His personality shows up in his argument. First, he has no clear evidence to support his thoughts and ideas. All he states is that he is the King of Thebes, so all his words are the law. “The State is the King,”(598) means that Creon firmly believes in the fact that everything he says and thinks is correct. He also talks like a sexist and says, “Let’s lose to a man, at least!
Creon is a very stubborn man because he was the king of Thebes,Antigone challenged his decree,by burying Polynices. Creon is a stubborn man because he refused to bury his own nephew, he thought his nephew was a traitor. “They say that has sworn,no one shall bury him,no one mourn for him,but his body must lie in the fields,a sweet treasure,for carrion birds to find as they search for food”(line 19-23 page 970),By saying no one shall bury him and no one mourn for him Creon is showing how stubborn he is, He’s not only saying that he won’t do it, but other people can’t do it either. Creon’s law is an example of how stubborn he is because he doesn't care of what other people think,only what he thinks matter.
(Antigone 8). This quote shows that he wants everyone to obey him and anyone who disobeys him will get in trouble. The last support can be found when Creon said, “But he who crosses law, or forces it, or hopes to bring the ruler under him, shall never have a word of praise from me.” (Antigone 23). This means that Creon is “madly in love” with his power and thinks that he can do anything because he is the king.
This contributed to the fact that he was mentally lost. He had clouded judgment because of his idea of what is right for the city is the only way he would rule. As Burt describes “Creon remains adamant, and his judgment on Antigone and Ismene, along with his subsequent argument with his son, Haemon, reveals that Creon's principles are self-centered, contradictory, and compromised by his own pride, fears, and anxieties. ”(Burt). Creon can only think in his mindset and any other view to him is impossible to understand.
These conflicting motivations cause the characteristics of anxiety, anger, and selfishness to be highlighted within Creon’s character. Ultimately, these conflicting motivations develop Creon as a tragic hero by giving Creon his free choice that makes his downfall exclusively his own fault and the character interactions advance the plot by pushing King Creon to insanity and showing that even the King’s own family was trying to urge him to change his decree, and develops the theme of love and loyalty by showing the struggle between faith and family. Through the words, actions, and ideas of Haemon, the visible contrast between Creon’s character and Haemon’s character are present. Creon’s inner anger, anxiety and selfishness cause him to lose sight
When the Chorus Leader claims “only a fool could be in love with death,” (246), referring to Antigone, Creon immediately ignore that idea. He instead latches onto corruption saying that “the mere hope of money has ruined many men,” (248). He later continues with this line of thought into a large monologue calling money “so current, rampant, so corrupting” (336) and blaming riches for “every godless crime,” (341). His first thought is of corruption and bribery because that is what would compel him to disobey man’s laws. He has no love in his heart like Antigone.
With Creon having too much ego, it initiated all the conflicts that arose. He won 't listen to anyone, even when Teiresias tells him his truthful prophecy he thinks that he is being paid off. Creon has a certain cockiness that no one in their right mind would bare. Soon Creon suffers a peripeteia, which he was warned about from many. A king, with a kingdoms submission, is easily above others; but they still suffer.
Creon believes that whatever he says or decide is true, he has so much of self-righteousness. The word that Creon said “Am I to rule by other mind than mine?” (Antigone, page 26). He thinks that he should rule everything because he is a king, he believes that people should obey him and the law he sets because he thinks that it is the right thing to do. Creon does not want other people to tell him what to do.
The play, Antigone, is a tragedy written by the Greek poet Sophocles. A common theme among tragedies is that they have a tragic hero, and Antigone is no different. The tragic hero of this poem is Creon, the King of Thebes. Creon is faced with the difficult task of punishing his niece, Antigone. She has broken one of his laws stating that no one is to give proper burial rites to Polyneices, Antigone’s brother, because he tried to overthrow Creon.
Creon has traits such as being narrow minded, authoritative and strict in order to show his authority in Thebes. He uses both Antigone and Eteocles as examples for his lust for power by not burying
He can act quite stubborn and overconfident in himself and his ruling, and he needs to see this situation from another point of view in order to prevent anarchy. We find Creon irritated and belligerent when speaking with Teiresias. TEIRESIAS. King, you will drive me to words that - CREON. Say them, say them!
Creon does not keep an open mind, and refuses to see her point of view. Antigone said she buried the body because of God’s law, but Creon puts his law above the God’s. This shows an extreme amount of pride and confidence. Another example of Creon showing hubris is when Haimon says. “It is no City if it takes orders from one voice,” (221).
As long as I am King, no traitor is going to be honored with the loyal man. But whoever shows by word and deed that he is on the side of the State,––he shall have my respect while he is living and my reverence when he is dead ( Scene 1). Creon’s regards towards his own laws cause him to withdraw from all other beliefs or opinions that others have to offer him. He believes that the people of Thebes should obey his rules if they want his support.
Further comes likeness then she also fulfills this quality of tragic hero as she represented the true nature of humans, when they are sincere to anyone they are ready to give their life for him but when they hate someone they are ready to take their life, same as the case was with Medea when she loved Jason she took life of her brother n when she hate him she murdered her and Jason’s children and lastly her character also have had consistency. So, we can say that her character somehow fulfills all the essential qualities that a tragic hero must have. Now, proceeding further if we talk about hamartia basically a tragic flaw of hero then we don’t fine any traditional sort of flaw as Euripides is known as “rule breaker” his protagonist didn’t had the same kind of flaw as other
He is stubborn, and his pride is so great, he cannot bring himself to acknowledge that he could ever wrong. King Creon also possessed the character trait of being very strict and inflexible, even though his character may have brought protection, or a sense of safety among the Theban people, even when his. When Creon is talking to Teiresias, he thinks that he is being paid off. He does not want to believe he could be wrong about Antigone. Creon even says, “Whatever you say, you will not change my will.”
