In the play, Antigone, Sophocles develops Creon as a tragic hero by establishing his hubristic nature, in order to emphasize how excessive pride and arrogance results in the tragic downfall of an individual. When the reader is first introduced to Creon, his overly arrogant nature is evident through his interactions with others. After arresting Antigone and sentencing her to death, Haimon goes to his father and implores him to free his fiancee. Creon, in response to his son, justifies his behavior by saying,
Do you want me to show myself weak before the people?
Whoever is chosen to govern should be obeyed‒
Must be obeyed, in all things, great and small,
Just and unjust! (Sophocles 518-529)
As evident in the passage, Creon expects blind obedience …show more content…
After discovering that Antigone, Haimon, and Eurydice have all killed themselves, an intense feeling of sorrow overtakes Creon. However, Creon acknowledges that his own rash pride has led to the death of his entire family: “I have been rash and foolish / I have killed my son and my wife… / Fate has brought all my pride to a thought of dust” (Sophocles 1034-1038). Here, Creon accepts the fact that his own impulsive and arrogant behavior has caused his tragic downfall. Despite the fact that Creon’s hamartia is not under his control, he allows it to control his actions. His reluctance to grant Polyneices a proper burial angers the gods, thus generating a series of events that eventually leads to his misery. However, although Creon’s fate is greater than deserved, it is ultimately caused by his own hubris. The untimely deaths of his family members and the disapproval of the city of Thebes are a direct result of his unbending pride and his refusal to listen to others. By the end of the play, Creon’s acknowledgment that his own tragic downfall was caused by his excessive pride comes too late. Through the use of Creon as tragic hero, Sophocles alludes to the fact that Creon’s hubris caused his tragic downfall, thus warning the audience of letting one’s hubris control their actions. In today’s political climate where the pride
Do you want me to show myself weak before the people?
Whoever is chosen to govern should be obeyed‒
Must be obeyed, in all things, great and small,
Just and unjust! (Sophocles 518-529)
As evident in the passage, Creon expects blind obedience …show more content…
After discovering that Antigone, Haimon, and Eurydice have all killed themselves, an intense feeling of sorrow overtakes Creon. However, Creon acknowledges that his own rash pride has led to the death of his entire family: “I have been rash and foolish / I have killed my son and my wife… / Fate has brought all my pride to a thought of dust” (Sophocles 1034-1038). Here, Creon accepts the fact that his own impulsive and arrogant behavior has caused his tragic downfall. Despite the fact that Creon’s hamartia is not under his control, he allows it to control his actions. His reluctance to grant Polyneices a proper burial angers the gods, thus generating a series of events that eventually leads to his misery. However, although Creon’s fate is greater than deserved, it is ultimately caused by his own hubris. The untimely deaths of his family members and the disapproval of the city of Thebes are a direct result of his unbending pride and his refusal to listen to others. By the end of the play, Creon’s acknowledgment that his own tragic downfall was caused by his excessive pride comes too late. Through the use of Creon as tragic hero, Sophocles alludes to the fact that Creon’s hubris caused his tragic downfall, thus warning the audience of letting one’s hubris control their actions. In today’s political climate where the pride