Creon: the Complicated Tyrant

In the play Antigone by Sophocles Creon is the king of Thebes. In this piece Creon becomes overwhelmed with the power given to him as king. The result is Creon turning into a corrupt king. He orders laws that must be followed with consequences of death. He uses the body of his nephew, Polyneices, as a way of frightening the people into submission. And finally Creon walls up his niece, Antigone, to die because she disobeyed him. Such actions can not be justified and ultimately makes Creon a bad ruler.

John Lennon said, “Part of me suspects that I’m a loser, and the other part of me thinks I’m God Almighty.” Hubris, or excessive pride, was one of the biggest themes in Ancient Greek culture. It has what killed heroes, and destroyed villains in mythology and even real life. In the play Antigone, written by Sophocles, I share the battle that Creon has regarding a conflict of personal character, which leads to the deaths of others caused by his tremendously large ego.

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

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.

It was soon discovered what Antigone had done. Creon her to be executed and was imprisoned in a cave. Her fiancé, Haemon, son of Creon, begged his father to let her go. He finally agreed but he was too late, Antigone had hanged herself. Haemon was devastated that his love was dead, so he committed suicide. At the news, Creon's wife and Haemon’s mother, queen Eurydice, commits suicide fulfilling Creon’s fate of being responsible for his family’s death. Antigone lines 1335-1336 “From suffering that has been/ Decreed no man will ever find escape”.

What he finds at her tomb is Antigone and his son Haemon dead. Creon was heartbroken by this but, the tragedy does not end here. His wife Eurydice hears of her son’s death and commits suicide herself! The devastated Creon says “Wrong! How could I have been so wrong?

“Am I to rule this land at someone else’s whim or by myself?” (Lines 836-837) says Creon, angrily to his son Haemon, who is attempting to reason with him about the execution of his fiance, Antigone. This causes an uproar between the two and brings out Creon's selfish intentions. Throughout the story the conflict with the ideals and motivations between the two change the theme of the story from love and loyalty to hatred and betrayal. This not only contributes to Creon’s characteristics of a tragic hero, but also to the suicide of both, Antigone and Haemon.

Throughout the play, Creon shows many examples of how he is imperfect. One example would be how he believes that the state is primary to his family and relationships, “If this is your pleasure, Creon, treating our city’s enemy and our friend this way … the power is yours, I suppose, to enforce it with the laws, both for the dead and all of us, the living,” this quotation said by the leader of the chorus describes how the elder people of Thebes respect their family more than the state, but they held back on their opinions, knowing of what Creon, the leader, wanted to hear (235-240). Another example of how Creon shows the audience of how he is imperfect is when, Creon meets with Haemon. Creon argues with Haemon about how people should act towards the country which they reside in, “But whoever steps out of line, violates the laws or presumes to hand out orders to his superiors, he’ll win no praise from me. But that man the city places in authority, his orders must be obeyed, large and small, right and wrong,” Creon believes since he has the highest throne in his country, that he should be obeyed whether the circumstance (745-751). Lastly, Creon demonstrates to the audience that he is imperfect by wanting to protect his country too much. This is visible when Creon sentences Antigone to a slow death, because of burying her brother, who was outcasted as a traitor. Creon put the state over his family which will lead to the complete

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.

His choices caused Haemon to commited suicide, and Creon's only child was gone, because he was too blind to realized the truth. “Angry at himself, the ill-fated lad right then and there leaned into his own sword, driving half the blade between his ribs.” (Lines 1375-1377). Creon was there when Haemon killed himself, and he knew what he did was wrong, but it was too late. After Haemon died, Creon's wife killed herself as well, he was all alone because of his choice.

Creon's self-confidence overrides doing what is right, and causes him to make poor choices. Creon refuses to hear and consider the opinions and ideas of others. He is stubborn and convinced that he is doing what is right by killing Antigone and not burying Polyneices. He does not want to "show [himself] weak before the people or to break [his]sworn word" (iii.26). Creon cares more about his control and power over the people than his character. Creon refuses to lose the loyalty and respect of his people. He wants to be in control. Haemon tells his father, King Creon, "There are other men who can reason, too;and their opinions might be helpful. [He is] not in a position to know everything" (iii.55). Creon is creating an anarchy rather than a democracy. He will not listen to others because of his fear of losing his masculinity. The people of Thebes do not believe killing Antigone is right, and they lose respect for the King. Teiresias gets a sign from the gods that a terrible fate is coming, making Creon aware that he may suffer some dreadful consequences.

There was a time in the middle of football season where my coach and I were arguing of what my coverage zone was in a passing play, I was so sure that I was correct that I argued with him about it in front of the whole team. He ended up telling me to do it his way for a play, I ended up getting an interception as soon as I listened to him. Almost the exact same situation happened to Creon in a lengthy play called Antigone by Sophocles. It’s a play about how the king Creon refused to give Antigone's close brother a proper burial, just for breaking the law. Now Antigone has gone on a quest to bury her brother.n the end Creon needed to learn that sometimes you have to take the advice of others and see their side of the story instead of thinking

When the messenger brings the news to Creon of his wife’s last words he says, “And for Haimon, her sons; and her last breath/ Was a curse for their father, the murderer of her sons” (243). When Eurydice, the queen, says her last words she is putting all of the guilt and responsibility of her son’s and her own death on Creon because of a few mistakes he had made regarding their son’s life and relationship with Antigone. Creon responds to this news saying, “I alone am guilty/ I know it, and I say it...I have neither life nor substance” (244). By admitting that what Eurydice says it true Creon is giving up and believes that he no longer has any redeeming qualities. Creon also lacks confidence when he admits he obtains the curse, which for a king is not a good character trait to have and being the last one, people could easily overthrow him. By killing herself, Antigone has rid herself of the curse her father, Oedipus, has lied upon her and the rest of his family. Although it was not a curse she triggered on herself as Creon’s curse is, she was still a part of the family and killing herself is the easier way out and less punishable. By not accepting her fate, she is not taking responsibility for actions,and not trying to please the gods,

But, this treacherous of a punishment lead to Antigone taking her like by hanging herself. Since Creon caused this, Haimon, his son, decided to take his own life as well because of the suicide of Antigone. The mother of Creon eventually realizes that she has no children alive anymore and doesn't see a point in life at that time so she also decides to commit suicide, leaving Creon with nothing left for family. Overall, all the deaths were caused or had something to do with Creon’s actions which took

The only crime is pride.” Despite Tiresias’ unsuccessful persuasion, and opportunities to correct his mistakes and let Antigone free, stubbornness and pride prevent Creon from doing so. Instead of recognizing his faults like a strong leader, he seals his fate, failing to back down, needing instead to look like a strong, unyielding leader, thus confirming Tiresias’s prophecy. Even Haemon confronts Creon arguing for Antigone’s life, and reporting the kingdom’s response to the injustice.