Preview

Creon the Tragic Hero

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1252 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Creon the Tragic Hero
Sophocles Tragic Hero: Creon The play Antigone written by Sophocles (496 B.C -406 B.C.) was first performed around 441 B.C. Sophocles though it was important for this play to be performed during the time as he was witnessing society move away from the gods and toward a anthropocentric view, thinking that man and his abilities were more important. This all took place during what was called the Golden Age (480-430B.C.) in Greece during which Pericles ruled (461-439B.C.). The Olympics first took place in the Golden Age and was a contest to show man’s strength and abilities. Also, the New Science was being to take shape. Protagoras was a part of the New Science and stated that “Man is the measure of all things.” The Atomic Theorists also stated that “The physical universe is made up of small particles called atoms that have come together in random order to form the world.” Hippocrates also began using the method of diagnosing, one man looking and judging another man’s health to see was ails him. Herodotus was also a part of the New Science and defined history as the actions of great men. These all are examples of denial of the gods during the Golden Age. Sophocles observed this happening and wrote the Theban plays in response. He presents Creon, in the play Antigone, as a representation of the man centered world. Sophocles, by presenting Creon as a tragic hero, describing hubris, hamartia, arête, ate, and nemesis, shows he audience that gods are greater than man. Arête, or excellence, is an element of a classic tragic hero, which is a characteristic Creon displays many places throughout the story. Even before the Creon speaks we are shown his excellence and kingship through the Chorus’s lines 173-178. “Creon, the new man for the new day, Why this sudden call to the old men summoned at one command?” These lines show his leadership as a new king as he summons the elders. Another good example is when is addresses the elders, specifically lines 198-202. “As I see

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Creon is the tragic hero of the play, Antigone, by Sophocles, and suffers the greatest downfall. It all begins when he maes his public announcment as the new king. He states his message loud and clearly to everyone, that if anyone feels the need to bury the body od Polyneices, they will be going against the law and will be sentenced to death. In this powerful speech, he shows the need for control and order in the way he plans to rule. At the same time, he is showing arrogance in the way he insures all of his choices in judgement are correct.…

    • 468 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Creon Tragic Hero Quotes

    • 775 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Do you know one of the greatest tragic heros of all time? I believe Creon is the greatest tragic hero of all time because he learned from his mistakes, he didn't deserve what was put upon him, and his interactions with antigone proved that he was a tragic hero.…

    • 775 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Downfall of Creon

    • 538 Words
    • 3 Pages

    As the story progresses, Creon experiences a change in fortune. “…And curses will be hurled at you from far…” (P. 1054) This quote shows that the tables have now turned, and Creon is at stake to be punished if he does not fix what he has created. Another quote that demonstrates…

    • 538 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Creon

    • 819 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Men have always been looked at as inferior to women no matter what the situation may be. That is how ancient Greece and many other parts of the world operated. Women were never respected and their opinions showed no value to the benefit of their superior man. It is quite an unfair system, however that was the way things were run in the past. In Sophocles ‘Antigone’ women however are portrayed in a different light. They are shown to be brave, relentless and strong human beings. Even though they are portrayed this way does not mean that there were not any others who disagreed differently. Creon a powerful tyrant as portrayed in “Antigone” is obsessed with maintaining the subordination of women.…

    • 819 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Creon, the Tragic Hero

    • 1665 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Creon is a very authoritative person and demands control of others. When talking to the Chorus, “Creon does not ask them to agree with the decree, but he rather demands that they follow it,” (Grantz 18). Creon expects loyalty from others. It is apparent that Creon is very…

    • 1665 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    A tragic hero is a person of noble birth with heroic or potentially heroic qualities. Because the tragic hero simply cannot accept a diminished view of the self and because of some personality flaw, the hero fails in this epic struggle against fate (csus.edu). In "Antigone" written by the infamous Sophocles, the characters, Antigone and King Creon, can both be deemed as tragic heroes despite of their beliefs differing immensely. Antigone, who is engaged to Creon's son, is a strong-willed woman who wants to bury her deceased brother, Polyneices, with honor despite the fact that he killed their other brother in war. On the other hand, Creon…

    • 645 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Defeat, something that you experience when you lose something, whether it is that you lose someone dear to you, lose in a contest or a game, or lose a battle that was hard fought for, but there are different ways to look at it. To embrace defeat is to realize that your actions were immoral or inadequate, and allow yourself to grow stronger and wiser from this situation, and to accept defeat is to not learn from your mistakes and to blame someone else for what happened. This is the basis of the concept of a tragic hero, introduced by the Greek philosopher, Aristotle. In Antigone by the Greek playwright Sophocles, it is established that Creon is not a tragic hero of the play. Creon was shown to blame others for the outcome of his own mistakes,…

    • 1093 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The flaw that makes Creon a tragic hero is his paranoia. Creon often believes his citizens and even close friends and relatives are out to get him. He is convinced that there are “anarchists putting their heads together’ in opposition to his rule all over the city (245). When told that someone has gone against his orders and buried Polyneices, Creon says, “They have bribed my own guard to do this thing,” because he believes that his guards are more loyal to their purses than to him (242). This quality is a flaw…

    • 323 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Creon's noble quality is his caring for Antigone and Ismene when their father was persecuted. Creon is a very authoritative person and demands control of others. When talking to the Chorus, Creon does not ask them to agree with the decree but demands that they follow it. Creon expects loyalty from others. It is apparent that Creon is very dominating and wants to be in control. "The man the city sets up in authority must be obeyed in small things and in just but also in their opposites"(717-719). Through this quote the reader realizes that Creon wants obedience in everything he decides even if he is at fault. "There is nothing worse than disobedience to authority" (723-724). Further supporting Creon's belief that everyone shall remain faithful to him even if he rules unfairly. This is proved true when Creon says, "Should the city tell me how I am to rule them?" (790).…

    • 1446 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Oedipus and Creon

    • 404 Words
    • 2 Pages

    This shows Creon’s pride and narcissism. He will not have anyone rule him, especially a woman. He believes that even the toughest will, like that of Antigone, can be broken.…

    • 404 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Creon The Tragic Hero

    • 999 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Creon is a king, a very wealthy and powerful human, but he still is a human with flaws nonetheless. His people follow him loyally; this loyalty is shown when they follow his order about Polyneices ' burial. When the Choragos, who represents the people, speaks for them and says "If that is your will, Creon son of Menoikus, you have the right to enforce it: we are yours"(Literature for Composition. Scene 1. Page 444. Line 37). This power that Creon holds with the people plays an important role in…

    • 999 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    King Creon Essay

    • 464 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Creon’s arrogance and pride shows several different reasons on why he isn’t exactly a pleasant person to be around. When Antigone and Ismene talked about giving burial rights to their brother Polynieces, which Antigone did, Creon ordered Antigone to be arrested and sentenced to death. Creon's arrogant pride made it seem like Antigone wasn’t a part of his family, which she is. [Lines 1005-1035] Creon killed his brother, who was the first in line to claim the throne, so technically he wasn’t even the real king of Thebes.…

    • 464 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Throughout the whole play Creon exhibits that he is imperfect. Creon is very stubborn as well as ignorant, which results in his many problems all through the play. In his dispute with Haemon over the fate of Antigone he says, % --show me a greater crime in all the earth! She, she destroys cities, rips up houses, breaks the ranks of spearmen into headlong rout. But the ones who last it out, the great mass of them owe their lives to discipline. Therefore we must defend the men who live by law, never let some woman triumph over us. Better to fall from power, if fall we must, at the hands of a man--never be rated inferior to a woman, never (lines 751-761 page 94)." The word % " basically means…

    • 1011 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Aristotle once said, “A man doesn’t become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall.” Sophocles’s Antigone was written in 440 B.C. which was the time when plays were written based on ancient Greece culture. The idea of a tragic hero was established in Ancient Greece, tragic heroes are in ancient Greek plays. A tragic hero is a character who is inherently good, has a fatal flaw and loses everything in the end. Creon is Antigone’s tragic hero because his loyalty and obsessive pride influence the conflicts that led to his family’s demise.…

    • 956 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Power is one of the only things that humans have always, and will always strive for. Many people think power is good and the more power you have, the better off you are in life. Power, however, can have some downs. Power has a negative effect on people in leadership positions because they abuse their power, and they can control everything and everyone.…

    • 350 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays