Pride Found in Antigone

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.

Full of drama and tragedy, Antigone can be used to relate to current conflicts. One such conflict is that between Haemon and his father Creon. Haemon looks up to Creon with honor and pride, but as conflict arises, that relation is disassociated and new feelings grow. The first conversation between them is what initiates the downfall of their bond. While it seems that Creon is the most important person in Haemon’s life, Antigone is in fact the one that has won Haemon over.

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

“A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you 're looking down, you can 't see something that 's above you.”

He feels that Haimon is too young to know what he is talking about especially when it comes to Antigone. Creon believes that Haimon is blinded by love. Creon wouldn’t even take anything that Haimon said into consideration. He also did the same thing with Teiresias, a blind prophetwho has always been right in other situations. Teiresias told Creon that his actions have angered the Gods and that it would be in his best interest to let Antigone go free, otherwise his family would be cursed and he would suffer a great deal. Creon, whom was obviously in denial, didn’t believe a word Teiresias said and accused him of lying and taking bribes from the people.

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.

When Haemon poses his argument in support of Antigone, Creon stubbornly refuses to listen. Haemon says, “When men speak well, it is good to learn from them.” (Line819). Creon’s refusal to listen to his own son’s reasonable argument demonstrates how unreasonable Creon is being. Creon says, “And men my age- are we then going to school to learn what’s wise from men as young as him?” (Line 825) Therefore, Creon is showing that he is unwilling to listen and that he is unreasonable. Creon is unable to be a good king, because he doesn’t listen to anyone, not even his own son. His son is next in line for the throne; you would think Creon would listen to him. This also shows that Creon is stubborn.

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.

“ The nation will find it very hard to look up to the leaders who are keeping their ears to the ground.” This is a quote from Sir Winston. The Greek Drama Antigone is about a girl who lost her parents and most recently her twin brothers. Creon the King of Thebes, and also her uncle, is new in possessing the throne and he established a law in which a burial for Polynices, Antigone’s brother, was forbidden. In the play, Sophocles’ purpose for writing about leadership was to convey that as a valuable leader they must know what their true values are, as well as, when to prioritize them, because they need to do what they think is best for the city, they need to listen to the opinion of others, and should still remain powerful.

Haimon knows that the people are on his side and want Antigone to be let free so if he gets Creon to consult other people his love will be let free. He achieved this goal by using both emotional and logical appeals. The emotional softened Creon up making him more likely to agree with his beloved son when he tell Creon to get other peoples opinion on the

In the beginning Haimon shows a lot of respect towards his father and his kingly powers and decisions. Haimon's love is shown for Creon in the play when he says “I am your son, Father. You are my guide. You make things clear for me, and I obey you” (716). Haimon's hate towards his father is later shown whenever he suggests that his father not punish Antigone and tells him that all of Thebes is in Antigone's favor. Haimon also later believes that Creon should listen to the people and make decisions based on the general public. Haimon's also shows hate and war against his father when he stands up to him and tells him that what he is doing id not right and that he is going against the God’s. Haimon's hate towards his father Creon are shown when he says “It's is not City if it takes orders from one voice…You have no right to trample on God’s right” (719). Haimon shows a lot of love and war towards his father Creon throughout the play based on his decisions he makes as king.

Power is like a virus, once it gets to one’s head, they’re corrupt. In Sophocles’ Antigone, both of Antigone’s brothers killed each other at war for the throne of Thebes. Creon, the new king, only honors and buries one, Eteocles. Creon bans anyone from burying the other brother, Polyneices but Antigone decides that she will in order to honor her brother. Creon gives two speeches, one about how he’s going to rule and how he forbids anyone from burying Polyneices, and another about bribery and how money corrupts people. He says that money is the reason someone has betrayed him by burying Polyneices. In Antigone, Sophocles uses the characterization of Creon to reveal the negative effects in the development of power.

Creon believes that authority rests with the king and no one else, because the gods have favored him and have given him his kingly authority. In fact, he wants everyone to follow his laws, no matter how stupid or unfair they may seem. As an example, Creon announces his authority before the city, saying, “Now I hold sole power and the throne, because I am the closest relative of the fallen” (Ant. lines 173-175). Creon is stating that his laws must be obeyed because he is the only one with the authority to make such laws. Creon continues to cling to his authority, even when his own son questions him and tells him that the people of Thebes are against him. Creon responds with several rhetorical questions, such as, “…The city will tell me how I ought to rule it?...Should I rule this land for myself or for others?…Isn’t the city thought to be her ruler’s” (lines 745-754). Clearly, Creon believes that his authority should overrule everyone’s and expects his son Haemon to understand that and remain loyal to him.

CREON. Another? Have you lost your senses? Is this an open threat?” (3.118-121)The gods must have robbed him of his common sense, because Haimon was trying to tell his father that he would commit suicide if he killed Antigone. Creon would not listen. He put his family on the backburner and forever burdened one of his dead nephews and Antigone, all because of his pride and his greed for power. That pride and hotheadedness turned into a big problem, as he would have preferred to, “End his life and die than live with the agony of his mistakes” (Exodos134-138). In Creon case his fate was caused again and again crossing the line between laws set by the gods and the laws set by man.