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…
A man with many flaws or weaknesses Creon, he has no bigger one than that of his quick-temper. In his heated encounter we see with Haemon he instantly attacks and throws his rage onto Haemon as soon as he feels his son is threatening his judgment. “You’ll never marry her while she’s alive.” (Line 858) Creon announces to Haemon, this is what ultimately pushes Haemon over the edge as he replies back “Then she’ll die—and in her death kill someone else.” (Line 859) Here Creon instantly thinking Haemon is referring to killing him but is actually foreshadowing a threat on his own life if Antigone is killed. At the end of Antigone when the king goes to retrieve Antigone from her stony grave Haemon is already there. When they discover her limp body hanging from her own torn shreds of clothing that is when Haemon takes his own life. This moment is when Creon becomes this tragic hero realizing his mistakes “Aaiii-mistakes made by a foolish mind, cruel mistakes that bring on death.” (Lines 1406-1407) Creon cries out realizing his mistakes and the damages his foolish mind has caused locking in his spot as a tragic…
Creon, the king of Thebes, is an extremely powerful ruler, so much so that many people fear him. In fact, he is so feared, he could even be called a tyrant. The sentry that reports Antigone’s “crime” is nearly shaking in his boots when he tells Creon. In lines 85-87 he says “And all the time a voice kept saying “You fool, don't you know you're walking straight into trouble?””, this shows that he is scared for his life and all he did was send a message. Another…
Creon suffers a horrible fate. His pride leads him onto suffering. He’s failed from his power and happiness. The messenger said,”Haemon is dead,and the hand that killed him was his own.”(Page 1103,Lines 19-20) Because of what Creon did that caused Polyneices to never be buried and Antigone be locked away in a cave, Creon would suffer from the wrath of the gods. He failed to acknowledge a higher good than that of his decision. The cause of his downfall is his flaw, he is responsible for his fate.…
“I admit I did it. I won’t deny that.”(Line 500) Antigone’s views are a direct polar opposite of Creon. The motivations of Antigone conflict with Creon highlight his characteristics of self pride, views of laws, and rudeness towards women. Each of these characteristics brings Creon out as a tragic hero as soon as the play begins and his role is ginormous throughout the play Antigone.…
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.…
Tiresias, the blind prophet, is the only person in the whole of Thebes that is able to alter Creon’s stern view on the situation with Antigone. He says “You plunged a child of light into the dark” (239) implying that he wrongfully sentenced Antigone, and she will die because of Creon’s mistake and hubris. When Creon’s eyes are opened to the truth, he is horrified and quickly rushes to open the tomb in which Antigone is sealed. However, he is too late, Antigone is found to be dead and Haemon, upon seeing this, stabs himself. When Eurydice, Creon’s wife, hears of the death of her son, she too kills herself. The reader feels sympathy for Creon because the arrogant ruler realizes his mistake and wants to free Antigone from her sealed tomb, but he is too late. In the past, Creon is arrogant, selfish and cruel, but here he realizes his mistakes and tries to right his wrongs. This allows the audience to feel pity and sorrow for his misfortunes. After Creon learns of his wife’s suicide he says: “Kill me? Will you kill me? … Must you bring me words that crush me utterly. I was dead and still you kill me.” (249) This provokes sympathy for Creon as he is completed shattered and broken by his wife’s death so soon after his son’s death that he asks to be killed so he does not have to continue living with the guilt that he ultimately killed his wife and son. The news of his wife’s suicide mentally destroys Creon as he is says that he is dead from the guilt and yet they kill him again. We feel even more sympathetic for Creon because he loses two of the most important things in his life - his wife and son. At the end Creon is left “a rash weak foolish man” (252) who did not deserve to lose his wife and child for having excessive…
After King Creon honors Polyneices's body, he arrives at the vault of Antigone and his son, Haimon. Creon immediately discovers that Antigone has committed suicide like she said she would while Haimon is right by her side, devastated. In a dazed rage, Haimon takes his own life right in front of his father. "And suddenly drew his sword and lunged. Creon shrank back, the blade missed; and the boy, desperate against himself, drove it half its length into his own side and fell(969-970)." At this point, the king is unimaginably depressed but his morale decreases even more when he comes home to find his wife is also dead after she stabbed herself. Sadly, Creon's change of heart did not reach out to his loved ones, which left him alone and…
My first reason on why i think that you should think that Creon is a tragic hero, because he is very stubborn. The reason he is so stubborn, is because he pride is to great, and he couldn't imagine hiself ever being wrong. During the story, Creon wouldn't listen to anyone. The prophet even tried to tell him that the gods were mad at him for not burying Polyneices.…
In some respects Creon is seen as a positive character, in others as an antagonist. However, if one sees it from a different perspective, it's obvious that Creon is the victim of fate and his own flaws, making him a tragic hero. His first misfortune was to fall from the grace of his people when saying that Antigone should die for her actions. "Your people are beginning to question your judgment and are beginning to side with Antigone." (256-257) This scene is very ironic! Creon is actually trying to maintain his authority by being a ruler of his word, but he is actually losing respect. Creon's present situation foreshadows unrest and growing calamity within his own family. The idea of him losing…
There are two ways I can see to approach this question. The first the opinion of the chorus about the specific character of Creon and the second is the more general observation that the chorus makes concerning the abstract "man" at the start of the play. Both are simple enough to answer, but I will begin with the general.…
Tiresias says: “The time is not far off when you shell pay back corpus for corpus, flesh of your own flesh. You have kept from the god’s … the child that is theirs. The one in a grave before her death, the other dead, denied the grave” (Scene 5, line 77). This shows foreshadowing in the plot, and it also shows that even though Creon was warned would still lose everything. In this scene there is a lot of foreshadowing for analyzing also. When it says “Pay back corpus for corpus” it would suggest that he will be giving something of himself, and he will be punished for what he did to Antigone. It also says that “The one in a grave before her death, the other dead, denied the grave.” This would suggest that those who die before Antigone’s death would be honored with the gods, but the ones that fall after her will not. Therefore, this leaves Creon unsympathetic do to the fact that he will die after Antigone because of his own doings. Tiresias says: “And your house will be full of men and women weeping, and curses will be hurled at you from a far cities grieving for sons unburied, left to rot before the walls of Thebes. These we my arrows, Creon: they are all for you” (Scene 5, line 84). Because of what Creon did to Antigone, and because the gods found favor with Antigone’s decision not Creon’s, everything will die. This line would suggest that the gods will not…
Creon, the new ruler of Thebes decides that Antigone’s brother Polynices will not be given a proper burial because he betrayed his homeland. Antigone tried to give him a proper burial and is supremely proud of her deeds and herself because she believes them honorable and if she must be punished for them, she will bear it honorably. While Antigone is being dragged into Creon’s palace by the guards, Creon demands that Antigone beg for mercy, but “She shows her father’s stubborn spirit: foolish/ Not to give way when everything is against her” (396-97). The chorus is predicting in this quote that Antigone’s hubris will be her downfall. She is, the chorus thinks, being “foolish” in sticking to her principles when she might be punished for doing so. But Antigone simply believes that she is right; She is supremely proud. Creon too believes that he is right. He believes that he is the best king yet, he can lead his kingdom to greatness. Creon’s demonstration of supreme pride allows him to behave in a foolish manner. He also believes that if he sticks to his principles others will eventually bend to his will. In a calm, cool manner, Creon slowly tries to figure out why Antigone does what she does, and states “the over-obstinate spirit/ Is soonest broken” (398-99). Creon is building up his confidence while trying to diminish Antigone’s bravery. Creon is full of himself, and believes that he and his family are superior to other people. After Antigone is taken away, Creon and the chorus are talking and the chorus asks how Creon can take away his son’s fiancé. Creon boldly replies “oh, there are other fields for him to plough”(486). Creon shows here that he believes Haemon is superior to other men because he is the son of a king.…
To begin, Creon exhibits hubris – excessive pride in oneself. Creon first demonstrates this characteristic when he states that whomever the city appoints king “must be obeyed, in little things and great, in just things and unjust…” (132). By declaring this, Creon is saying that the Chorus and the civilians of Thebes must listen to him whether he is right or wrong. He believes he is the most important voice in all the land, and he does not need any guidance or assistance in his ruling. Next, when Creon is arguing with Antigone’s fiancé, Haemon, over the decision to bury Eteocles and not Polyneices, he asks Haemon if he (Creon) should rule with any other judgment other than his own. When asking this, Creon sounds shocked that Haemon would even consider suggesting to Creon to rule with other’s input on his decisions as king. The role of the Chorus is to ask questions and offer opinions and advice; new rulers are to use the Chorus for guidelines. Creon does not inquire of the Chorus any opinions or advice, as most new kings do. Due to his excessive pride, Creon believes he can rule on his own judgment, with or without the Chorus. Not only does Creon embody hubris, but he also goes through anagnoris.…
The reader first notices Creon’s excessive pride when he speaks of his rule as superior to the gods. Creon exclaims, “Am I to rule this land by other judgment than mine own?” signifying his complete disregard for the gods’ superior rule over his own (Sophocles). By highlighting his own pride in his rule and disregarding that of the gods, Creon presents himself with a certain god-like superiority. The reader further sees Creon’s self-infatuation when he corrects the prophet, Teiresias, claiming, “Well, the prophet-tribe was ever fond of money,” suggesting that Tiresias prophesizes falsely only in pursuit of money out of arrogance and pride that he was wiser than the prophet himself (Sophocles). Creon’s excessive pride is finally confronted by the gods’ powerful control over Creon’s life. In taking his own wife and son, the gods put Creon in his place exhibiting their superiority over him and exposing Creon’s own human weakness despite his intense pride. “Woe, woe!” Creon cries. “I thrill with dread. Is there none to strike me to the heart with two-edged sword? O miserable that I am, and steeped in miserable anguish! (Sophocles)”. In Creon’s anguish, human weakness is exposed as well as the faulty security in excessive human…