The play Antigone is the tragedy of a family cursed with misfortune. Every tragedy needs a tragic hero, or person of noble position who is brought down by their own flaw. Antigone’s tragic hero is Creon, a newly appointed king who issues a controversial decree. This ruling causes conflict with nearly every other character in the play, but one character especially is Creon’s son, Haemon. The character of Haemon helps emphasize the theme of what makes an honorable leader and the struggle between family and responsibility. The actions and words of Haemon also strongly contrast those of Creon, bringing out Creon’s treacherous faults and causing a conflict with extreme consequences.
The biggest trait that leads to Creon’s downfall is his stubbornness.
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When the guard came back with the news that the body had been buried, Creon became angry at him and accused him of doing it himself. “I know that these guards were led astray—such men urged them to carry out this act for money,” (341-343). In reality, the guards had just been sent to the site of the body by Creon’s orders. Creon is quick to anger—he reacts impulsively instead of considering the possible motives behind the guard’s actions. Another example of this is when Creon says, “… I swear to you on oath—unless you find the one whose hands really buried him… then death for you will never be enough,” (356-359). That is an extreme measure to take for someone who was only doing what the King instructed him to do. Another time where Creon’s aggressiveness is displayed is after Haemon expressed his views. “You foul creature—you’re worse than any woman,” and, “You’ll regret parading what you think like this—you – a person with an empty brain,” (852-853, 862-863). Creon spits these hurtful words at Haemon, even though throughout the argument between father and son, Haemon kept a mild temper. This shows the reader that Creon does not want to be told he is wrong and yells rather than