In all literature tragedies, there is a tragic hero. The character that has the major flaw and the one the reader usually pities is normally the tragic hero. In Sophocles’s famous play, Antigone, the death of his son Haemon, wife Eurydice, and daughter in law to be Antigone, were all results from the flaws of Creon. Creon has all of the characteristics that make him the tragic hero in Sophocles’s play. Creon’s strong-willed and arrogant personality caused the 3 tragedies in this play.
Being a strong-willed man, Creon was not easily shaken and stuck with his believes. This was the first flaw of Creon. Creon refused to have Polyneices buried simply because Creon did not think that Polyneices was worthy of burial. However, it was very important to the Greeks that the burial procedures were done because this was the law of the Greek gods. When Antigone came against Creon’s law he found this to act to be rebellious and disrespectful. As a result of the strong-willed personality of Creon he did not have mercy nor change his mind when it came to the punishment of Antigone. In addition to Creon’s strong-willed personality, he also felt that a woman should not sway him. He did not value the opinion of a woman and thought it was useless. This is one of the main reasons Creon felt that he must punish Antigone. To Creon, not punishing Antigone would be compromising his believes for a woman. Furthermore, this was also the reason he did not take Haemon’s advice. Creon felt that Antigone had swayed Haemon and he would not be swayed by Haemon. Also, Creon did not want to take advice from someone younger than him. These were two of the flaws that lead to Antigone and Haemon’s death. Creon felt that his laws were greater than the laws of the gods. This was another reason for the death of Antigone. However, Antigone valued the laws of the gods more than the laws of Creon. This can be inferred by the reader when Antigone twice tries to bury Polyneices against the will of Creon. The reader can also infer the ill-mannered attitude of Creon towards the gods when he states, “Even if Zeus’ eagles should choose to seize his festering body and take it up, right to the throne of Zeus, not even then would I, in trembling fear
Creon and Antigone are both honorable people and yet, both are fatally proud and that is the source of the tragedy. To what extent do you agree? During the time of Ancient Greece, tragic plays were commonly used to deliver a moral message to their audience. Sophocles’ “Antigone” demonstrates the dangers of hubris and the disaster it can cause using the conflict between the two central characters, Antigone and Creon, as the basis of the tragedy. Although they are honourable in their own different…
The characters in the play “Antigone” underwent much stress and sorrow, especially Antigone herself. Antigone suffered from the death of her two brothers, Eteocles and Polyneices, her mother, and her father, yet she remained strong. However, when Creon was given the crown, he declared that Polyneices’s body was not to be touched, which was Antigone’s breaking point. She was motivated to bury her brother and stand up to Creon’s new, unwritten laws, which was driven by her stubbornness. In the end…
Publication: Sophocles, 1888 MLA citation: Sophocles. Antigone. New York: Dover Publications, 1993. Print. Pertinent biographical information on author (You must use an online source and must also include a citation that matches the Works Cited page): Sophocles was born around the times of 496 B.C.E. into wealth, as a son of an arms manufacturer. As an Athenian citizen and “well-known as a masters of tragedy,” it is said that the “creator of Greek tragedy,” Aeschylus, trained Sophocles in writing…
Creon: The Archetype of a Tragic Hero The Greek tragedy Antigone by Sophocles is a story of defiance on one part and ignorance on the other, ultimately resulting in downfall in both cases. The play begins in the aftermath of a civil war in Thebes; there are many casualties including two brothers, Polyneices and Eteocles. These brothers along with their sisters, Antigone and Ismene, are the children of Oedipus, the previous king who suffered a curse that led to his inevitable demise. The current…
tragic conventions. Sophocles, the writer, was born near Athens between 497 and 495 BC and is considered a conservative as all his plays supported the idea of a polytheistic society and that we should not attempt to change our already defined fate. The festival Dionysia, a competition of playwrights where a tetralogy of plays is crafted and judged, brought about the play for the first time in 429 BC and it came in second place to a lost “masterpiece”. With this play Sophocles attempts to convey a…
her fate and is ruled by it while Creon believes that he is in control of fate. In both plays Antigone and Creon make their decisions and these choices lead to their fates. Antigone's defiance is the cause of her death while Creon suffering is a result of his Hubris. Through Antigone and Creon, Sophocles and Anouilh show that people need to be rational when they make decisions, and question and reflect upon their choices. This is shown through Antigone and Creon' attitudes, their ignorant decisions…
play Antigone by Sophocles, Sophocles demonstrates the craving of power by Creon creates suffering for others. Creon thinks he has more power than the gods. and doesn’t give a proper burial to Polyneices. Creon’s greed, craving of power, and his everlasting ego draw out suffering among others. Sophocles portrays Creon’s greed and ego by allowing Creon to ignore others’ important thoughts. For example, when Antigone gives a valid reason for trying to bury her brother, Creon ignores her opinion…
and law. In the play Antigone, Creon has to make such a decision. He issues the edict to outlaw the burial of his traitor nephew, Poleneices. Creon makes all of his decisions based on his pride and his he position as the king. In Antigone, Sophocles uses characterization to emphasize that “There is no happiness where there is no wisdom.” (Sophocles, 767) and that too much pride is never good. "Fate has brought all my pride to a thought of dust." (Sophocles, 767) Creon was once full of pride, that…
Antigone is a Greek Tragedy that stresses the use of sovereignty and virtue against the law ,written by Sophocles. Within the story, the inquery of who the tragic hero is, King Creon or Antigone herself, is a subject of highly debatable class. The king Creon possesses some of the characteristics that define a tragic character, as defined in Aristotle's Tragic Theory. According to Aristotle's Theory, there are a few major traits, which are required of the tragic character. The character must be viewed…
play Antigone, by Sophocles, it is shown that just because a leader is born into power does not mean that he deserves the throne. The current king in Thebes is Creon, and he displays how even though it was his birthright to the throne he is not the most efficient leader. Creon’s hubris and arrogance makes him a leader who does not think universally. Creon made certain decisions that might not have been the best for Thebes but instead for his own well being or his reputation. Sophocles reveals how leaders…
