Creon In Sophocles Antigone

     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

In Sophocles’ Antigone, a major conflict arose over Antigone’s and Creon’s beliefs on right and wrong. Antigone stands for the laws of the Gods and family morals. Creon chose to stand for the values of the state and his will to be king. Although one’s decisions appear to be more reasonable and sympathetic than the other, both characters’ decisions in society can be equally validated.

However, in choosing not to do anything to pacify his people, he only succeeded in enlarging the disaster. Haemon then went on to advise his father to learn to yield to reason and recognize his mistakes as he states, “You’ve seen trees by a raging winter torrent, how many sway with the flood and salvage every twig, but not the stubborn – they’re ripped out, roots and all. Bend or break. The same when a man is sailing: haul your sheets too taut, never give an inch, you’ll capsize.” (1463) By making references to the trees and sails, Haemon tries to get Creon to realize that he must bend his own rule or else he will end up in ruins. With this knowledge, Creon could have chosen to realize the immorality of his own actions and change his mind about executing Antigone and refusing Polynices a proper burial. Instead, in his stubbornness and pride, he rejects Haemon’s wisdom, refuses to admit his flaws, and accuses Haemon of “fighting on her side, the woman’s side.”(1465) Creon’s refusal to release Antigone also enlarges the disaster because Haemon states “her death will kill another,” referring to Creon and tells his father, “you will never see me, never set eyes on my face again.” (1466) This shows that by persisting in his obstinacy, Creon only caused a rift between Haemon and himself and laid the foundation for his own son’s suicide.

King Creon’s tragic flaw is hubris. He does not listen to advice given to him by the blind prophet Teiresias. When Teiresias tells Creon, “Give in to the dead man, then: do not fight with a corpse- what glory is it to kill a man who is dead? Think, I beg you: It is for your own good that I speak as I do. You should be able to yield for your own good” (Antigone 36-40). King Creon does not like the fact that the prophet believes he is wrong and should do what everyone else has so far advised him to do. He accuses Teiresias as giving him such a prophecy because of bribery from others and a hunger for gold. Hubris is also revealed from King Creon in Scene III. Creon’s son, Haemon, tells Creon that the people of Thebes believe they have never seen a girl die such a shameful death and that the people live in fear of Creon. Haemon tells Creon he also believes Antigone should have been allowed to bury Polyneices and should be set free. King Creon responds with, “You consider it right for a man of my years and experience to go to school to a boy?” (Antigone 95-96). This shows that Creon does not believe a man of such age, “wisdom”, and “experience” should listen to anyone or change because of anyone else’s

Haemon states “Then she’ll die—and in her death kill someone else.” At this given point Creon refuses to change his mind because of his pride and honour that he believes he will lose by changing his decree. He says this in love because he doesn't want to live without her so he'll rather die with her. We believe he also states this in despair because it is the last possible way of getting his father's attention on this subject. His father says to him “are you so insolent you threaten me?” Haemon replies smartly by stating “where's the threat in challenging a bad decree”. Haemon essentially means that there is no hurt in him dying for something worthy, or when it's for a valid and just reason. There is a purpose to why he's dying, to get his father attention about how concerned he is about challenging his decree, if he doesn't die it means his father has repealed his verdict and if he does then maybe he'll get his father's attention on the subject. This in our opinion is a very loyal and smart move, perhaps even

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.

Antigone is willing to risk it all to stand by the law of the gods and what is right. Creon's stubbornness is clear when his old friend and prophet Teirsesias. Tells him to free Antigone. Creon stubbornly refuses and remarks to the old wise man, "Bribes are baser then any baseness" (Sophocles page #). Creon does not even listen to Teirsesias, who made him king in the first place. He is so stubborn that he refuses to listen claiming that Teirsesias had been corrupted by money and so his pride hampers his good judgment. He is so concentrated on everyone being corrupted that he does not even listen to common sense. His son, Haimon tries to come tell him that he should not sentence Antigone to death. His son siding with her outrages Creon. He tells

Haemon’s words, actions and ideas contrast with Creon’s character to the point of these two character having conflicting motivations. These Conflicting motivations cause Creon to become more angry, disrespectful and cause Fear. When Haemon tells Creon “Then She’ll die and in her death kill someone else”(page 283 line 855) Meaning that if he kills Antigone he will kill Creon or kill himself because he loves Antigone and wants to marry her. Creon gets scared and Asks “Are you so insolent you threaten me?” (page283 line 858)

Creon’s destruction is brought onto him through two of his tragic flaws; Creon’s extremely overpowering ego as well as his incredible stubbornness. Creon exhibits egotistical actions throughout Antigone especially when he is determined to punish his niece, Antigone, in order to make him look very powerful. Creon explains to his son Haemon;

Sentry says, “It is not what I say, but what has been done, that hurts you.” (141) Creon responds, “You talk too much,” showing how once again, Creon is in denial and does not want to hear that he is wrong (142). He is does not let anyone, even the Sentry speak showing that he is stubborn as well as unlikeable. Creon says to his son, “Not to lose your head over this woman. / Your pleasure with her would soon grow cold, Haimon, / And then you’d have a hellcat in bed and elsewhere. / Let her find her husband in Hell! / Of all the people in this city, only she / Has had contempt for my law and broken it” (22-27). Creon insists that his decision is the right one and Antigone deserves to be killed for not following his absurd orders. Creon states boldly, “I would not yield. I am not afraid of pollution: / No man can defile the gods” (48-49). Creon shows his stubbornness when he says that he is not afraid of the Gods. Although Creon shows the love for his son in the ending scenes, in the beginning he shows his anger problems and stubbornness which make him

In scene 1, Creon first realizes that someone had buried the body and doesn’t know who so he lashes out at everyone. One of those people is Choragos when involved in a conversation with him he does this very thing, “Stop! Must you doddering wrecks. Go out of your head entirely? ‘The gods!’ Intolerable!” (201). Choragos mentions to him that he thinks the gods could have been involved with the burying of Polyneices and Creon thinks that he is foolish in making such accusation because why would the gods care for such a thing, so he lashes out at him believing that he is the one who knows the right information. Later in scene 3 Creon has by now discovered who has buried Polyneices. As he speaks to Choragos and Haimon about the matter he says “Do you want me to show myself weak before the people. Or to break my own word? No, and I will not. The women dies.”(217). He is so concerned about his throne and his appearance to the people that Creon doesn’t want people to think less of him. The fact the Antigone played with him not intentionally but he doesn’t see it that way makes him say that line about how she should not be spared. Finally in scene 5 Creon has a talk with Choragos about the punishment of Antigone, and Choragos makes him come to realization that what he did to Antigone was harsh and that he should free her from jail. Creon says this to

We see evidence from the text when Creon says “Oh pity! All true, all true, and more than i can bear! O my wife, O my son!”. He says that after both Haemon and Eurydice kill themselves. This evidence supports my claim because Creon does not think he is worthy anymore and that he feels like he does not belong because “he murdered his family”.

Antigone has a possible flaw in that she is too stubborn and persistent to obey Creon’s order; “I know my duty, where true duty lies” (Antigone, 128). Her punishment then encourages feelings of pity from the audience because her deed was honorable and respectful towards her brother Polynices. The chorus supports this view by bidding her a respectful farewell when she is taken away, “But glory and praise go with you lady” (Antigone, 148). Antigone is also very proud, and this may have contributed to her death. Even when she is caught she remains strong and defends herself by claiming that the chorus thinks that her act was honorable, “All these would say that what I did was honorable” (Antigone, 139). This causes Creon to remain angry with Antigone, “you are wrong, none of my subjects think as you do” (Antigone, 140). If she had been more patient and less defensive, Creon may not have been as harsh in the punishment he set for her.

In the third episode of Antigone, the scene starts out with a conversation between Creon and Haemon. First Haemon enters the room, and Creon asks if he hates him or loves him despite the choice he made. Haemon assures Creon that no marriage means more to him than Creon’s wisdom. After Haemon’s words of being, Creon was beyond pleased to hear this come out of his son. After the saying of this, he starts saying mean things about Antigone, calling her “a hellcat” and she is evil.” Haemon then talks to Creon about his stubbornness. He tells him that the people of the town have been saying his decision is foolish, his temper scares them, and that they believe Antigone should be honored, rather than killed. The Choragus says that they both should

“All men make mistakes—that’s not uncommon. But when they do, they’re no longer foolish or subject to bad luck if they try to fix the evil into which they’ve fallen, once they give up their intransigence.” (1139-1143) This quote, from the play Antigone, displays it’s over-arching theme of mistakes. The character who said this, Teiresias, also contrasts with the protagonist Creon’s character in a way that highlights Creon’s characteristics. Ultimately, conflict between these two foils develops Creon as a tragic hero by showing him as a dynamic character who realizes he’s done wrong, and the conflict develops the aforementioned theme of mistakes and justice.