Character Analysis Of 'Pride And Bull-Headedness In Antigone'
Excessive Pride and Bull-Headedness Leads To Demise and Downfall Antigone's relentless pride and ego leads to her overall downfall and, ultimately, she pays with her life because of her excessive pride. Kreon, the King of Thebes, is obligated to his duties as a king to rule his kingdom. Kreon is Antigone’s uncle, and he is an older man that surrendered himself to his throne, “You cannot measure a man’s character, policies, or his common sense- until you see him in action. I’ll always speak out when I see Thebes choosing destruction rather than deliverance,” (712). Antigone is stubborn and possesses excessive pride, which leads to her downfall. Antigone is devoted to maintaining and protecting divine laws, which includes burying her brother, “The city is forbidden to mourn him or bury him- not tomb, not tears. Violate any provision- the sentence is you’re stoned to death in your own city,” (707). Antigone is
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the play’s tragic heroine because she refuses to relinquish her desire. Antigone defies Kreon’s rule by burying her brother’s body, and pays with her life in the end. Kreon is an older king that also demonstrates flaws with his stubbornness and excessive pride.
Kreon’s only concern is with social and political order, and he has committed himself to the throne in the kingdom of Thebes, “Our country is the ship that must keep us safe. It’s only on board her, among the men who sail her upright, that we make true friends. Such are the principles I will follow to preserve Thebes’ greatness,” (712). Kreon ordered Antigone’s crime covered up to save her from damnation and death, but Antigone refuses to accept anything other than what she wants to do, “Take me and kill me- is that your whole plan? Then what stops you? Are you waiting for me to accept what you’ve said? I never will.” (719). Because Antigone is reluctant to accept Kreon’s forgiveness and wants to do her own thing, Kreon has no other choice then to sentence her to death, “Both my mind and your mind. No more delay, men, take them in. Make sure they behave like women. Don’t let either slip away. Even the brave will try to run when they see death closing in.”
(721). Antigone and Kreon cannot communicate their points of view to one another effectively because they will not get past their pride and stubbornness. Antigone exemplifies her excessive pride and stubbornness because of the persistence she has to fulfill her own desires, which go against state law and Kreon, “I’ll be the last to arrive, and the worst off, going down with most of my life unlived. I hope my coming will please you father, comfort my mother, and bring joy to you, brother, because I washed your dead bodies, dressed you with my hands, and poured blessed offerings of drink on your graves.” (729).
Kreon exemplifies his excessive pride and stubbornness by showing the people of Thebes that he will not change his mind about sentencing Antigone to death. Kreon also believes that laws and discipline is what saves good people, “Discipline is what saves the lives of all good people who stay out of trouble. And to make sure we enforce discipline-never let a woman overwhelm a king. Better to be driven from power, if it comes to that, by a man. Then nobody can say you were beaten by some female,” (724).
After Antigone’s death Kreon realizes and acknowledges that his edict is in violation of divine law, but his pride and stubbornness causes the death of his own son, niece, and wife. Kreon, while mourning the loss of his son, realizes how he let his pride get the best of him, “Oh, what errors of the mind I have made! Deadly, bull-headed blunders. Your life was cut short not through mad acts, but through mine.” (739). After Kreon realizes his mistakes due to bull-headedness after his son and wife’s death, and his stubbornness has now left him alone. Kreon’s concern with discipline and his own ego caused everyone’s death in his family and he acknowledges that in the end when no one else in his family is alive, “There’s no one I can blame, no other mortal. I am the only one,” (741).
Antigone's relentless pride and ego leads to her overall downfall and ultimately, she pays with her life because of her excessive pride. Kreon is too devoted to maintaining order through civil laws, and discipline. Antigone is too devoted to maintaining and protecting divine laws. Kreon and Antigone’s excessive pride and bull-headedness lead to and prevent them from communicating their points to one another effectively, which causes them to both plummet. Antigone pays with her life because she is too stubborn to not fulfill her desires, and Kreon pays with his son, wife, and niece in order to maintain civil laws and discipline in his kingdom. At the end of this tragedy Antigone is dead, and Kreon is alone. Their excessive pride and bullheadedness is what ultimately leads to their downfall.
the play’s tragic heroine because she refuses to relinquish her desire. Antigone defies Kreon’s rule by burying her brother’s body, and pays with her life in the end. Kreon is an older king that also demonstrates flaws with his stubbornness and excessive pride.
Kreon’s only concern is with social and political order, and he has committed himself to the throne in the kingdom of Thebes, “Our country is the ship that must keep us safe. It’s only on board her, among the men who sail her upright, that we make true friends. Such are the principles I will follow to preserve Thebes’ greatness,” (712). Kreon ordered Antigone’s crime covered up to save her from damnation and death, but Antigone refuses to accept anything other than what she wants to do, “Take me and kill me- is that your whole plan? Then what stops you? Are you waiting for me to accept what you’ve said? I never will.” (719). Because Antigone is reluctant to accept Kreon’s forgiveness and wants to do her own thing, Kreon has no other choice then to sentence her to death, “Both my mind and your mind. No more delay, men, take them in. Make sure they behave like women. Don’t let either slip away. Even the brave will try to run when they see death closing in.”
(721). Antigone and Kreon cannot communicate their points of view to one another effectively because they will not get past their pride and stubbornness. Antigone exemplifies her excessive pride and stubbornness because of the persistence she has to fulfill her own desires, which go against state law and Kreon, “I’ll be the last to arrive, and the worst off, going down with most of my life unlived. I hope my coming will please you father, comfort my mother, and bring joy to you, brother, because I washed your dead bodies, dressed you with my hands, and poured blessed offerings of drink on your graves.” (729).
Kreon exemplifies his excessive pride and stubbornness by showing the people of Thebes that he will not change his mind about sentencing Antigone to death. Kreon also believes that laws and discipline is what saves good people, “Discipline is what saves the lives of all good people who stay out of trouble. And to make sure we enforce discipline-never let a woman overwhelm a king. Better to be driven from power, if it comes to that, by a man. Then nobody can say you were beaten by some female,” (724).
After Antigone’s death Kreon realizes and acknowledges that his edict is in violation of divine law, but his pride and stubbornness causes the death of his own son, niece, and wife. Kreon, while mourning the loss of his son, realizes how he let his pride get the best of him, “Oh, what errors of the mind I have made! Deadly, bull-headed blunders. Your life was cut short not through mad acts, but through mine.” (739). After Kreon realizes his mistakes due to bull-headedness after his son and wife’s death, and his stubbornness has now left him alone. Kreon’s concern with discipline and his own ego caused everyone’s death in his family and he acknowledges that in the end when no one else in his family is alive, “There’s no one I can blame, no other mortal. I am the only one,” (741).
Antigone's relentless pride and ego leads to her overall downfall and ultimately, she pays with her life because of her excessive pride. Kreon is too devoted to maintaining order through civil laws, and discipline. Antigone is too devoted to maintaining and protecting divine laws. Kreon and Antigone’s excessive pride and bull-headedness lead to and prevent them from communicating their points to one another effectively, which causes them to both plummet. Antigone pays with her life because she is too stubborn to not fulfill her desires, and Kreon pays with his son, wife, and niece in order to maintain civil laws and discipline in his kingdom. At the end of this tragedy Antigone is dead, and Kreon is alone. Their excessive pride and bullheadedness is what ultimately leads to their downfall.