Concept of Pride and Arrogance
Junxi Li
The concept of pride and arrogance resides in the Agamemnon and the Antigone is a form a violence: violence to the character who owned pride, Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, Creon and Antigone, and violence to one’s children. At a glimpse of “while I tread his splendors dye red in the sea” (Agamemnon, 943), Agamemnon brought curse on himself by gaining what he did not deserve: tapestries, which is the honor only gods deserve. Defy over gods also brought reasons for Clytemnestra’s murder later in the scene. Yet later in the scene where Clytemnestra questioned by the Chorus, Clytemnestra irritated the Chorus by defying the law: “Here is Agamemnon, my husband made a corpse by this right hand – a masterpiece of Justice”
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Agamemnon was humble and modest at the beginning. He was not willing to take the honor from the gods: “only the gods deserve the pomps of honor and the stiff brocades of fames” (Agamemnon: 915). Agamemnon asked for a mortal welcome, “Give me the tributes of a man and not a god” (Agamemnon: 920). We all know that Agamemnon walked on the carpet after Clytemnestra’s taunt. My justification for this difference would be that Agamemnon was too proud even to imagine the scene where “But Priam – can you see him if he had your success” (Agamemnon: 930). Agamemnon returned from the Trojan war with victory. Ten years from the start, with thousands of his people dead, he won the war. Indeed, it was a tough war. Yet he came home, and had to be humiliated by his woman by imaging his enemy winning. Even though it seemed to us arrogance in Agamemnon was reasonable, the pride in this carpet scene, brought reason for Clytemnestra’s later murder. One might argue that Clytemnestra’s intention was to kill Agamemnon at the first place, and his pride was not the reason for his tragedy and instead, the reason was his murder to his daughter. However, what if people in the Argos thought
A popular teaching of ancient Greek philosophers, was the ideal of “Sophrosyne” (wisdom), which rooted from self-knowledge, or “Know thyself” which was intended to be learned throughout a life time. Self knowledge would eventually lead to wisdom, good judgement, balance, control and harmony. In the play Antigone written by Sophocles we are presented with King Creon who believes he is righteous and blessed with wisdom from the heavens declares a ruling that no traitor of the nation shall receive burial, which goes against divine law. Did Creon make a wise judgement when dictating his new law or was it his pride that got the best out of him, leading him to his downfall.
The Greek interpretation of what makes a man “civilized” and what makes him “savage” is a recurring theme throughout the ancient epics, battle narratives, and dramas, including Aeschylus’ Agamemnon. In this first installment of The Oresteia, the chorus of Argive elders expresses keen outrage at the killing of Agamemnon, which suggests that they equate savagery with the madness they see in Clytemnestra: “just as your mind is maddened by the bloody deed, the blood-fleck in your eyes is clear to see” (1426-1427). In many places throughout the play, however, Clytemnestra proves that she does not fit the description of savage that is defined in Homer’s literature, for example and instead gives evidence that she is a very complex, rational woman. The chorus ignores the many admirable qualities of their queen —her skill at running the estate and her compassion for those who have suffered, among other things— simply because she is a woman. These qualities may not entirely excuse Clytemnestra from taking a life, but they combine to form a more noble picture of the queen than the chorus chooses to portray. Clytemnestra has relatable motives and displays empathy and respect for many different people, including the husband who she just killed, which sets her apart from the classical Greek definition of a savage —a designation forced on Clytemnestra by the chorus, but not necessarily to be believed.
Unshakable willpower can describe someone whose single-minded and persistent. This meaning their outlook or point of view on a situation will never change, no matter the obstacles or consequences. In Sophocles’ Antigone He shows several encounters of unshakeable willpower through two of his most persistent characters. For an example, Antigone rebelling against a law and Haemon challenging his own father. The two characters only have self-beliefs to go off of for their rebellion, against the king. Their uprising could bring severe or even fatal disaster. Sophocles presents an abundant amount of evidence for determination through Antigone and Haemon. He indicates through the actions of the unyielding Antigone and her
Pride is a quality that all people possess in one way or another. Some people take pride in their appearance, worldly possessions, or position in society. The story of Antigone written by Sophocles has two characters who have a tragic flaw of pride. I will show how Creon’s pride of power leads to his destruction, and how Antigone’s pride makes her an honorable character who should be treated as a hero.
After her mother committed suicide, her father died and her brothers fought until they killed each other, Antigone projects her strong character with interesting ways of showing it. As the main character with strong values and a stubborn way, she follows the laws of god, without minding the consequences. Antigone is a strong willed woman who wins the respect of the audience by the inner strength and resistance of manipulation she has, showing the potential of human kind. She becomes a heroine with noble qualities of mind, heart and soul because she is willing to sacrifice her life, doing what she believes it is right. With a sense of family ties, she is an ideal for humanity, the issue is that she must burry her brother Polynices with an appropriate ceremony since she believes it is the last right for every human being.
sense of loyalty leads to her simultaneous violation and observance to the duty of women
Parents are there to protect and raise their children. It is their choice on how to do it. Many can be very nice and almost not strict enough, but others can seem stubborn and mean. Unlike strict parents, people who are truly stubborn can be much, much worse. Their inability to be wrong or not get what they want can destroy relationships and lives. This happened in Sophocles' Antigone, she was doing what she felt to be right and her uncle, Creon the king of Thebes, had her killed because he did not agree with her point of view. Stubbornness can lead to bad judgments and horrible repercussions. Stubbornness is like a parasite that takes over a persons mind and body, and makes them sad, depressed, and angry. In the play almost every character exhibits some level of stubbornness, and it leads to disaster.
Being a good citizen often involves doing something out of the ordinary to help others. Sometimes, that involves going against the will of others to do what the good citizen might think is best. Although this is traditionally the case, the biggest factor in being a good citizen is great respect for the nation in which one lives. If one wants to be a good citizen, he or she might go out of his or her way to help others, however, must do so within the rules of the nation. In the Greek Drama by Sophocles, entitled Antigone, the hero, Antigone, shows, what I would call, bad citizenship. How is this? Why is she being a bad citizen?
Throughout history rulers have used force in the pursuit of the acquiring more power and wealth, regardless of the consequences. The use of force may lead to the fulfillment of ones current interests or goals, but continued abuse of this power in pursuit of ones own interests has historically lead to the downfall of those in power. In the text The Prince Machiavelli says, “It is much safer to be feared than loved, if you cannot have both”. This quote suggests that when given the choice it is better for a ruler to use his power, through force if necessary, and be feared than to do what is right for the people and lose everything. In Sophocles’ Antigone, Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War, and Sophocles’ Republic the analogy of the double-edged
“Oh my children, the new blood of ancient Thebes, why are you here?” said Oedipus when addressing his people during his first appearance (1-2). Flamboyant, yes, well in Oedipus the King, the main character Oedipus is a boastful and pompous character faced with troublesome pasts and future predicaments. In actuality, he is king of Thebes and the rightful ruler, but when a plague strikes he is quickly led into a misfortune of events that ultimately leads him to dig his eyes out in attempt to relieve him from the truth he discovers. It then becomes a revelation to distinguish the characteristic fault which leads Oedipus through such tragedy. Only to become apparent, Oedipus’s excessive pride is the main culprit behind his tragic ending. In his first comment to his followers, he refers them to as children, giving him a feeling of upper authority equal to that of gods. Through Oedipus’s excessive pride, his true moral flaws are revealed while creating a chain of events that lead to his ultimatum, only to justify his own torment.
Brad Moore, a famous athlete once said, “Pride would be a lot easier to swallow if it didn’t taste so bad.” In Sophocles’ well known Greek tragedy, Antigone, the main character undergoes immense character development. Antigone transforms from being stubborn and underestimated to courageous and open-minded. In reality, it is Antigone’s insular persistence that leads to her ultimate decline in the play as well as others around her. After the death of her two brothers, Eteocles and Polynices, Creon becomes the new ruler of Thebes. With this, he grants Eteocles an honorable funeral service for his brave fighting. Claiming that Polynices was a traitor, he shows complete refusal to grant Polynices a respectable and worthy service. Clearly disagreeing with Creon’s inexcusable demands, Antigone declares she will bury Polynices herself so that his soul can be at peace. Entirely aware of the consequences and dangers of this action, which include death, she goes forward vowing her love for her family. Antigone shows strength and determination towards her brother. However, her growing sense of pride leads to her downfall as she sacrifices everything for her family. Antigone develops into an admirable character in which she portrays her defiance and courage, pride and open mindedness, and sense of moral righteousness to show vital character growth as the play progresses.
In Aeschylus’ Agamemnon there are many different opinions about what kind of king and commander Agamemnon was. Some argued that he was good, while others dispute that his motives were wrong. Clytemnestra, Agamemnon’s wife, gained a strong hatred for him, after he sacrificed his own daughter so he could go to war. Many believe that this was not necessary and could have been overcome. The chorus seems to agree with this to an extent, and feels that Agamemnon could have prayed and requested that he not sacrifice his daughter.
Tragedy of Antigone The play “Antigone” by Sophocles displays many qualities that make it a great tragedy. A tragedy is defined as a dramatic or literary work in which the principal character engages in a morally significant struggle ending in ruin or profound disappointment. In creating his tragedy “Antigone”, Sophocles uses many techniques to create the feelings of fear and pity in his readers. This, in turn, creates an excellent tragedy.
In Aeschylus’ The Agamemnon, Agamemnon and Clytemnestra have to make tough decisions throughout the play, decisions they believe are justified. The actions of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra are not justified because they are caused by their blinding hubris and desire for power. Agamemnon makes the choice to kill his daughter just so he could lead his troops to Troy. Clytemnestra kills her husband, not just for revenge, but for his position and power as king of Mycenae. They make selfish choices and do not believe they will be punished for them. By exposing their true motives, Aeschylus makes it clear they are not justified in their actions.
The critical lens states that when a dictator dies, his ordinance ends, but when a self-sacrificing individual dies, their legacy begins. This statement is true because oppressed citizens do not fondly mention a mean ruler, such as Creon from Antigone, after he passes away. Yet a martyr, such as Antigone, also from the story Antigone, is remembered for her self-sacrificing deeds. Creon will not be remembered because he did not allow Antigone to bury her dead brother Polynices, and decides to execute Antigone for trying. Antigones legacy will live on because she has the courage to defy Creon, and chooses to sacrifice herself for Polynices' honor.