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Essay / Creon's pride as the cause of his tragic downfall
Creon, a stubborn man with what he saw as potential, saw his chance to realize his dream when his powerful brother, former king, Oedipus and his two eldest sons, Polynices and Eteocles, died. The brothers were too proud. They both wanted the power that came with taking the throne at Thebes, which caused the battle between them and ended in their deaths. Creon finally has the chance to gain the power he has always desired. Yet as soon as he takes over, he makes a bad decision that sets off a chain of dark and unfortunate events. He refuses to bury Polyneices, because in his mind he was a traitor. His order triggers a flame of vengeful anger in Antigone. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayCreon's reaction to Antigone's actions leads to these tragic consequences which essentially lead to Creon being portrayed as the tragic hero from the play Antigone by Sophocles. King Creon plays an important role in Antigone. He is the one who maintains the tragedy, he is “the almighty” that everyone must fear and everything revolves around his actions. He makes sure to express his nobility to appear superior and righteous in the eyes of others, especially when he declares: "Both stained with the blood of a brother, dead in a day - and I their closest relative, I inherited the throne and the kingdom that I now possess. » (Sophocles verses 137-139). This quote proves that nobility is important to Creon if he chose to talk about it in one of his first lines of the play. The first part of a character is where the audience gets a first impression and major facts are usually highlighted. If Sophocles decided to have Creon mention nobility in his first part, that must mean that it has something important to do with the character. People already know that Creon is related to Oedipus and his two sons, but Creon finds it necessary to repeat it once more, as if this might elevate people's views of him. Although Creon is considered all-powerful and just, he fails to make quality decisions because of his one tragic flaw, his pride. His pride is what prevents him from making good decisions for the city rather than for Creon himself. Creon is so focused on proving his power that he stops listening to what his supporters have to say. When Haemon, his son, approaches the king and tells him that neither he nor the people of Thebes agree with Creon on his decisions, Creon declares indignantly: “The people of Thebes! Since when do I receive my orders from Thebes? / No, I am king and I am responsible only to myself” (Sophocles circa 630/632). At the beginning of the play, Creon attempts to teach the people of Thebes a lesson: no one, even Creon's niece, can escape a crime. He is so busy teaching this lesson and making his point that his true flaws have become apparent. According to Teiresias, the great Greek gods despise pride which leads to the curse of the tragic death of those close to him, leaving Creon in misery. Creon has the opportunity to make many of the important decisions that make up the plot of Antigone and that express the true tragic hero that he is. It is so easy to see Creon making these difficult decisions with apparent ease and carelessness that his own son Haemon decides to give him this advice: “Father, take a break and put your anger aside. I think, for what my young opinion is worth, that it is good to have infallible wisdom, since it is rarely found, the best thing to do is to be willing to listen to wise counsel. » (Sophocles around 615-619). Even his son.