Macbeth Vs Creon Analysis

The more tragic hero-- Macbeth

Norman Cousins says, "The tragedy of life is in what dies inside a man while he lives - the death of genuine feeling, the death of inspired response, the awareness that makes it possible to feel the pain or the glory of other men in yourself." Tragedy is a type of literature, usually a serious play or book, that ends sadly involving events in great loss or misfortune. In the play of Macbeth written by Shakespeare, protagonist Macbeth changes from an innocent thane from Scotland to a king who embraces evil and guilt, leading to his death. In another book-- Antigone written by Sophocles, antagonist Creon, a powerful built but a weary man who directly and indirectly kills his family members, suffers the burden of

In Sophocles' Antigone, Creon falls into power due to a chain of events that aren’t caused by him, but by the crime Oedipus has committed. However, Creon decrees the law denying Polynices's burial to re-establish law and order in Thebes, and to establish himself as the new King of Thebes. In Creon's mind, since Polynices attacks Thebes, he is only a traitor to the state and does not deserve burial, whereas, Eteocles deserves it because of his defense of the country. This is Creon’s fatal flaw which causes the tragedy. Creon’s decision to keep his cousin from his natural birthright disobeys God’s will and goes against God’s rules. His extreme pride blinds him from realization of what he is doing. Therefore, in establishing the law denying Polynices' burial, Creon believes that it is going to position him as the new and trustworthy king, as people see when he declares in his first speech in the play, "Such are my standards. They make our city great." (Ant.214). In addition, because of his pride in being a king, he stones Antigone because she is against his rule, causing his son’s and wife’s deaths. At the end of Antigone, Creon must bear the consequences for disobeying God a scene of his mental suffering. Similarly, Macbeth also wants to establish himself as a king due to his ambition and pride, but his reasons are far less noble than Creon's. Creon is the rightful heir to the throne; Macbeth, on the other hand, must undertake a series of murders to secure the position of king, especially after the witches' prophecies fulfill. First, he kills the present King Duncan and the witnessing servants; then, he kills Banquo, who is expressing suspicion, and tries to kill Banquo's son-- Fleance, who may inherit Duncan's throne. The murders in this situation are Macbeth’s fatal flaws, guilt is spinning around