Throughout several of Sophocles’ plays, one trait leads to the downfall of even the greatest characters. Antigone refuses to follow Creon’s orders and therefore suffers the consequences of death because of it and Creon refuses to follow the laws of the gods and therefore is punished. Their pride led them to defy rules set in place by those who had greater authority than them. Although Creon is warned twice by Haemon and Teiresias of the eventual consequence of his actions, he is too proud to repent or recognize how his decision concerning Antigone led to the suffering of his family and Antigone herself.
Even though Creon is warned of the consequences of his action by two different people, his pride and stubbornness prevent him from reversing his decision to kill Antigone before it is too late. Haemon, Creon’s son, goes to him in order to convince his father to release Antigone, arguing that the people are opposed to the actions of Creon against Antigone but are too afraid to speak their mind in front of the king. Creon arrogantly responds with the question “Am I to rule by other mind than mine?”(Ant.736). Creon considered his opinion to be
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His pride keeps him from admitting that his actions against Antigone and her brother went against the customs of the gods and were wrong. Upon hearing about the death of his son and wife, he mourns by taking responsibility for their deaths, explaining himself as “the frantic man who killed my son, against my meaning, and you too, my wife”(Ant.1340-1). Through all of his grief and suffering, not once does he acknowledge or make it known that this was all brought about because of his refusal to lay aside his pride and follow the laws of the gods. Creon is in denial about the underlying consequences of his prideful