Preview

Antigone Vs Creon

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
397 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Antigone Vs Creon
In differentiating between the protagonist and the secondary characters in Greek drama, four characteristics of a traditional Greek hero should be kept in mind: undying loyalty, strong convictions, a single character flaw, and a lesson learned. In the play, Antigone, by Sophocles, two characters, Antigone and Creon, have thee of these four. The possession of the fourth quality is what sets one apart as the main character. Even though the title of the play is Antigone, the main character-the protagonist- is Creon. Antigone may seem to be the only character to have everlasting loyalty , as she is willing to die for her brother, Polyneices, right to a proper burial; however, Creon also displays this trait. It is Creon's duty as a Greek man and as a King to protect his kingdom and put it above his enemy, regardless of his or her identity. …show more content…
He enforces this even with his own family member, displaying a loyalty of great proportions to his country. Moral obligation and commitment play an important role in the play. Both Antigone and Creon display unbelivable fortitude when their positions on this are questioned. Creon is willing to rob his son of his bride. His power and kingship, what Creon most values, are questioned as a result of this. Still, Creon stays commited to his punishment for

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Throughout the play, Antigone, both Creon and Antigone suffer from tragic flaws which eventually lead to their downfall. Creon and Antigone cannot control their excessive pride so they eventually pay for their hubris.…

    • 258 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Antigone disobeys the king by burying her brother who Creon views as a traitor to Thebes. She realizes that this action will result in her death but is still willing to do so as long as…

    • 355 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Throughout history there have been many people known as heroes. Most of these people have done wonderful things to help society. However, in literature there is another type of hero, the tragic hero. While tragic heroes do wonderful things too, they also have a character flaw that causes their downfall along with others. This essay is to prove that in the play "Antigone", written by Sophocles, Creon is a tragic hero.…

    • 391 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Throughout the play Antigone, Creon is portrayed as the king of discipline and pride. Creon’s pride is what makes him the tragic figure of Antigone. Though Antigone takes her life as the result of her sentence from Creon, it is not her pride that defines her fate but her unwillingness to accept her fate.…

    • 582 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Role Of Creon In Antigone

    • 345 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In the story of Antigone, there are two main characters Creon, and Antigone. Many people think that Antigone is the tragic hero, but i think that Creon is the tragic hero. In the story of Antigone, king Creon was a tragic hero because, he was very stubborn, he is of noble greatness, and he made a bad mistake by not burying Polyneices.…

    • 345 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the story “Antigone” there are characters who are honored and characters who are a disgrace based on their actions in the story.…

    • 417 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Everyone, Antigone along with King Creon included, have many foibles that cannot be easily removed. Pride is one that both Antigone and King Creon have in common the most; except Antigone's hubris is a different kind than King Creon's. Gallantry in Antigone's situation can be considered either good or bad based on the point of view. King Creon is very dogmatic and obstinate towards all of his people, even his own son; King Creon's obstinacy is just one of the many foibles he has. Everyone, if not most, have either pride, courage or close-mindedness as one of their many…

    • 633 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    While these matters are important in life, they definitely played a great role in the play Antigone. Another huge role was the Gods and how Antigone felt that she was being loyal to them, claiming “all for reverence, my reverence for the gods”(1035). The last of her words was showing how she felt she also buried her brother because she knew the gods would want it that way. For her being punished she knew the gods would be looking down on Creon and he would get what he deserved. Creon was sticking to his word, about no one being able to bury Polynices, he was being loyal to himself and the state. He didn't know his choice he made would cause so much pain and suffering but in the end his loyalty was just in the wrong place, even though as king he felt like it was exactly where it should have been. Once a prophet came in to talk to Creon to let him know something tramatic was going to happen, is when Creon realized he needed to be loyal to the Gods and respect their wishes. He didn't want to be punish for being selfish but by then he was too late. The gods had spoken and he was left with nothing but pain. Creon said, “when the god came down and struck me-a great weight/shattering, driving me down that wild savage path”(1404-1405). Loyalty towards the Gods was something that was a very big deal in Greek but not being loyal towards what they believed in was something they paid…

    • 992 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Furthermore, When Haemon eventually kills himself, his father, Creon, is obviously upset. On the other hand, when Eurydice kills herself, Creon is completely hopeless. In lines 1392, Creon says “Ohhh, my crimes, so senseless, so insane…[Haemon’s] dead, lost to the world, not through your stupidity, no, my own” but in lines 1441, He finds out Eurydice has also killed herself and says “And the guilt is all mine— can never be fixed on another man, no escape for me. I killed you, I, god help me, I admit it all!” showing the absolute grief he feels when he has lost everything. There is a difference in the way he acts towards both the deaths. Her death was caused because of her grief over antigone’s death and her own son’s. If he were not to have…

    • 144 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Selflessness, and determination are great characteristics to have, but when they are put against each other, problems can arise. In the play Antigone by Sophocles, Antigone is trying to bury her brother Polynices after his tragic death, while fighting for the throne. Creon doesn’t want Polynices to be buried because of how he died, fighting for the throne, and killing Eteocles, the rightful king. Creon doesn't think it is just for Polynices to be buried. But Antigone says the gods desire it. Antigone and Creon put each other in tough situations, which creates a theme and advances the plot. Throughout the play Antigone acts as a foil for Creon and her selflessness contrasts with Creon's determination to advance the plot and develop the theme of staying true to your morals.…

    • 860 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “Real tragedy is never resolved. It goes on hopelessly forever. Conventional tragedy is too easy. The hero dies and we dies and we feel a purging of the emotions. A real tragedy takes place in a corner in an untidy spot , to quote W.H Auden-Chinua Achebe. Antigone’s words, actions, and ideas contrast with Creon’s character to the point of these two characters having conflicting motivations. These conflicting motivations cause the characteristics of anger, hate, and disappointment to be highlighted within Creon’s character. Ultimately, these conflicting motivations develop Creon as a tragic hero by putting his niece in a cave to die, caused other deaths. That particular mistake put a lot of people in the grave.…

    • 506 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Antigone Vs Creon Essay

    • 640 Words
    • 3 Pages

    After discussing the planned death of Antigone with his leader of the citizens of Thebes, Creon and Haemon have an argument about Creon’s action of following the laws of the state, rather than the laws of the gods. As they dispute back and forth, Haemon announces that he sees his father, “offending justice”, and even as Creon responds by saying it’s to, “protect his royal rights”, Haemon once again replies, “Protect your rights? When you trample down the honor of the gods?” (98). Creon’s view on what he is doing is that as the ruler of Thebes, he must follow its laws above all others to show his loyalty to the government. He also commits to his actions because he feels that as the leader of his family, he must assert authority and set an example of a well ruling father and mayor. Creon accepts his doom filled fate by dishonoring the gods as he puts human laws over divine laws. As a result of his choices, Creon then undergoes many tragic events like this suicides of his wife and son as a result of his actions. Also, relating to the evidence given about Antigone’s actions, Sophocles again shows the reader the negative consequences of not staying faithful to the…

    • 640 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    "Morality is always the product of terror; its chains and strait-waistcoats are fashioned by those who dare not trust others, because they dare not trust themselves, to walk in liberty," writes author Aldous Huxley. In "Antigone" the root of Creon's immoral behavior is not an inability to distinguish between what is wrong and what is right, but, rather, a fear or a terror of what may occur if he were to choose the morally right way to operate. "Very well, I am afraid, then. Does that satisfy you? I am afraid that if you insist upon it, I shall have you killed. And I don't want to (46)." Antigone acts in the complete opposite manner to Creon. She, as Creon can, is able to differentiate from right and wrong and is not afraid of the consequences of what acting on her morals may bring. These consequences have almost a reverse effect when compared with Creon; when faced with the consequences, she expects…

    • 913 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Who Is Creon A Tragic Hero

    • 1194 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Though both traditional and Sophoclean tragic heroes are similar, the Sophoclean heroes are distinguished by their rigid loyalty, which leads to a disastrous fate. Creon shows his rigidity in his ways when he refuses downright to back away from what he set as the law of his kingdom. In fact, he is so set in his ways that Creon refuses to even think of the repercussions of his decisions. His rigidity eventually results in both his wife Eurydice, and his son Haemon’s suicide, with his wife cursing him for having caused such tragedies to be brought upon his people. Though both the tragic and Sophoclean heroic personalities are similar, they also have their differences. For example, in the play of Antigone, it is simple to see how both the characters Antigone and Creon’s traits result in a direct conflict, often driving the plot. Creon’s hubris goes in direct conflict with Antigone’s courage, eventually leading both characters to a disastrous ending, but the play gives the reader the ability to distinguish between Antigone, a character who simply met a tragic end, and Creon, a man who was the truly tragic hero of…

    • 1194 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Antigone Vs Creon

    • 704 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Antigone contrasts Creon’s character throughout the play. Primarily, she shows contrast in her views about the gods. Although, their views are very contrasting, both characters are arrogant and selfish in their own ways. In the play when Antigone gets caught and is brought to Creon she states her thoughts about the gods “ ...you [Creon] proclaimed strong enough to let a mortal override the gods and their unwritten and unchanging laws”. Antigone believes that the gods have the highest power to any living thing on earth. Gods created the laws of what is right and nobody of mortal status can change that. Creon, however,thinks…

    • 704 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays