Creon’s Calamity “The time shall come, And soon, when your house will be filled with the lamentation Of men and of women; and every neighboring city Will be goaded to fury against you” (Sophocles 155). This foreboding message given to King Creon by Teiresias warns Creon of the negative effects of his actions. For Creon, these words mark the beginning of his downfall. Every Greek tragedy included a tragic hero, a person who started at the top and fell to the bottom. King Creon fulfills the role of tragic hero in Sophocles play Antigone. Aristotle said that to be a tragic hero, a character must be a person of high birth, virtuous but not pre-eminently just. Creon holds the position of King of Thebes which complies with the requirement of high birth. As King, Creon possesses many good intentions for Thebes. He declared to his subjects, “When I see any danger threatening my people, Whatever it may be, I shall declare it… Polynices,
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As his major flaw, hubris dooms Creon. In the play, Teiresias warns Creon that his choices will lead to Creon’s downfall. Creon, however, asserts that Teiresias speaks for his own personal gain (Sophocles 153-154). By ignoring the prophet's words, Creon decides that his ideas matter more than the words of others. Creon’s hubris leads to his demise through his interaction with Haemon. Creon learns of Haemon’s death via a messenger who announces, “Haemon is dead, Slain by… His own hand. His father’s act it was that drove him to it” (Sophocles 157). Earlier, Creon ignored Haemon’s opinion and held that his own opinion was exactly correct. This pride then led to Haemon’s death which in turn resulted in Eurydice’s death. These deaths ruin Creon’s life and happiness. Creon’s stubbornness results in him losing his son and wife which satisfies the need for a tragic hero to fall due to a character
As his major flaw, hubris dooms Creon. In the play, Teiresias warns Creon that his choices will lead to Creon’s downfall. Creon, however, asserts that Teiresias speaks for his own personal gain (Sophocles 153-154). By ignoring the prophet's words, Creon decides that his ideas matter more than the words of others. Creon’s hubris leads to his demise through his interaction with Haemon. Creon learns of Haemon’s death via a messenger who announces, “Haemon is dead, Slain by… His own hand. His father’s act it was that drove him to it” (Sophocles 157). Earlier, Creon ignored Haemon’s opinion and held that his own opinion was exactly correct. This pride then led to Haemon’s death which in turn resulted in Eurydice’s death. These deaths ruin Creon’s life and happiness. Creon’s stubbornness results in him losing his son and wife which satisfies the need for a tragic hero to fall due to a character