According to Greek play writer Sophocles who is also the author of “ Antigone”,
“Whoever thinks that he alone has speech, or possesses speech or mind above others, when unfolded such men are seen to be empty”. The play “ Antigone” was about how Creon a king who supports polis, a society where the country is more important than family, dealt with a girl who buried her brother when her brother was a traitor of the city and were banned from burials. The girl’s action strongly offended Creon’s faith and Creon wanted to punish her. Creon ignored the chorus, the seer and his son’s advices and buried Antigone in a tomb. Creon’s son which is the future husband of the girl killed himself because his father said he will kill Antigone in front of him. Creon’s wife died after her son died due to grief. At last, Creon finally realized what he did and became crazy. Creon’s
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His attitude toward oikos was solid and his words presents his majesty. The second quotation was taken from the end of Creon’s speech and presented his determined mind toward oikos. In the quotation, the arthor wrote, “ Never in my hands will the traitor be honored above the patriot. But whoever proves his loyalty to the state - I’ll prize that man in death as well as life”. In the first sentence from the quotation, Creon expressed his opinion against traitor and revealed him as a patriotic leader. The word “ traitor” referred to the people who support oikos while the word “ patriot” referred to the people who support polis. The phrase “ proves his loyalty to the state” clarify Creon’s opinion of who is a traitor and who is a patriot. The word “ prize” helped to express Creon’s support for polis . The quotation in all showed Creon’s strong disagreement toward oikos and his support for polis. In a word, in the play “ Antigone”, the writer Sophocles used characterization to show Creon’s support for polis and presented Creon as a patriotic leader who had a strong
After Antigone is brought forth and accepts the punishment of her burying her brother, Creon sends her away. At this time, Ismene steps up to defend Antigone and tries to get creon to realize that Antigone is his son’s future bride. Creon answers by saying, “There are other field just as fertile” (26). In this quote, he displays that he cares for neither Antigone, nor his son, Haemon. . He explains that there are other women around that could be just as a promising wife as Antigone. He exemplifies the theme of pride here, by putting that everyone gets replaced and that he does not put his son’s life first. Power, a theme that is primarily exemplified by Creon, appears multiple times throughout his dialogue. While discussing Antigone’s punishment with Haemon, Creon says, “This city will tell me how I ought to rule it?” (40). In this quote, Creon represents the theme of power. He is trying to show Haemon that HE is the king of Thebes and that no one will tell him how to rule, especially the citizens. In relation to present time, there are countless politicians that share the same characteristics as Creon, someone who takes their power for granted and will use it to take advantage of everyone.
“Tell me briefly—not in some lengthy speech— were you aware there was a proclamation forbidding what you did?” (503-505). The actions, context of Antigone’s words, and also the ideas she proposed, very indepthly contrasted with Creon’s character. Thus resulting in there being a verbal confrontation between the two characters. The conflict between the two caused conflicting motivations such as stubbornness, disrespect, and anger to be projected with Creon’s character. Ultimately, these conflicting motivations develop Creon as a tragic hero by portraying that he knew, the decisions he made were of error, and the character interactions advance the plot by causing conflict throughout the play. Creon had also begun to change throughout the play,
In Sophocles’ Antigone, a strong-willed uncle ,Creon, is faced with the burden of punishing his young rebellious niece, Antigone. Creon is the ruler of Thebes, after a struggle for power and the wrath of a family curse. Creon’s stern ruling after the death of his treacherous nephew, warrants fate to take over. Creon’s hubris attitude, unrelenting fate and error of judgement, make him the epitome of an Aristotelian tragic hero.
“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
In the Antigone, unlike the Oedipus Tyrannus, paradoxically, the hero who is left in agony at the end of the play is not the title role. Instead King Creon, the newly appointed and tyrannical ruler, is left all alone in his empty palace with his wife's corpse in his hands, having just seen the suicide of his son. However, despite this pitiable fate for the character, his actions and behavior earlier in the play leave the final scene evoking more satisfaction than pity at his torment. The way the martyr Antigone went against the King and the city of Thebes was not entirely honorable or without ulterior motives of fulfilling pious concerns but it is difficult to lose sight of the fact
“Zeus did not announce those laws to me. And Justice living with the gods sent no such laws for men,” (508-510) said Antigone with frustration towards Creon about the act of her burying her brother, even though it was against the law. Antigone’s words, actions, and ideas contrast with Creon’s character to the point of these two characters having conflicting motivations. These conflicting motivations cause the characteristics of stubbornness, disrespect, and anger to be highlighted within Creon’s character. Ultimately, these conflicting motivations develop Creon as a tragic hero by finding in himself that he is wrong about what should have been done with Polyneices’ corpse and the character interactions advance the plot and/or develop the theme by keeping a conflict between Antigone and Creon about who is right.
King Creon’s fatal flaw is that his arrogance mask his ability to admit when he is wrong. There is irony in the fact that he pointed out to his son, the disastrous societal effects of anarchy. Yet, admits that he himself rules with an unorthodox style. During a debate with his son, he said that “a nation is personified by its ruler”. However, the society in which he governs, doesn’t share the same point of view. Unfortunately, for King Creon, it took losing everything to finally admit he was wrong.
Hero. Hero comes from the greek word heros meaning “A person who faces adversity, or demonstrates courage, in the face of danger.” Growing up we have always read stories about heroes coming to save the day; for instance, Captain America. Being that our whole lives we were mostly exposed to heroism, have you ever asked yourself what is the opposite of a hero? A villain is the opposite of a hero, but their is another opposite form of a hero; a tragic hero. A Tragic hero is “A literary character who makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to his/her own destruction” (“Tragic hero as defined by Aristotle”). For instance, in the play written by Sophocles Antigone, the tragic hero is Creon. Creon who is Antigone’s
What would happen if one flaw in your character traits led to your ultimate downfall? The play Antigone, written by Sophocles, covers the story of a young girl named Antigone. She wishes to bury her brother Polyneices, who died in battle. However, King Creon refuses to allow Polyneices proper burial because of the treason he feels Polyneices had committed, even though appropriate burial rites were a sacred law among the ancient Greeks. Creon then locks up Antigone for her attempt to bury her brother. King Creon is therefore a tragic hero. “A tragic hero is a central character who is usually of high or noble birth and demonstrates a ‘fatal flaw.’ The tragic hero’s fatal flaw is hamartia, an ingrained character trait that causes the hero to make decisions leading to his or her death or downfall” (Springboard 253). King Creon is a tragic hero in Antigone due to his allowance of his own personal opinions, beliefs, and character traits to override those that he knows are approved of by the Gods; leading to his downfall.
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
wife, and his will to live, but is doomed to live on in his pain. Antigone
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.
Throughout the context words of Creon and Antigone contrasts their perspective on their belief. Creon would often decide all the rulings of his country with no hesitant because of his strong pride being a King. On the other hand, Antigone’s strong bond, love for her family, commitment to bury her brother which objects the rule against Creon. In disobedience towards Creon, Antigone says her “...honours for the dead must last much longer than for those up here” (Sophocles, 275), as well as speaking that “there’s nothing shameful in honouring my mother’s children.” (Sophocles, 273). Antigone’s words expresses her love and the
The opening events of the play Antigone, written by Sophocles, quickly establish the central conflict between Antigone and Creon. Creon has decreed that the traitor Polynices, who tried to burn down the temple of gods in Thebes, must not be given proper burial. Antigone is the only one who will speak against this decree and insists on the sacredness of family and a symbolic burial for her brother. Whereas Antigone sees no validity in a law that disregards the duty family members owe one another, Creon's point of view is exactly opposite. He has no use for anyone who places private ties above the common good, as he proclaims firmly to the Chorus and the audience as he revels in his victory over Polynices. He sees Polynices as an enemy to
The opening events of the play quickly establish the central conflict. Creon has decreed that the traitor Polynices must not be given proper burial, and Antigone is the only one who will speak against this decree and insist on the sacredness of family. Whereas Antigone sees no validity in a law that disregards the duty family members owe one another, Creon’s point of view is exactly opposite. He has no use for anyone who places private ties above the common good, as he proclaims firmly to the Chorus and the audience as he revels in his victory over Polynices. Creon’s first speech, which is dominated by words such as “principle,” “law,” “policy,” and “decree,” shows the extent to which Creon fixates on government and law as the