Stannis 'Dungeon': A Narrative Analysis

How does a king rule with a narrow mind? In Sophocles’s ancient tragedy, Antigone, the young woman, Antigone, had buried her brother, which was declared illegal by King Creon. Once Creon discovers her deed, he immediately sentenced her to a slow death, trapped in a cave. Haemon, Creon’s son and Antigone’s fiancé, pleads his father to change his mind and consider the people’s thoughts in contrast to his own. Haemon serves as a foil for Creon’s development as a tragic hero by highlighting Creon’s narrow mindedness, harsh nature, and boastful pride.

Mind you, this was the little rations he had the night before he was left behind, he saved it just in case they’d run out. With him doing this, he gave himself the hopes to not only sustain the little amount of food he had but also the strength and energy that he was going to need in case he would end up in the heat of battle.

Due to his unwavering pride and refusal to see through the eyes of others, Creon falls from his position of immense power and wealth which in the end doesn’t matter because all his loved ones and family are now dead.

before Creon realizes that everyone that he cared for and loved is now dead and it is because of his selfishness and unwillingness to believe the truth. He wishes himself dead but the Gods will not allow it, for it is not his time to go.

Before advancing to the throne, Oedipus had unknowingly killed Laius, his father and the king of Thebes. Shortly after killing the king, he married the dead king’s wife, his mother. He had committed incest by marrying and having children with his own mother. As a result he became father of Polyneices, Eteocles, Antigone, and Ismene. Oedipus stabs his eyes out and his sons, Polyneices and Eteocles killed themselves in combat, over the power of the throne. Creon was in the process of reconstructing Thebes from the ruins that his own family created. He also had to make a name for himself, after all the chaos the past rulers had made. If Creon did not set an example for civilians they would simply rebel. Creon was to stand firm by his word because no one is above the law, no matter who committed the act. In other words Creon was not a villain; he was the antagonist of Antigone. Imagine how biased Creon would appear to the Theban population if he did not pursue the punishment that he himself had instituted. In agreement to his law, Creon’s intentions were just. There’s no doubt about it, Creon’s law was harsh but when truly analyzing the situation, Polyneices was a traitor because he allied with other cities and attacked his homeland. Creon’s strong and steadfast attitudes were to support Thebes. But unfortunately, he was a little too late to understand that his fierce dedication to his decree was an error on his part.

Creon’s son Haemon does not want his wife to be to be put to death and pleads with his father. “ I see my father offending justice wrong. That she’ll die but her death will kill another.”(1287) Haemon reveals to the his father that if he continues with killing his wife to be he will flee his presence and kill himself for his love Antigone. In the end Creon realizes that his pride has lead to the destruction of his life and his kingdom. “ I know it myself- I’m shaken, torn. It’s a dreadful thing to yield…but resist now? Lay my pride bare to the blows of ruin? That’s dreadful too.” (1296) King Creon realizes to little to late and because of his pride he loses his son, wife, and daughter in law. “And the guilt is all mine- can never be fixed on another man, no escape for me.

as he was always off at war…who else to warm the royal bed than the

As King of Thebes, Creon is forced to make difficult decisions. As a new ruler, he feels it is necessary to prove himself to his citizens, therefore he rules his state with a firm hand. He believes that Polyneices should not be buried because he was a traitor to his country and family. Creon knew this decision would be hard on some

Wanted to continue fighting in hope that the King would consent to a redress of grievances

When Creon finds them both dead he realizes that it was his power as king that has caused this to happen. He begins to realize mistakes he has made. He has followed quite closely in the footsteps of Oedipus. Through his suffering we begin to see him as a human rather than a powerful tyrant.

The prophet Teresias was right, his son Heamon took his own life because he saw his bride dead, and Heamon’s mother, the queen, killed herself as well after knowing the death of her son. Creon finally says he has learned “through blood and tears” (124) through his senseless and insane crimes. He takes the blame for having murdered his son and his wife, against his will. Those lives were the price of his pride.

The fire was his only hope of keeping it together and acting like a human being. Once it was gone, so was any hope of being civilized.

A Game of Thrones is set in the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, a land reminiscent of medieval Europe. Fifteen years prior to the novel, the Seven Kingdoms were torn apart by a civil war, known as the “War of the Usurper." Prince Rhaega Targaryen kidnapped Lyanna Stark angering her family and of her fiancé, Lord Robert Baratheon. The Mad King, Aerys II Targaryen had Lyanna' father and brother executed when they demanded her safe return. Her second brother, Eddard, joined his boyhood friend Robert Baratheon and Jon Arryn in declaring war against the ruling Targaryen dynasty. The civil war ended when Prince Rhaegar was killed in battle by Robert Baratheon. The wealthiest family around The Lannisters