In the Greek tragedy Antigone, Creon is the best example of “unshakable will power” through his efforts to punish Antigone for her attempt to defy the state law. In the story, Creon punishes Antigone for burying her brother Polyneices, whom Creon specifically made a law about, stating that no one shall propose a proper burial for him. Instead of thinking about the situation logically, Creon’s arrogance and ignorance takes over, causing him to be the one at fault by the end of the tragedy. Creon exhibits unshakable will power throughout the story through his abuse of power as a leader and through his determination to kill Antigone. One way that Creon displays unshakable will power is through is arrogance and ignorance as a leader.
A main concept in the play Antigone is pride. In class, we discussed the topic of pride and watched a Ted Talk along with it about the fear of being wrong. It relates to King Kreon because as a leader, he wanted to be powerful and make his own decisions. This turned for the worse however, when the decision he made was selfish and went against the people’s beliefs. Kreon’s son Haimon warned him before the execution of Antigone that it was not what
Accordingly, in The Lakota Way, it says, “When choosing a leader, we always kept in mind that humility provides clarity where arrogance makes a cloud. The last thing we wanted was to be led by someone whose judgment and actions were clouded by arrogance.” Nevertheless, Humility is an important trait, consequently, people will notice acts of bravery, valor, and kindness when they are not boasted about. Nevertheless, Humility is an important trait, consequently, people will notice acts of bravery, valor, and kindness when they are not boasted about.
Antigone’s Moral Development The play Antigone by Sophocles, is about a girl who faces a family conflict over her deceased brother. The protagonist is Antigone and she stays the same morally throughout the play. Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development helps people understand the stages individuals morally move through as they mature more. Because of Antigone’s decisions and ideas at the beginning and the end of the play, she is a morally static character through the story.
Arrogance is a characteristic that many people possess, which also includes characters from books, novels, plays, movies, etc. Arrogance is also seen as a word that describes a person as one who does not listen to others, one who cares about one’s self, one who values their importance more than others, one who is too proud in a way that makes others uncomfortable, one who thinks their ideas are always correct, and many more ways that describe an arrogant person. Antigone, a play written by Sophocles, a Greek playwright, addresses how a person’s arrogance can lead them to their downfall. Most characters in Antigone, including Antigone herself and Creon, the new king of Thebes, possess this trait. But arguably, Creon holds this trait of arrogance the strongest.
Fate has brought all my pride to a thought of dust”(Sophocles 1.5 142-146). Creon’s destruction resulted because of his misdeeds in having too much pride. His pride and his personal instability were the worst combination of possible qualities he could have. Creon’s past sins have built up and eventually burst and gave this man the worst punishment of all the characters in the play. In Antigone by Sophocles, Creon displayed many failing qualities as a king; most notably having displayed a giant ego by not accepting help from others, which warns the audience of the dangers
Antigone's character displays the trait of being honorable through her quest to give her brother Polyneices a proper burial. She would rather "die an honorable death" instead of one with worst consequences (Sophocles). Antigone sees that there is no better way to die that a death with honor and faithfulness to her kin. Knowing the consequence of breaking Creon's law was death, she knew that if she were ever caught, she would "nobly die" (Mckay, line 5). Oedipus's stubborn daughter is not afraid to die, for she knows her death will not be for nothing.
“All men make mistakes, but a good man yields when he knows his course is wrong and repairs the evil. The only crime is pride.” A man named Sophocles once said this in the play, Antigone. Pride is where a person has a very high and mighty opinion of their own selves. This may lead to turmoil in lives of their self or others.
In addition to this, Creon?s pride is evident when the prophet Teiresias tried to warn Creon that he made a mistake with his punishment of Antigone but was ridiculed and turned away, ? The tribe of prophets- all of them- are fond of money.? I believe he does this due to him having already made the declaration of Antigone?s punishment and his pride gets in the way of him correcting his mistakes. Along with arete and hubris, Creon shows the Greek concept ate. Ate is a character?s recklessness in making rash decisions that later are regretted due to the consequences those actions lead to.
The first individual that is to blame is Antigone, who is prideful and is very arrogant. For instance this can be seen when Antigone compares herself to the daughter of Tantalus by saying, “I’ve heard about a guest of ours, daughter of Tantalus, from Phrygia— she went to an excruciating death in Sipylus, right on the mountain peak. The stone there, just like clinging ivy, wore her down, and now, so people say, the snow and rain never leave her there, [830] as she laments. Below her weeping eyes her neck is wet with tears. God brings me to a final rest which most resembles hers.”
Luke Hinson Ms.DeHorn English 9 April 19, 2023 Antigone Essay Power of Pride The power of pride will consume the person with it and affect them in the end no matter the circumstances. In the play “Antigone”, the king, Kreon, is a very sexist, arrogant, and selfish person. King Kreon has a niece, Antigone, who goes against most of Kreon’s laws. Kreon puts the law's before the Gods compared to Antigone who puts the Gods before the law.
Throughout the story, Antigone was given and took the opportunity to protect her personal dignity. “I am not afraid of the danger; if it means death, it will not be the worst of deaths-death without honor” (1024). Antigone defends herself in conversation with Ismene by choosing to die by honoring their brother Polyneices. “I should have praise and honor for what I have done. All these men here would praise me, were their lips not frozen shut with fear of you” (1036).
“Humble yourself or life will do it for you,” is a common quote used by many. This idea of being humble to avoid consequences applies well to the book Antigone by Sophocles. It shows how if one has too much pride, they will be humbled in one way or another. In Antigone, Creon had tunnel vision, not listening to anyone. His fatal flaw was hubris, ultimately leading to the downfall of him.
As demonstrated throughout the Greek tragedy Antigone, Creon’s tragic flaw is hubris which causes his downfall . The downfall begins when Creon refuses to give Polyneices, the son of Oedipus and the brother of Antigone, a burial. Creon believes that Polyneices did not die an honorable death as he broke exile and raised the sword against his home city, Thebes, so in return he will not receive a burial. Creon’s pride takes over and so he believes he is a man not only superior to women , but a king superior to the gods. He claims, Go out of your heads entirely?
From world wars to present day national elections, pride can always be connected to many appalling, life-changing issues. Pride has always either been negative or positive, and it has been around forever. In the epic play Antigone, Sophocles demonstrates how Creon’s hubris allows for the downfall of himself and the killing of his family. Creon’s fatal flaw is his hubris. Creon not only loses his family, he also loses the trust of his people.
