Hubris is the excessive pride or overweening confidence that an individual may possess. Attaining this characteristic often leads to the destruction of one’s future. A popular saying, “Proud people breed sad sorrows for themselves,” by Emily Bronte illustrates how pride can bring collapse to a person of high moral worth. Perhaps it was Sophocles’ famous plays, Oedipus Rex and Antigone, which popularized the subject of excessive pride. In both tragedies, various characters acquire excessive pride, which leads them to their unfortunate downfall. The characters in authority: Oedipus, Creon, and Antigone ruin their fate by owning hubris. The king of Thebes, Oedipus, overestimates his power and becomes prideful leading him to his demise. He first
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Suddenly, a catastrophe occurs and as the city falls to a plague, he sympathizes with the citizens saying, “Poor children! You may be sure I know all that you longed for in coming here. I know that you are deathly sick; and yet, sick as you are, not one is as sick as I. Each of you suffers in himself alone, his anguish, not another’s; but my spirit groans for the city, for myself, for you…” (Oedipus 5). Here, King Oedipus uses his power to try to support the helpless people of Thebes. As Oedipus continues his investigation on the cause of the plague, he realizes it was initiated by the murderer of the previous ruler, King Laios. When questioned about his possible whereabouts and violent actions of the past, he proudly rejects all of the accusations. Teiresias, the prophet, claims, “I say that you are the murderer who you seek,” (Oedipus 20), and Oedipus haughtily refutes …show more content…
In the beginning, Creon is appointed king of Thebes and proudly rules his throne after the death of Oedipus. He justifies the fact that he is the honorable ruler of Thebes by pompously stating, “Oedipus died, your loyalty was transferred to his children […] princes Eteocles and Polyneices, have killed each other in battle; and I, as the next in blood, have succeeded to the full power of the throne,” (Creon 196). He then issues a law that no one can bury Polyneices, making him believe that no person would be disloyal to his reign. He says “This is my command […] As long as I am King, no traitor is going to be honored with the loyal man,” (Creon 197). His pride causes him to believe no one even dare break the law, even if they are not morally or ethically wrong. When someone does violates the regulations, “And the man who dared do this?” (Creon 200), Creon’s disbelief hurts his pride, where he cannot believe that someone would dare defy him. His prideful self quickly lashes out against Antigone, in which he uses his power to indict Antigone’s sister, Ismene, guilty of crime as well, “Arrest Ismene. I accuse her equally. Bring her: you will find her sniffling in the house there. Her mind’s a traitor: crimes kept in the dark cry for light, and the guardian brain shudders; but how much worse than this is brazen boasting of barefaced anarchy?” (Creon
Suddenly, a catastrophe occurs and as the city falls to a plague, he sympathizes with the citizens saying, “Poor children! You may be sure I know all that you longed for in coming here. I know that you are deathly sick; and yet, sick as you are, not one is as sick as I. Each of you suffers in himself alone, his anguish, not another’s; but my spirit groans for the city, for myself, for you…” (Oedipus 5). Here, King Oedipus uses his power to try to support the helpless people of Thebes. As Oedipus continues his investigation on the cause of the plague, he realizes it was initiated by the murderer of the previous ruler, King Laios. When questioned about his possible whereabouts and violent actions of the past, he proudly rejects all of the accusations. Teiresias, the prophet, claims, “I say that you are the murderer who you seek,” (Oedipus 20), and Oedipus haughtily refutes …show more content…
In the beginning, Creon is appointed king of Thebes and proudly rules his throne after the death of Oedipus. He justifies the fact that he is the honorable ruler of Thebes by pompously stating, “Oedipus died, your loyalty was transferred to his children […] princes Eteocles and Polyneices, have killed each other in battle; and I, as the next in blood, have succeeded to the full power of the throne,” (Creon 196). He then issues a law that no one can bury Polyneices, making him believe that no person would be disloyal to his reign. He says “This is my command […] As long as I am King, no traitor is going to be honored with the loyal man,” (Creon 197). His pride causes him to believe no one even dare break the law, even if they are not morally or ethically wrong. When someone does violates the regulations, “And the man who dared do this?” (Creon 200), Creon’s disbelief hurts his pride, where he cannot believe that someone would dare defy him. His prideful self quickly lashes out against Antigone, in which he uses his power to indict Antigone’s sister, Ismene, guilty of crime as well, “Arrest Ismene. I accuse her equally. Bring her: you will find her sniffling in the house there. Her mind’s a traitor: crimes kept in the dark cry for light, and the guardian brain shudders; but how much worse than this is brazen boasting of barefaced anarchy?” (Creon