Pride is the fatal flaw in the play Antigone, wreaking havoc on the royal family of Thebes. The play Antigone was written by one of the most famous Greek playwrights, Sophocles, around the year 441 B.C.. Antigone was the third book in a trilogy series, however it was the first book written. In the play, the new king of Thebes is Creon, who is the uncle of the characters Antigone and Ismene. Antigone and Ismene’s two brothers, Eteocles and Polyneices, have just died in a battle against each other; and their parents both committed suicide. Due to all of these deaths, Creon came to the throne as king of Thebes and to show that he is powerful, Creon declares a law that Polyneices would not be buried because he was exiled but he built an army and …show more content…
Foul spotted heart-- a woman’s follower! (Antigone 28).
Here Haemon is saying that Creon is wrong for what he is doing because he is ending Antigone’s life by sending her to an early death. Tiresias also tells Creon that he is wrong but again Creon ignores the warning and does not change his mind about his decisions. Pride is a dangerous trait to have for it can point toward the wrong path of life. To have pride in moderation is perfectly fine, but if pride engulfs one's being, then it can harmful. When one takes pride on a project that they worked hard on and earned a good grade, then the pride is controlled. However, /if that pride grows, it makes one arrogant to others and their opinions. Such as Creon’s pride did; throughout the play he ignored other people’s thoughts and opinions because he believed that he was always right. Since Creon acted like this, his pride caused a string of deaths. The first death being Antigone as she hung herself in her cave, then Haemon followed when he failed to kill his father; he killed himself with his sword. Finally, Creon’s own wife Eurydice, committed suicide by plunging a dagger in her heart because of the news of Haemon’s death. These deaths are all examples of how pride can lead to faulty
The outstanding play “Antigone” written by Sophocles introduces how Antigone can reveal the honor within a family. “Antigone” produces a tragic hero, which is Antigone because of her pride and imitation of action.
Yet, “[Haimon, Antigone and Eurydice] are dead, [Creon is] guilty [for] their death.” (733, 170). But once Choragos is able to convince Creon to bury Polyneices and free Antigone, because of what Teiresias’s prophecy had said. When they reach Antigone’s vault they saw, “She had made a noose of her fine linen veil// And hanged herself,” (734, 59-60). Haimon was found by her side, he was furious with his father. This brought him to, “suddenly [draw] his sword,” (735, 690) and go at his father with the intention of killing him. But Haimon, “desperate against himself, drove it half its length// Into his own side,” (735, 71-72), he had killed himself. Creon’s wife, Eurydice, could not live with herself knowing that her husband had been the reason for her son's death, so she took her own life. Creon realizes then how his arrogance caused all the issues in his
This quote explains the main conflict of the play. Creon has ordered that Polynices, Antigone’s brother, cannot receive a proper burial because in Creon’s eyes he is a traitor. Polynices fought against his brother to claim the throne of Thebes, the pair ended up killing each other. Tiresias tries to tell Creon that he is wrong to do this because it is angering the gods that he is denying them a body. Tiresias even warns Creon not to be stubborn, “Stubborness/ brands you for stupidity-pride is a crime.” (1137-1138). Pride in Greek tragedies is most often the cause of a characters downfall and Creon is no exception.
Antigone is a tragic play written by Sophocles in about 441b.c. The play is a continuation of the curse put upon the household of Oedipus Rex. Sophocles actually wrote this play before he wrote Oedipus, but it follows Oedipus in chronological order. The story of Antigone begins after the departure of Oedipus, the king of Thebes, into self-exile. Oedipus’ two sons, Eteocles and Polyneices, were left to rule over Thebes. An argument over rights to power forces Polynices to leave Thebes. Some time passes and Polynices returns with the army from Argos and attempts to overthrow his brother. The two brothers fight and kill one another and the war ends. Creon, the uncle of the two
Pride is a quality that all people possess in one way or another. Some people take pride in their appearance, worldly possessions, or position in society. The story of Antigone written by Sophocles has two characters who have a tragic flaw of pride. I will show how Creon’s pride of power leads to his destruction, and how Antigone’s pride makes her an honorable character who should be treated as a hero.
Haemon asks Creon to let Antigone go, because he said he heard that “the city
Pride is the cause of the main conflict in Sophocles’ play, Antigone. Everyone should have pride, but Creon had too much of it and that blinded him. His pride in his power and abuse of authority was his tragic flaw that ultimately led to his downfall. On the other hand, Antigone takes pride in her beliefs and has the courage to speak out for what she thinks is right. For this, Antigone is seen as an honorable character and the hero of the play. It is shown that there are often two sides to things; pride can be both a source of strength and self-destruction.
Of the many characteristics that can describe Creon, prideful is one of the strongest descriptions of him. Throughout the tragedy, Creon reveals indirectly that he has a major tragic flaw: Self-pride. Antigone is considered to have the tragic flaw of excess ambition, exemplar by this quote: “…Is less of importance; but if I had left my brother lying in death unburied, I should have suffered. Now I do not.” (Sophocles 2. 79-81) Her ambition lies in this quote because she is defying the King Creon. However, many characters in stories have the ability to obtain the trait of ambition; whereas self-pride is a more unique trait. Creon’s pride may have gotten him into a bad situation and his trait may have caused him to pay for his own consequences, but a tragic hero has the ability to learn from their own actions. Creon learned
She does not merely contradict the law, but also refuses to fulfill her duties to her societally recognized family, out of her devotion to her original household, which consists of her biological family members. Antigone responds to Creon’s edict with disgust by replying, “Then what are waiting for? More talk? / Your words disgust me, I hope they always will” (Ant. 499-500). This contempt accentuates her disloyalty to Creon especially since a woman should never speak to a king in this manner.
Antigone, written by the Athenian Sophocles, is about a woman named Antigone who lives in a city named Thebes. The play’s plot is based on her attempt to successfully bury her brother Polynices whom perished in a battle with his brother that also assumed the role of
(C.S. Lewis). Pride can take over the lives of people who have it within them. It is ok to feel proud but if the sense of pride is exaggerated it will lead to arrogance and therefore to problems. In the book Antigone, by Sophocles, pride is displayed as good and bad. Pride can have a big impact on people when it is taken for granted. Sophocles uses such powerful language and gives such great imagery with his words that it is apparent pride is greatly implied in his book. The conflicts and morals being taught to us in his book states that pride is something that
Brad Moore, a famous athlete once said, “Pride would be a lot easier to swallow if it didn’t taste so bad.” In Sophocles’ well known Greek tragedy, Antigone, the main character undergoes immense character development. Antigone transforms from being stubborn and underestimated to courageous and open-minded. In reality, it is Antigone’s insular persistence that leads to her ultimate decline in the play as well as others around her. After the death of her two brothers, Eteocles and Polynices, Creon becomes the new ruler of Thebes. With this, he grants Eteocles an honorable funeral service for his brave fighting. Claiming that Polynices was a traitor, he shows complete refusal to grant Polynices a respectable and worthy service. Clearly
Although Antigone is considered a tragedy, these tragical actions revolve around love. Antigone is the second of The Three Theban Plays written by Sophocles, all Ancient Greek tragedies. In the city of Thebes, Creon, the ruler of the city, orders that one of Antigone’s brothers, Eteocles, be buried formally, however the other one, Polyneices, left to “rot.” Inside, Antigone knows this is truly unfair and tries to bury Polyneices formally, however, Creon catches her and is extremely upset. Throughout the play, a combination of love and grief control actions, resulting in the characters defying law, defending lovers, and even killing themselves for others.
He then states he (Creon) alone can’t be right and “other men who can reason, too; and their opinions might be helpful. You are not in a position to know everything” (Sophocles 218). By jogging Creon’s memory that he can’t have an overview of everything, Haemon is endeavoring to help Creon reason and to be open mind. In haemon’s next assertion he describes how, “she kept him from dogs and vultures. Is this a crime? Death- she should have all the honor that we can give her!” this tells the readers that if she would have died it would be unjust to die in shame for what was an act of glory, justice and that she should deserve a crown of gold and glory(218). At the end Haemon uses a plan to make threats against his father, after his father says Antigone must die, Haemon responded with an ultimatum answer “then she must die, but her death will cause another” (222). As Haemon dashing off in anger, Creon knows that if Antigone were to be executed, so will his son. Having no choose but Creon didn’t want Haemon to save Antigone so he carried Antigone into a living tomb (the cave) all locked up and supplied her with food just enough food to clear of its guilt of
Antigone is a play about a woman who disobeyed the King's order to not bury her brother. The play was written by the famous Greek tragedian, Sophocles, in 441 B.C. The story took place in the city of Thebes and the time period is not mentioned. The main characters introduced in the play are of Antigone, Ismene, Creon, and Haemon. The primary focus was centered on Antigone and the consequences she faces after breaking the King's orders.