Theme Of Pride In Antigone

Improved Essays
There are many various types of leaders in the world. One aspect that all leaders have is pride. How much pride the leader holds is up to him, and the more pride the leader holds the harder he falls. Sometimes this pride can lead a person to believe that only their own opinion matters and no one else’s. In Antigone, King Creon represents a leader with an excessive levelexcess levels of pride, which causes him to contradict himself. In the beginning of the play when Creon delivered his edict , he mentions that he “‘...would never have any dealings with an enemy of the people”’ (Sophocles 197). This statement poses him as a devoted king, but an enemy of the king is not always an enemy of the people. In Antigone, Sophocles shows how a devoted …show more content…
Creon’s first action as king was to declare that Polyneices’ body shall not be buried. This angered his sister Antigone, who was determined to break the law for her brother. Once Creon catches Antigone and her sister Ismene, he orders the guards to “‘...take the away and guard them well: For they are but women and even brave men run When they see Death coming”’ (214). Creon believes that once a person has broken the law, that person is deemed an unethical, unlawful human being. Once confronting Antigone, Creon still does not buy into why Antigone buried her brother -- to give him the respect he deserved. For Creon, everything is black and white--a person can either obey the law and be honored for that or he can question authority and be punished for that. He never stops to think about why a person does what they do or why events happen a certain way. This results in Creon taking oppressive action towards innocent people who did something, not to threaten the city or Creon’s wishes but to honor their own. With Creon’s head-strong decision to let Death handle both Antigone and Ismene, Creon emotionally scars his own son, Haimon--the man who is to marry Antigone. During an argument between Creon and his son, Haimon threatens that Antigone’s “...death will cause another”’(222). This threat implies …show more content…
Since King Creon believes that everyone is obligated to listen to him and no one else, he only hears the opinions that he wants to hear. Haimon makes this clear to his father when he confronts him by saying, “‘ You are not in a position to know everything That people say or do, or what they feel:...everyone will tell you only what you like to hear”’ (218). Haimon’s opinion says a lot about his father’s character like the fact that Creon’s stubbornness has caused uneasiness throughout the city. In front of the king, the people of Thebes will do anything to get on his good side including lying about what they truly believe, which causes Creon to believe that everyone is on the same page. As soon as some has a differing opinion, Creon believes that this person is not only his enemy but everyone’s enemy. As mentioned in Creon’s edict, he will stop at nothing to prevent these enemies, however, these enemies may just be innocent people. Antigone represents one of these so called enemies and her consequences have sparked new opinions that question Creon’s actions. Now, ample of the people living in the city are considered Creon’s enemies. Haimon, again, makes this very clear to his father when he says, “‘ But I, at any rate, can listen: and I have heard them Muttering and whispering in the dark about this this girl. They

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    In the play Antigone by Sophocles, Creon has recently been appointed as king of Thebes due to the recent deaths of his nephews, Polyneices and Eteocles. Although he is new to the throne, he proves himself to be an extraordinarily well rounded king, simultaneously being reasonable, fair, and good to the City of Thebes, as well as his own family. Through his actions and words it is as clear that he wants simply the best for those around him. He also makes decisions for the interest of not only himself, but others. Creon is a good, reasonable, and fair king to his family and the City of Thebes by not sentencing Antigone to death, not allowing Polyneices to be buried, and imprisoning Antigone despite her being family.…

    • 864 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    and does not listen to this wise advice. Because of his pride, Creon only cares about himself rather than the opinions of his citizens. Creon’s pride also blinds him, as he is not able to see his citizens distaste for the sentencing of Antigone to…

    • 745 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    In a greek tragedy “Antigone, Sophocles argues that insight is more valuable than eyesight by showing the consequences of blindness to the truth. He uses Tiresias the blind prophet as the basis of insight, he who does not have literal sight sees the inner nature of things. Creon the King of Thebes is used as an example of someone who has who has sight but is blind figuratively to the reality surrounding him. Creon is not the only character who is blind to something. Antigone the protagonist of the play is blind to the importance of Creon 's decisions.…

    • 1285 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Decent Essays

    The demanding control of others defines Creon very well. Creon showed stubbornness by not wanting the Thebes people to prove him wrong because of his pride in himself. Creon didn't want to listen to the people of Thebes. They tried to tell Creon that Antigone did the right thing. The people were afraid of Creon, and did not want to speak to him.…

    • 559 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Creon Sacrifice

    • 664 Words
    • 3 Pages

    For example, when Haimon was giving him advice and telling him not to kill Anitgone and the Choragos agreeing, Creon responded, “You consider it right or a man of my years and experience to go to school to a boy?” (708). This displays that even though he is getting good advice from multiple people around him, he still refuses to listen. In addition, it shows he refuses to accept help from anyone he feels authority over, and being the king he feels authority over just about everyone. Another example of his obstinacy is when he is advised by Teiresias, the infallible blind prophet, that if he kills Antigone the gods will be angry, however Creon remains hardheaded and responds, “It seems that prophets have made their especial province” (716).…

    • 664 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Two major themes that run throughout Sophocles’ play Antigone are loyalty and power. Loyalty and power are what drive the play forward; this theme affects not only Antigone, but Creon as well. Both Antigone and Creon are affected by this conflict, but in different ways. Antigone is first introduced to us as a young and loyal girl to bother her brother and the gods, that only wants to make sure both her brothers have a proper burial; according to the laws placed by the gods if someone does not receive a burial there will be no way for family members to reconnect with them in their life after death. Creon, who is the king and Antigone’s uncle, sets a law in place that no one is to bury or even mourn the death of Polynices.…

    • 1325 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Creon Voice In Antigone

    • 457 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Creon doesn’t even want to hear Haimon’s advice, and instead, he completely stops Haimon from talking before listening to him to see if his ideas are worthwhile. Rather than using his authority to establish justified laws and keep the citizens of Thebes safe, Creon declares his power for another reason - he wants to make it apparent that he should be the only individual that is obeyed or looked up to. In this moment, when Creon quickly and abruptly obstructs Haimon from speaking, it becomes evident that he wants to hold all of the that is available. He doesn’t want others to think that they have the potential to gain control, which is why he publicizes the fact that he is the one and only voice to make orders in Thebes. This displays how Creon,…

    • 457 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the play “Antigone”, by Sophocles, I am going to prove Creon the new king was foolish, prideful, and stubborn. I will also prove that his actions affected his future in a bad way. These actions and choices did not only affect him but his family and kingdom. I will also talk about his foolishess and how he handled encounters in the wrong way. These following paragraphs will provide all the evidence I will need.…

    • 603 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the story, “Antigone”, the king of Thebes does not have the best representation of how a king is supposed to rule. Creon is not the type of king many people would hope to have as their ruler. Although Creon is very prideful; his pride will soon catch up to him in the end. The unforgettable king of Thebes, Creon, is arrogant, self-centered, and he does not treat the people of his kingdom the way they should be treated. Creon shows many signs of prejudism throughout the story.…

    • 724 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Pride, indeed, undergirds the primary conflicts in Antigone, and Creon realizes that his abuse of authority and power as a result of his hubris emerges as a source of self-destruction rather than strength. Indeed, both Haimon and Antigone take their own lives, which is what causes Creon to have an epiphany and see the errors of his ways. Creon proves unable to shed his hubris and empathize with Antigone, as he cannot see the world through the eyes of others. He falls from a position of great wealth and immense power by standing up for what he believes in despite what the…

    • 732 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Example Of Disobedience In Antigone

    • 895 Words
    • 4 Pages
    • 1 Works Cited

    Creon believes that since the gods ordained him to be king that his words should be equal to the gods, because the gods would never let someone rule in a way that they did not approve of. Creon, full of rage by this incredible insult, confronts Antigone about her disobedience: “And did you dare to disobey that law?” (493). Antigone, still very much happy and content with her decision to bury Polyneices and follow the law of the gods, answers very passionately and assertively: “Yes, it was not Zeus that made the proclamation; / nor did Justice, which lives with those…

    • 895 Words
    • 4 Pages
    • 1 Works Cited
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Morality Of Antigone As A Tragic Hero

    • 650 Words
    • 3 Pages
    • 1 Works Cited

    She is the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta who were the former king and queen of Thebes and the niece of Creon who is now the king. Creon calls Antigone as a princess even though she is no longer a princess. She has earned a lot of reputation and respect to lose, only because of her high status. People who consider Creon as a tragic hero state that Antigone no longer has a high status in Thebes after her father’s death, so she is not eligible to have a high social position. Although she does not have any social or political power, Antigone is still an influential person in Thebes.…

    • 650 Words
    • 3 Pages
    • 1 Works Cited
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    From the first scene of the play, even before she mentions Polyneices, it is clear that she knows her plans to bury her brother defy Creon’s law, yet she does not care; there is no point in trying to change her mind. From the beginning of the play, there is no doubt that nothing good will from of this situation. When Creon finds out that she buried her brother, she expresses no remorse or apologies; instead, she challenges the king to punish her. She explicitly says to Creon, “I beg you: kill me” (358). Creon is also very strong-willed in his own right and believes that no one should question his authority as king.…

    • 1098 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Acts of hubris usually lead to death or punishment. Individuals who act on their hubris are neglecting the wellbeing of the community and instead are focusing only on themselves. In Antigone, Creon and Antigone clearly display their stubborn and prideful attitudes. Both are extremely confident…

    • 827 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Who is the tragic hero of Antigone? When the word. ‘Tragic hero’ is mentioned, many individuals visualize a tragic hero as a character whom plays the role of both a victim and as a hero of a plot of the story. Occacionately, others view a tragic hero as someone who derives from being a main hero, or main character, to being the compassionate victim.…

    • 885 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays