Comparing Hubris in Antigone and Oedipus Essay

In the scene where Oedipus sends for Tiresias, the blind prophet, Tiresias says to him, “So, you mock my blindness? Let me tell you this. You with your precious eyes, you’re blind to the corruption of your life” (Oedipus Rex Line 468). It is pretty ironic actually, that a blind man can clearly see Oedipus’s corruption when, Oedipus himself is left unaware. In most cases of hubris behavior the individual believes they are so prideful, they actually believe they’re on the same level with God. It is clear that Oedipus has the same perspective of his life, and of his power. Hubris behavior is a tragic flaw, in which the individual is only setting themselves up in order to fall.

Her blatant disrespect and sarcasm toward Creon shows how she really feels toward him. Antigone does not respect Creon as the king of Thebes. This gets further proved when Antigone says, “It wasn’t Zeus, not in the least, who made this proclamation–not to me” (Sophocles Antigone, 499-500). This is a very telling moment for the reader, Antigone is saying she did not listen to Creon’s decree not only because she does not respect him, but also she will only listen to the gods rules. This moment tells Creon that Antigone will never respect him as a ruler. Antigone is very stubborn, and when she is very passionate she will speak her mind, “And if my present actions strike you as foolish, let's just say I’ve been accused of folly by a fool” (Sophocles Antigone, 523-5). In these few lines she is talking to Creon about how she does not regret burying her brother. She tells Creon, the person who holds her fate in his hands, that he is a fool. Antigone’s hubris finally comes back to ruin her, “We took his orders, went and searched, and there in the deepest, dark recesses of the tomb we found her… hanged by the neck in a fine linen noose” (Sophocles Antigone, 1344-7). The ‘her’ the messenger is speaking of is Antigone. Antigone is so prideful and spiteful her last act on Earth was a smug reminder to Creon that if she was going to die it would be on her own terms, by her own hand. Antigone is one character that perfectly showcases how hubris can lead to ultimate demise.

Hubris is Oedipus's tragic flaw. He is now overly full of himself because: he rescued the city of Thebes from the Sphinx, people admire him, the citizens worship him as if he were an idol, the citizens think of him as their hero, and the Thebans have such a high esteem for him, that they made him King. One instance that proves he is filled with overbearing pride is when he proclaims, "I, Oedipus, a name that all men know." (8) This statement also brings about irony. It is ironic because his name will be remembered and well-known everywhere--as a polluter, the

Antigone in Antigone by Sophocles desires justice for her brother but her quest for honor of her brother`s body is obstructed by the king of Thebes Creon. There are multiple problems with the way her mission is handled and how a current audience may react to it. Today the concept of divinity, democracy and rights are drastically varied to those of ancient Greece.

Hubris is defined by the Webster-Miriam dictionary as “Exaggerated pride or confidence” (Miriam-Webster Dictionary) in Oedipus the King, by Sophocles, In Oedipus The King, by Sophocles, the onslaught of pain assailing the protagonist is a result of his tragic flaw. Sophocles often used a characters’ flaw to alter or influence the outcome or future of the hero. Oedipus' hubris influences him to fulfill the oracle and further intensify his punishment from the Gods.

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

The Odyssey gives a great outlook on how a person can develop through time as well as how one’s actions can cause the trouble later and lead to unfortunate circumstances. In the book, there are several cases when Hubris, an excessive pride and arrogance as characteristic of a particular, is shown by different figures. Consequently, this is often followed by Nemesis, as justice has to be determined by the gods for the actions taken to maintain a heroic status, most of the time in form of a punishment. In “The Odyssey” by Homer, Hubris is exhibited by the main character and hero, Odysseus, in the Ancient Greek world, who proves it by his self-confidence in his adventures. Homer uses inter alia alliterations, similes, concrete details, and vivid imagery throughout the

What is an egotistical personality? What impact does it have on decisions? An egotistical personality is when someone is excessively absorbed in themselves and it can also be known as hubris. It impacts someone's ability to make the correct decision because that person thinks they are right, so they will not take advice from others. Who has an egotistical personality and how does it affect them? In the greek tragedy, Antigone, Sophocles conveys Creon as the tragic hero because he is hubris, he realizes his hubris caused the death of his family, and the audience feels pity for him.

Among the greek legends, a recurring factor appears in each play: a tragedy. One in particular, Sophocles’ play Antigone, reveals a familial curse lasting eternity, however, out of the damnation, a hero arises, a tragic hero. In essence, the tragic hero derives from the tragic cycle: olbos, hubris, phthonis, ate, and nemesis. In short, olbos is the prosperity or happiness that the protagonist finds himself in, whereas hubris is the excessive pride or defiance in the gods that he feels. The stage of phthonis is when the gods become jealous and angry deciding to pass a warning sign to the hero. This then leads into ate, a time when the hero ignores any warning signs due to reckless impulse. Nemesis then befalls the hero in a time of calamity

Sophocles, a famous and renowned Greek dramatist, is the playwright to both the play Oedipus the King and Antigone. Along with Antigone and Oedipus Sophocles had also wrote Electra and Fete. Sophocles wrote many Greek tragedies which are plays in which the main character in the play suffers a tragedy due to some flaw of theirs. An example would be how Oedipus (thinking he is defying a prophecy) murders his father and weds his mother. His flaw was him trying to defy fate if he had not just stayed where he was he would’ve been fine. His works are referred to and taught all over the world in many schools along with colleges; this should give light to how will written his plays are and how

After reading this story, let me be the first to say that although knowing this is a mythology class and I have read some really messed up stuff. This has to be the most messed up and horrifying this I have read all semester. Pentheus, the King of Thebes seemed very arrogant and angry towards the Gods, so when Dionysus came to him to try to convince him to not go against the Gods he was trying to open his eyes. The phrase” opening his eyes” does not mean to literally open his eyes, but to make Pentheus understand and realize he is doomed if he does not listen and go against the Gods regardless. Which is exactly what he did, in the end of the story he finally realizes that what he has done was against the Gods and must take the punishment. This is where the women, including his mother, ripped Pentheus limb from limb and beheaded him.

In the drama Antigone, Sophocles considers the source of authority and power in society. When King Creon makes a law that forbids the burial of Antigone's brother, Polynices, she ignores the king’s authority, risks her life, and buries her brother out of loyalty to the gods. The situation leads to a conflict among the people of Thebes, Antigone, and Haemon. They must decide where their loyalty lies, and whose authority should take precedence, that of the king or that of the gods. While a number of views about the role of authority and power are expressed through characters such as Creon, Antigone, and Haemon, the drama seems to support the view that authority does not rest only with one person.

Hubris may be categorized as two things. As a part of the Greek theater hubris qualifies as being “the intentional use of violence to humiliate or degrade (Luebering).” However, a more modern qualification defines hubris as “exaggerated pride or self-confidence (Hubris).” Throughout Antigone both of these different characterizations of the word hubris can be found in specific events and characters. Being a Greek tragedy, it is evident that the concept of hubris plays a very important role in the development of characters and provides the reasoning for why each person does what they do. Much of the drama in this play is born from either excessive pride or from the unnecessary violence against sacred rituals or those who perform them. However, it is also possible to notice characters who fall outside of this hubris and rather choose to fight against it. By going against this traditional Greek dramatic element these characters highlight the injustices that are being displayed by those they are going against. Overall, the impact that hubris has had on this tragedy and on the culture as whole affects how each of the characters either use hubris to advance both themselves and their goals, or choose to fight against it for the good of those around them.

Many historic leaders share a common characteristic: a large ego. Oedipus from Sophocles’ play, Oedipus the King is not any different. Hubris is defined as excessive pride and confidence; it is used frequently used in Greek tragedies. As a general feature, the protagonist and his/her overgrown hubris usually lead to an eventual downfall. Sophocles uses hubris in various plays to develop situational irony. The readers are aware of what Oedipus does during the play, but do not realize what specifically he had done until later in the play. Oedipus’ hubris can be first seen at the beginning of the story.

Hubris, excessive self pride, becomes unavoidable and tragic when the state is put above a person's familial beliefs. In the tragedy, Antigone, Sophocles conveys Creon, the King of Thebes, as a man obsessed with the law and puts the state’s needs above his own family’s. Antigone, his rebellious niece, wants to uphold her duties and honor her family name by burying her “traitor” brother, who was not giving a proper burial. Creon forbids this burial, but Antigone ignores the law and buries her brother anyways. Creon becomes so obsessed with the law that he decides to bury Antigone alive, which displeases his family. Sophocles depicts Creon and Antigone as opposites to demonstrate the importance of family. While Creon puts the state above his own family, Antigone believes she must stay loyal to her familial demands. In contrast, Creon falls because of hubris, but Antigone’s spirit lives on because of the pride she has for her family.