A stubborn man may rule the land, but what's in the hearts of his people will shift what's in his beloved’s hands. King Creon’s ego will be overturned when his family’s lives begin to diminish all for his own selfishness when justifying laws. As seen in Antigone by Sophocles, King Creon is a tragic figure that through his own stubbornness and pride, he promotes the suffering of not only his son, Haemon, but as well as Antigone herself, which shapes Creon’s character development and will function as a platform for the play’s tragedy to unveil .
A tragedy is more than deaths and suffering, it's at the moment where one realizes that everything they've done has further doomed themselves. A line of misfortunes in Antigone is portrayed throughout
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This quote from any other position can be agreeable to Creon until it's understood in context. Earlier in that text Creon felt justifiable to favor only one sibling under similar circumstances, Antigone said “Honoring one with a full funeral and treating the other disgracefully” (28-29). This refers to the unfair statement that Antigone couldn't bury her brother after her other brother was given a paraded burial; even after both brothers were war heroes from different sides of the war. Although they were from different sides of the war, they were still part of the same family and the same royalty. The difference between the brothers burials continue to have Antigone suffer. She couldn't spring away from her brother’s loss knowing he wasn't given a proper farewell. Such pain was seen through Antigone that members of Thebes communicated to Creon but only his selfishness retaliated. He saw the pain he was causing to Antigone and when his own people disagreed with his decree, he saw …show more content…
Naturally, Creon sent off the people who tried to point out his flaws. Hameon pleaded for his own father to listen and when he didn't listen, he preached “She'll die with me just standing there. And as for you-- your eyes will never see me again” (873-875). By this time, and given an ultimatum by his own family, most would admit their vices. However, Creon's words that follow shortly after prove he was only strengthening his argument. He says “Let him dream up or carry out great deeds beyond the power of man, he’ll not save these girls-- their fate is sealed” (879-882). He wants them dead and everyone who finds this unfair is irrelevant. When Hameon found himself distressed he couldn't take the pain living under a harsh ruler that can't see beyond his own tunnel vision. All decisions were made so quick and overwhelming that Creon's actions affected his wife and Haemon seeing as they both took their lives. Creon felt remorse of his actions and finally saw the pain to others of his stubbornness. This opened Creon's eyes to what is needed to be a good ruler but closed the eyes of so many that
In the play Antigone by Sophocles Haemon acts as a foil character to Creon. In the play Antigone tries to bury her brother even though she knows that it was against the rules. In the play it shows that Antigone would do anything for her brother. After a while Creon found out that Antigone had buried her brother’s body and so Creon wanted to punish her since it was against the rules. Creon's punishment for Antigone was by locking her in a cage in which then she committed suicide and killed herself. Creon is a king but also a relative of Antigone. Creon is a very powerful man but also has very strict rules and he believes everyone should follow them. Haemon acts as a foil character to Creon by trying to make him a good person where everyone can
“According to Aristotle, the function of tragedy is to arouse pity and fear in audience so that we may be purged or cleansed, of these unsettling emotions.” (“What is” 739) This “purging” is clearly effective in Sophocles’ Antigone which is about a young woman’s will to do what is right by the Gods. Also, according to Aristotle, “a tragedy can arouse twin emotions of pity and fear only if it presents a certain type of hero or heroine who is neither completely good nor completely bad” (“What is” 739). He or she must also be “highly renowned and prosperous,” have a tragic flaw, learn a lesson, and suffer greatly (“What is” 739). Therefore, in Antigone by Sophocles, Creon is the tragic hero because he is a king who has the tragic flaw of
Creon’s son Haemon does not want his wife to be to be put to death and pleads with his father. “ I see my father offending justice wrong. That she’ll die but her death will kill another.”(1287) Haemon reveals to the his father that if he continues with killing his wife to be he will flee his presence and kill himself for his love Antigone. In the end Creon realizes that his pride has lead to the destruction of his life and his kingdom. “ I know it myself- I’m shaken, torn. It’s a dreadful thing to yield…but resist now? Lay my pride bare to the blows of ruin? That’s dreadful too.” (1296) King Creon realizes to little to late and because of his pride he loses his son, wife, and daughter in law. “And the guilt is all mine- can never be fixed on another man, no escape for me.
A tragedy, as defined by Ms. Tozar, is “the story of a falling from a high place to a lower place by a character.” In other words, a tragedy is a story of an individual who starts in a high position and descends throughout the story to end in a position that is lower than original position. The individual who makes the descent is known as the tragic hero. The tragic hero, as defined by Ms. Tozar, is “the character who falls from grace as a result of fate and/or a weakness. In the drama, Antigone by Sophocles, one could argue that there are many tragic heroes. However, the one who stands above them all is that of the character of Creon. Creon is understood by most as the tragic hero in Antigone as evident in his
Creon orders the guards to take Antigone away not caring for his son's feelings, since she is his fiancée. Creon feels the law should stand despite the fact that Antigone was his niece or how moral her act was. "Bring her [Antigone] out! Let her die before his eyes..." (Scene 3, 130). This quotes shows that Creon took his position as king seriously to the point where in he was willing to sacrifice the feelings of his own son. He was willing to be the cause of son's destruction just to prove that he is the king and always right. "I will go... I buried her, I will set her free" (scene 5, 102,104). Not only does this quote show leadership but also stubbornness he was risking his relationship with his son to prove that he was the leader of Thebes. Creon says another quote which shows his loyalty to his kingdom, "I call to God to witness that if I saw my country headed for ruin, I should not be afraid to speak out plainly," (Sophocles, scene 1,24-26). It shows his strong sense of leadership which catches up with him in the end causing destruction.
Sophocles symbolizes family over authority by using Antigone and Creon to conflict each other's core beliefs, showing that Antigone is willing to die to honor the love for her family, while Creon is willing to kill to honor and enforce his own authority at any cost. As we see in the story, when Antigone's brothers die, she chooses to bury Polyneices even though she knows this will cost her her life. In the play when Antigone tells her sister what she’s going to do, ismene says, ”But think of the danger! Think what Creon will do! ANTIGONE: Creon is not enough to stand in my way” This shows Antigone represents family for the great lengths she will go to to honor her brother. By contrast, Sophocles paints Creon to symbolize authority through murder of his own bloodline. In the play he plans to kill Antigone for choosing her love for her brother over his rule, and so he plans out her execution although she is family to Creon. The Choragos asks Creon “Do you really intend to steal this girl from your son?,” which then he responds by saying “No; Death will do that for me.” Which shows the reader that Creon is unsympathetic to who Antigone is in relation to him. He disregards the importance of family to uphold his authoritative values. By the end of the play the author has shown us Creon has come to realize his ways have cost him his family, and he regrets his decisions.
In the play Antigone, Creon starts off as the loyal king of Thebes. He is loyal to the gods and loyal to the welfare of Thebes. However, over the course of the play, Creon degenerates into a tyrant. His degeneration is showing his character development. Creon’s pride about the human law also develops throughout the play, creating conflict with the divine law. When Antigone rebels against his law, he becomes stubborn, and makes myopic decisions and grows into his hamartia. Besides his hamartia, Creon’s position as the king makes him a power hungry man. His power madness degenerates him into becoming a ruthless and vindictive man, even to his family. However, over the course of the play, Creon begins to see that because of the laws of men, he was being blinded of what’s
Attention!!! Creon says “Aaiii----mistakes made by a foolish mind, cruel mistakes that bring on death. You see us here, all in one family-----the killer and the killed. Oh, the profanity of what I planned. Alas, my son, you dies so young-----a death before your time. Aaiii… aaiii… you’re dead… gone---not your own foolishness, but mine.” (Lines 1406-1414). Haemon’s words, actions, and ideas contrast with Creon’s character to the point of these two characters having conflicting motivations cause the characteristics of disobedience, anger, and disrespectfulness to be highlighted within Creon’s character. In the end, these conflicting motivations develop Creon as a tragic hero by not letting Haemon marry Antigone and the character interactions advance the plot by leaving Antigone hang herself after she got caught burying Polyneices and letting Haemon kill himself after his father won’t marry Antigone.
Creon, Antigone’s uncle becomes king of Thebes. At first, Creon has reasonable laws and punishments. As the play goes on it shows Creon has too much hubris. He allows the power of being king to go to his head and his pride to blind him. He is also so stubborn and the thought of being wrong never occurs to him so he doesn't feel it is necessary to listen to the people, especially about what to do with Antigone. Creon tells antigone that no matter what she says he will not change his will this shows how much Creon does not want to admit he's wrong about Antigone.
Even though Antigone exhibits a blamable pride and a hunger for glory, her disobedience is less serious than those of Creon. It is evident that Antigone’s actions are driven by a love for her brother, and a desire to please the gods. While Creon’s actions are
Creon has just become the king of Thebes and is letting his great power go to his head. He is deaf to reason and even accuses those who try to change his mind of “selling their soul
Even if he believes he is right and his son should obey him, he doesn’t show an ounce of sympathy for Haemon, who loves Antigone. Creon details his thoughts on the importance of the rule of law over other loyalties, and his belief that to allow any anarchy or, seemingly, freedom would threaten the state. Creon’s method of executing Antigone is interesting. By entombing a living person, Antigone, and denying burial to a dead person, Polynices, Creon’s laws seem to go against common sense, tradition, and nature itself. Creon does not keep a cool head, as a wise leader should, or look for a way to compromise. He is as stubborn as Antigone, as if this were a street fight, he feels he could never back down.
Full of drama and tragedy, Antigone can be used to relate to current conflicts. One such conflict is that between Haemon and his father Creon. Haemon looks up to Creon with honor and pride, but as conflict arises, that relation is disassociated and new feelings grow. The first conversation between them is what initiates the downfall of their bond. While it seems that Creon is the most important person in Haemon’s life, Antigone is in fact the one that has won Haemon over.
Aristotle, an ancient Greek philosopher, defines a tragic figure as one who represents goodness, superiority, a tragic flaw, and a realization of their tragic flaw and inevitability. A tragic figure is normally someone of royalty, or importance, and also experiences a great devastation. A big flaw of a tragic hero is usually their pride. The figure will experience an ironic plot twist, where they realize things are not what they expected, and then are to face the reality of their fate. In, The Theban Plays, by Sophocles (translated by E. F. Watling), the characters Creon and Antigone represent tragic figures. In the play “Antigone,” Sophocles depicts the character Creon as a tragic hero. Creon portrays many characteristics of a tragic figure. His tragic story begins when makes the decision of becoming a hubris. A hubris is one who ignores the gods, and follows their own path. When Creon does this, his decisions greatly affect the fate of his loved ones; his son, wife and Antigone. Along with Creon, Antigone portrays a tragic hero in as well. Antigone’s tragic fate comes from her loyalty to her family and the gods. She chooses to stick to her own beliefs, rather than having obedience towards the king, and this was the cause of her downfall.
Finally, Creon is a dynamic character. He undergoes changes in emotion throughout the work. He realizes his mistakes when Tiresias forecasts the future. Thus, Creon attempts to correct himself by releasing Antigone. But he is too late. He is forced to live, knowing that three people are dead as a result of his actions. This punishment is worse than death. Although Creon’s self-righteousness and inflexibility did not change until the end of the play, his motivations traveled from patriotic ones to personal ones. This created a major portion of the