Examples Of Pride In Antigone

How Detrimental Is Pride? Widely believed as an off-putting characteristic, pride can seem as a poisonous and parasitic aspect of a person in human interaction. People would think of pride as a negative personality trait because of examples of significant figures, whether it derive from history or literary, fall as a result of excessive confidence. Furthermore, the person with overconfidence in his/herself can seem ignorant and regal which would drive others away from him/her. However, a lack of confidence is also undesirable because one may lose the desire to move forward in life. In literature, several authors elaborate on their perspective of the complex epidemic of pride through their character’s journey in their story. Moreover, major

These explanations are often found in Greek tragedy where a hero suffers from a tragic flaw called hubris. In these stories, characters are humbled or even killed as a result of their incompetence in their personality. Through the perspective of Greek authors, pride can be detrimental to a person’s life; for example, if one sees them in a substantial manner or in a god complex, they will be severely punished by greater beings than themselves. Famous Greek playwright Sophocles perfectly portrays the harm of pride in the Oedipus Plays. The first of the trilogy, Antigone, explains his viewpoint through Tiresias

The only crime is pride”(Antigone, lns. 805-806). The quote elaborates on the idea that pride can interfere in the way of someone’s life when they make and acknowledge a mistake. Pride can cloud judgment and morality, and make it seem that anything they do is right. However without an extreme sense of self-dignity a person can live life with an adjusted moral and righteous viewpoint on his/her own decisions. In Oedipus the King, the chorus explains the problem when he says, “The despot is the child of violent pride, Pride that vainly stuffs itself, With food unseasonable, unfit, Climbs to the highest rim, And then plunges sheer down into defeat” (Oedipus the King, 60). The quote shows that too much pride brings upon an eventual plunge into despair and significant defeat to a person. This is caused by the constant exponential belief that one is right and all-powerful. As a result, once pride has reached its upmost level and one fails to accomplish something, they will be immediately humbled to a point where they seek for redemption but cannot ever seem to recover from their fall. An example of this can be seen