigone, says in a world where man cannot determine what is right or wrong we should set aside pride, accept the wisdom of those wiser than us, and submit to the gods.

Every fallen prince starts out to be a gifted and compassionate person, and yet once he reaches to the top and attain the throne, he becomes corrupted by power and eliminates every person who is in his way without a remorse, which consequently leads to his downfall. Macbeth, Creon, and Oedipus gain their glory as warriors and intellectual men before they ascend the throne; and yet, when they become the sovereignty of their country, they refuse to listen to anyone and betray their families and friends. The absolute power they gain allow the three monarchs to feel what is like to have control over the lives of many people and the freedom to execute any actions they want; but it also turn them to tyrants and destroy their lives with agony, regrets,

“Antigone” written by Sophocles is a story about play which was created about in 441 B.C.. The story is that Antigone who is the main character decides to bury her brother who deads during a war, when the king Creon prohibits to do it. She asks her young sister, Ismene, for help, but she declines it. Then, Antigone who buries it alone got arrested and put in the underground cave. The son of King, Haemon who was engaged with Antigone at the same time, tries to persuade his father. However, he rejects it. Creon believes that he is always absolutely right. People should follow his own rules and, once it is made it, he also has to follow it. He is fearful that people look down at him when he changes rules easily.

There are many leaders throughout the world that are in charge of different things like small organizations and even countries. Some are fantastic leaders, and then others are substandard. Today's leaders and the future’s must learn from previous leaders’ mistakes to make their rule even better. There are many qualities a leader must posses to be an excellent and respected ruler. In Oedipus the King and Antigone, Oedipus and Creon, who are both kings from the play, rule with distinct leadership traits. Some are effective and some are not, but unfortunately, they both have an ineffective trait that leads to their downfall. Based on Henry S. Givray's, 12 Distinguishing Qualities that Define True Leaders, Oedipus and Creon are both determined and loyal, but differ when it comes to serving others and self awareness.

Oedipus the soon-to-be king, solved the Sphinx 's riddle, which had been killing the People of Thebes when they were unable to solve the riddle. The people of Thebes loved and respected Oedipus, for saving them. For defeating the sphinx he was praised by the people of Thebes and married to widowed Queen of Thebes Jocasta. Jocasta 's late husband had been killed by a "group of robbers" . Oedipus The King again becomes a hero when he promises to save the people of Thebes from a plague. Oedipus dispatches Creon to Apollo to ask him how to save the city of Thebes. Creon tells Oedipus "By banishing a man, or expiation of blood by blood, since it is murder guilt which holds our city in this destroying storm." (line 118-120). However, when Creon

Creon is a character who plays a major role in both Greek tragedies of Oedipus the King and Antigone. He is a powerful man in both texts as Creon is the brother of Oedipus's wife, which basically means that he has the same amount of status as King Oedipus does. In the myth of Oedipus the King, Creon conquered the throne of Thebes after the previous king Laius died. Creon appears again in another myth, this one being in Antigone which is the continuation of Oedipus the King. Although, the Thebes did not fall in Antigone, both Eteocles and Polynices died in the process of trying to become king which lead Creon to became the new ruler. Creon plays a very similar yet different role in both Greek tragedies, while he is in power, puts the throne

In Sophocles’ plays, the characters were usually not remembered by their heroism, instead by their tragedies. In the play “Antigone”, people agree in common that Antigone was a tragic character. However, toward the end of the play, the audience’s impression gradually shifts to the tragedy of King Creon. Creon succeeded King Oedipus’ crown, also eliminated the traitor, Polyneikes, who brought outside enemies to Thebes. Creon’s contribution to Thebes is obvious and remarkable. Yet, his stubbornness and disobedience to the gods’ wills brought him to a tragedy ending.

At the end of the play, Oedipus the king, once Oedipus is exiled, the new king is proclaimed to be Creon. Oedipus is a hero, good at the heart and very just in his actions, and that is what made him unsuitable to be properly king. He was kind, yet to a fault. The thoughts needed to be a king are different than those that are needed to be a hero. Creon, however, has the thought process necessary to be king, and a good one at that. Creon will be a different type of leader than Oedipus, as they have different morals and ways of thinking and so he will know to avoid the mistakes Oedipus made.

I was fortunate enough to be educated about the doctrine of karma at a young age. This knowledge helped me avoid many conflicts that the characters in Macbeth and Oedipus the King were not able to. Then, I remembered the innocent victims of Oedipus and Macbeth’s ignorance. Personally, if I was one of the victims, I would have wanted revenge, whether it be through karma or my own hands. As a result, a couple of poems that I have compiled are dedicated to Laius, Creon, Banquo, King Duncan, and Macduff; I wanted them to have a chance to find justice.

This conversation between Oedipus and Creon play a significant role in whole drama. Ironically Oedipus who was proud of his position, his power and his throne at the end of the drama loses everything, but Creon who did not want to be a ruler, received an opportunity to be a king. Life for both of these characters changed dramatically one loses and other one gains, but both in this situation act with honor. Even when Oedipus did mistakes in the past he found strength to accept the truth at the end, and he judge himself. He shows that he has a power to judge who is guilty even if it was him. Creon now in charge but he does not pay him back, he is ready to take care of Oedipus children and let him to say goodbye to them. Oedipus understood that