Creon, a character from the Greek tragedy Antigone, is described as the tragic hero of the story due to the character's flaws and the consequences that followed. Creon's intentions are purely of nationalism for the land he rules, Thebbes. He forbids anyone to show respect to a violent betrayer, but in the process makes tragic flaws. Creon's tragic mistakes can all be embodied by the one question he had asked his son Haemon, “And the city proposes to teach me how to rule?” ( 3.103). Creon is insistent on ruling one his own. Even When the prophet, Teiresias, tried to help the king, Creon was also deaf to his suggestions, even though they were for his well being. When Creon…
Creon’s pride and Antigone’s stubbornness create Antigone’s central conflict and create devastating consequences. Antigone loses her life, prompting Creon’s son and wife to commit suicide. Creon is forced to live with the guilt of the deaths of those dearest to him knowing that they were a result of his selfish actions. These events could not have turned out any differently due to how deeply engrained Creon and Antigone’s flaws are. Antigone is so determined to bury her brother that a potential death sentence and words from her sister do not deter her. The motivation of doing what the gods want, honoring Polyneices, and her stubbornness cause her to be unafraid of punishment. This is illustrated when Antigone says, “This death of mine/Is of…
Antigone disobeys the king by burying her brother who Creon views as a traitor to Thebes. She realizes that this action will result in her death but is still willing to do so as long as…
Throughout the play Antigone, Creon is portrayed as the king of discipline and pride. Creon’s pride is what makes him the tragic figure of Antigone. Though Antigone takes her life as the result of her sentence from Creon, it is not her pride that defines her fate but her unwillingness to accept her fate.…
Corrupt. Foul. Nefarious. All of these words describe a ruler who negatively affects others. Power has a negative effect on others because it can be used to control and manipulate someone.…
Throughout history, there have been countless kings and rulers that have shaped government systems and history as a whole. The bad kings and rulers are often remembered as tyrants and unfair dictators. It is a fair assumption that throughout the play Antigone, Creon ruled with an “iron fist,” but undoubtedly over-exercised his powers when dealing with his punishment for Antigone for burying Polyneices’ body. He continually insisted that his law was in accordance with what the gods wanted. His stubbornness kept him from listening to Haemon, even though his son tried to persuade Creon from executing Antigone. Sophocles intentionally has Creon lose everything towards the end of the play to show the consequences of confusing his own law with what the gods would want. In his play Antigone, Sophocles shows the danger in being too stubborn and self-reliant a ruler, as well as mixing human law with divine law by presenting a proud, overbearing ruler in Creon.…
In Sophocles play “Antigone”, Creon the king demanded that his people obey his rules and order even if it’s wrong. He believed this because it stops chaos and keeps order, but when he puts out the law that whoever were to bury Polyneices body will be put to death and this upsets all of the citizens, including his son. A true ruler must give his people what they want unlike Creon did, Creon’s people and his son told him he was making the wrong decision. When the towns people act like the counsel listen to them. The play disagrees with Creon because while he was a feared and mighty ruler in his own eyes, his own people were scared and untrusting of his rules and decisions.…
In Antigone by sophocles, Creon uses his power poorly. He uses his power for him and only him, not caring about the results or how his family feels. For example he says antigone must die for doing the noble thing, which was giving her brother a proper burial. Antigone is basically a daughter to him, she is marrying Haimon, creon's son. Haimon is not okay with this so he talks to his father, but he won't budge.…
The play Antigone supports Creon’s claims that the rule of the king must be obeyed even if it is wrong in order to avoid anarchy and chaos. It is tragic that so many lives had to be lost. It is hard to be a king and maintain the rule of law. King Creon is a strong king that demands to be obeyed no matter what the cost. Tragically he lost so many that he cared for. First his brother dies, then his two nephews fight over the throne and end up killing each other. Eteocles was the king however his brother Polyneices fought to take his place. To no avail they both die. Eteocles was giving a proper burial for a king where Polyneices was just left to rot on the battlefield.…
The concept of justice is a tricky one and thus it comes as no surprise that the differing views on what is morally right between Antigone and Creon result in the tragedies of Antigone. In Antigone, Antigone and her sister Ismene return to Thebes after they discover that their brothers were waging war against one another to determine who would rule Thebes after the death of their father, Oedipus. When Antigone returns, she discovers that her brothers, Polyneices and Eteocles, already killed each other. These deaths result in Creon becoming the king of Thebes. Upon his rise to the throne, Creon declares a law which holds that those who oppose the state cannot receive a proper burial with formal rites. King Creon specifically notes the importance of keeping the city honorable and thus enforcing this new law, “Such are the rulers by which I will guard this city’s greatness; and in keeping with them is the edict I have published touching the sons of Oedipus.…
Ruler of the Thebes, the fictional kingdom in the play Antigone, Creon in his speech argues that Polyneices, son of the late ruler Oedipus ought to have no burial. He supports his clam by first appealing to false authority, then using sentimental appeals, and lastly by comparing Polyneices to his brother, Eteocles. Creon’s purpose is to make sure nobody disobeys him in order to seem powerful in the eyes of his citizens. He adopts a demanding tone to assure he is well respected.…
Moral obligation and commitment play an important role in the play. Both Antigone and Creon display unbelivable fortitude when their positions on this are questioned. Creon is willing to rob his son of his bride. His power and kingship, what Creon most values, are questioned as a result of this. Still, Creon stays commited to his punishment for…
Violence, greed, and suffering are all great examples of power being abused negatively. When someone has power, they have the decision to either use that power in a positive or negative way. Sadly, some people decide to use their power in a negative way that affects others. Power can have a negative effect on others by using fear and manipulation.…
After Creon lost both of his nephews he made a decree banning the burial of one of them. After his niece buried her brother, Creon was in a difficult position in which he had to decide if he was going to continue to be consistent with his law and punish his niece, or to go against his morals and change his decree. Creon desires to be a sovereign king, therefore, he chooses to punish his niece after she broke the law by going against the decree he made. Sophocles portrays Antigone as the protagonist, and Creon as the protagonist, but after a closer look, it becomes evident that Creon was trying to run his kingdom in a way that his subjects would respect him, rather than in a way that favours his family members.…
By burying her brother, Antigone knowingly and willingly went against royal orders and in doing so chooses her own death. She knows as well as anyone in the town that death would come to all that disobeyed Creon's order. Antigone says to this "no one will ever convict me for a traitor,"(Act I: Scene II: Line 361) and decides to bury the body, this is quite ironic because by burying her brother a traitor is exactly what she is convicted of being. Antigone's actions went against her homeland. Creon had declared that "Our country is our safety. Only while she voyages true on course can we establish friendships truer than blood itself. Such are my standards. They make our city great."( Act I: Scene II: Line 382) He says this meaning that if everyone acted as a whole they would always prosper. If someone were to go against the laws and ideals put by Creon it would only cause dissension. When Antigone went against the law this was exactly what happened. Chaos would not have ensued if she trusted her king to be right in his decision, just as all the townspeople and her sister Ismene did.…