Creon: A Tragic Hero

“I myself am made entirely of flaws, stitched together with good intentions.” In a Greek drama, a tragic flaw causes the downfall of a tragic hero, a person of nobility or higher standing. In Sophocles’ play, Antigone, Creon is the tragic hero because he is a strong man who is loyal to his city, but his stubborn pride gets in the way of him ruling his country, protecting his family, and staying true to the Greek values. Creon is the king of Thebes. He became the king because his sister, Iocaste, married the king and after many deaths in the royal family; the kingdom ended up in Creon’s hands. All these deaths were not necessarily unlikely because in this particular royal family there was a curse which caused the cycle of tragedy followed them. When Creon becomes the king, he has big plans for Thebes, but his flaws disable him from reaching those goals. Creon better fits the definition of a tragic hero, as opposed to his niece Antigone, because he has a tragic flaw, hubris, which affects himself, his entire family, kingdom, and future. Despite having many unattractive qualities, Creon is a noble, loyal king, who cares deeply about his city of Thebes. In Creon’s eyes, protecting his city is his number one priority, which causes him to be afraid of anarchy and scared of the people of Thebes disrespecting him or the city. The first time Creon shows just how important his city is to him while he is giving his first speech to his city and he says, “I call God to/ witness that if I saw my city headed for ruin, I/ should not be afraid to speak out plainly; and I need/ hardly remind you that I would never have any dealings/ with enemies of the people” (Sophocles. Scene 1. 27-31). At this moment it becomes evident that Creon has the best interest of his city at hand. The reader can tell that he does not want anything to jeopardize his kingship or kingdom. These thoughts of betrayal often cause Creon to make irrational decisions and make his laws too strict. He does not