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Essay on psychological egoism
Essay on psychological egoism
Character analysis of lady macbeth and her influence on macbeth
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Julius Caesar is a well-known historical figure that was known for his leadership, power, and untimely end. Years before his tragic fate however, it is said that the Roman Dictator foreshadowed his own death when he said, “If I fail it is only because I have too much pride and ambition.” Like Julius, many throughout the history of the world has experienced the negative impacts of an excess of misplaced ambition. The authors of the stories Macbeth, Antigone, and “Ozymandias”, try to warn against this fatal flaw and its repercussions through their well-crafted stories and characters. If one allows their ambition to control their life; they will ultimately fail in what truly matters: family, faith, and their own honor. In the play Macbeth, Shakespeare …show more content…
Though Antigone is the protagonist in the story, Creon is the character which displays the unquenchable ambitious trait; the same trait within Macbeth and his wife. The King snatches power in the midst of turmoil in show his country, but to maintain control, he felt it necessary to be unyielding and cruel. To his power, he enacted several harsh commands. The first being to leave the body of Polyneices in the field for the elements to destroy; this action angered Polyneices’ sister Antigone who could no longer stand the unjust treatment of her brother’s corpse. She disobeyed the King’s orders and went to retrieve his body at the cost of her own life. When her fiance, the king’s son, heard of her death, he took his own life, resulting in his mother taking hers. When learning of his only family dying due to own ruthless actions, Creon stated, “Nothing you say can touch me any more. My own blind heart has brought me. From darkness to final darkness”(Sophocles N.p.). Because his own ambition and unbendable will, Creon lost his entire family. He may still have the crown and power of the people, but he lost everything that truly mattered to him, leaving his life meaningless and himself a
In the beginning of the play Creon is portrayed as King and a leader unwilling to bend the rules in order to protect the city. The way Creon responds to Antigone, “While I’m alive, no woman is going to lord over me”, shows he is stubborn and also his pride. (593-594) While the play continues Creon’s pride grows, and he thinks he can never be wrong and punishes Antigone by locking her up in a cave. However, things turn a different way when the Prophet tells Creon that he must free Antigone or face the wrath of Gods. After hearing this Creon changes his mind, “I shackled her, I’ll set her free myself. I am afraid it’s best to keep the established laws…” (1236-1238) But, as Creon tries to set Antigone free, he is faced with suicides of Antigone and Haemon, and followed by the suicide of his wife, Eurydice. This moment in the play serves as the downfall of Creon. But unlike Antigone, Creon reaches anagnorisis, which is the moment in the play when the tragic character realizes his hubris has led to his downfall. “And the guilt is all mine- can never be fixed…god help me, I admit all!”(1441-1445) Ultimately, Creon is more of a proper tragic character than Antigone because of he has an epiphany, a moment when he realizes his hubris has caused conflicts and deaths in the
The hubris resonating throughout the play, ‘Antigone’ is seen in the characters of Creon and Antigone. Their pride causes them to act impulsively, resulting in their individual downfalls. In his opening speech, Creon makes his motives clear, that “no man who is his country’s enemy shall call himself my friend.” This part of his declaration was kept to the letter, as he refused burial for his nephew, Polynices. However, when the situation arises where it is crucial that Creon takes advice, he neglects the part of the speech where he says “a king... unwilling to seek advice is damned.” This results in Creon’s tragic undoing.
...ut her son’s death, she goes and slits her throat. Creon then feels Antigone’s direct action when he is all alone at the end of the play. His edict caused so much pain in suffering for his family, he led them all to suicide.
In the Antigone, unlike the Oedipus Tyrannus, paradoxically, the hero who is left in agony at the end of the play is not the title role. Instead King Creon, the newly appointed and tyrannical ruler, is left all alone in his empty palace with his wife's corpse in his hands, having just seen the suicide of his son. However, despite this pitiable fate for the character, his actions and behavior earlier in the play leave the final scene evoking more satisfaction than pity at his torment. The way the martyr Antigone went against the King and the city of Thebes was not entirely honorable or without ulterior motives of fulfilling pious concerns but it is difficult to lose sight of the fact that this passionate and pious young woman was condemned to living imprisonment.
Antigone, as a character, is extremely strong-willed and loyal to her faith. Creon is similarly loyal, but rather to his homeland, the city of Thebes, instead of the gods. Both characters are dedicated to a fault, a certain stubbornness that effectively blinds them from the repercussions of their actions. Preceding the story, Antigone has been left to deal with the burden of her parents’ and both her brothers’ deaths. Merely a young child, intense grief is to be expected; however, Antigone’s emotional state is portrayed as frivolous when it leads her to directly disobey Creon’s orders. She buries her brother Polynices because of her obedience to family and to the gods, claiming to follow “the gods’ unfailing, unwritten laws” (Sophocles 456-457). CONTINUE
Creon highlighted as the tragic figure, initially created decisions he thought was for the welfare and well-being of Thebes; however, Antigone, who rebelled against Creon’s decisions, caused Creon’s rage to cloud his rational way of thinking. When Creon decided to forbid the burial of Polynices, as he believed Polynices was a traitor to Thebes, Antigone was outraged. This decision, viewed through the eyes of Creon, was just and fair; on the other hand, Antigone viewed his decision as cruel and selfish, which resulted into a major conflict between these two characters. When Antigone disobeyed his proclamation, Creon became infuriated towards this rebellious act. Those small events within the play expressed Creon as a ruler doing what he believes is right; on the other hand, Antigone’s rebellion expressed otherwise. Antigone was soon shown to cause an evil spark within Creon. This “spark” caused Creon to intensify his punishments towards Antigone, which in turn caused a chain reaction of events and eventually led to his tragic decline. Being portrayed as a menacing villain throughout the play, Creon began as an honorable man; however, overwhelming events and confrontations caused Creon to evolve in to this monstrous figure.
In the play called Antigone by Sophocles there is king name Creon. King Creon is an old man that was throne only king because his nephews that were to be throne king died due to fighting each other till death because of the throne and the power of king over whelm them. Now that the nephews died their uncle which is Creon is now the king. As he turn as the new king of Thebes he made a new law that if anyone buries Polyneices body they will be sentence to death. This was one of the ideas that Creon selfishness and benevolent came into effect. Creon allows his pride to mark his decisions and influence his destiny, refusing to have mercy on his own nephew.
At the end of the play Antigone, Creon’s family members end their own lives because of Creo. He then has to live with the pain and guilt of their loss. Antigone knew that she was risking her life by burying her brother, even though Creon’s new decree clearly stated no one is to bury Polyneices. At the end of the play, Antigone sadly ended her own life and has no pain or guilt to bear since she is not alive anymore. Creon is more of a tragic hero than Antigone because of the fact that he provoked both his son and wife to die , he went from king to nothing, he realizes that he is responsible for their death's and will forever live with the guilt.
Antigone if she is caught. As the play moves on there is a building of this fear and pity that is felt for many of the characters that finally is resolved at the catastrophe. At that point the reader learns that Creon, the king, has lost his wife, his son, and his niece Antigone, all because he was too stubborn to give in as well as to afraid that if he did give in that he would be judged as an easy king. In a way this ending brings the two emotions together. The reader feels pity for Creon because of his great loss, but at the same time he feels a bit of fear because he wouldn’t want this type of tragedy to ever occur in his life.
Creon the noble King of Thebes will do anything to protect the people of his Kingdom, and the power the Greek Gods have given him. Creon goes to the furthest extent of imprisoning and killing his niece, Antigone, for the disobeyment of a Thebes law. This enormous power hungry king may be the cause to his own downfall. “Antigone”, author Sophocles, is a conflicting family battle of the morally right and wrong. Antigone is the sister of Ismene, Eteocles and Polyneices. Polyneices and Eteocles died fighting each other, after their deaths occurred Creon thought Eteocles deserved an honorable burial, however Polyneices was going to be left in the middle of Thebes to rot and be eaten by birds because he attempted treason against
The character of Creon matches up to the tragic character elements; in some ways Creon is good, he is a fair ruler, he spares Ismene’s life, and he ended up seeing error in his ways and tried to do the right thing. Creon also acts appropriately in the time for his gender and rank. His misogony, is very common among men in this time and as a male king his view that “no woman is going to lord… over [him]” (594) is also very understandable. However Antigone is rebellious and fights against how she is told to live her life, therefore her character does not follow Aristotle’s rules of tragedy. Furthermore although Creon’s views do change within the play, the changes are believable because the good comes from a place that has already been seen in him. This contrasts the way that Antigone—after remaining strong and stubborn the whole play—crumbles when she faces death and ends up killing herself. Finally Creon is the true tragic hero because he is the person who is hurt the most in this play. Although Antigone Is hurt in this play, she dies, effectively ridding herself of that pain. Creon on the other hand, unconsciously makes decisions leading to the death of his son and his wife and is left with “the guilt of all their deaths” upon him. Although clearly both Creon and Antigone’s characters have the fall associated with a tragic hero, Creon is the true tragic hero of Sophocles’
In Sophocles’s telling of the Greek poem Antigone the introduction of King Creon creates a rift in the relationship between sisters Antigone and Ismene, and serves as a source of conflict for Antigone. The latter effect is caused by his edict preventing Thebans from properly burying the traitorous son of Oedipus, Polyneices, which challenges the sisters’ relationships with their recently deceased brothers, who perished on opposing sides on the battlefield by their own hand. And yet, as the newly installed king of Thebes, Creon begins his reign with noble intent, revealing admirable characteristics of his in his very first monologue. Most blaring of which is his honor, a characteristic he makes known in his addressal of the chorus of Theban Elders after his crowning: “No man can be fully known, in soul and spirit and mind, until he has been seen versed in rule and lawgiving.”(pg.96) Creon seems to express a desire to rule in honor of his family’s legacy, out of a service to the fallen Eteocles and Oedipus, and not out of greed or his own ambition. Moreover, Creon’s honor finds further description in his critical assessment of Polyneices: “I-….
..., this sense of arrogance angers Creon to a point beyond belief. Antigone’s refusal to cooperate causes Creon to go mad with irritation and frustration. Wanting to show his sense of power, he refuses to back down in fear of losing his position. His stubbornness grows stronger as Antigone continues to disobey his commands. Antigone’s strong and steady foundation helps her show defiance. She is able to overcome the opinions of the people and commit to helping her brother regardless of the after effects. She ignores what everyone says and does only as she wants. She is powerful, both physically and mentally, and is successful in her tasks. Antigone matures into a commendable and respectable character in which she depicts her rebelliousness and bravery, pride and tolerance, and sense of moral righteousness to demonstrate fundamental character development in the play.
Creon was made king after both of Oedipus’ sons died in battle. Since he was not meant to be the next king, he feels as though he must prove his power as king, by ordering that anyone who tries to bury Polyneices will be sentenced to death. Once the news is received that the “man” at fault for burying Polyneices is in fact Antigone, he is forced to choose either his moral duty to his family or his duty to the state. He chooses to follow his right given as king and enforce the law he had already created. He positions his loyalty to the state over that of his family and condemns Antigone to death. Creon encounters opposition from friends and family however, he disregards their advice. His son Haemon, informs Creon that what he is doing is upsetting the people of Thebes. Creon, however, does not listen to his son and continues with his plan until he speaks to Teiresias, a blind prophet. Teiresias warns Creon that he is angering the gods by banning the burial of Polyneices and by punishing Antigone for doing what is morally right. It is not until after his discussion with Teiresias, Creon realizes that he is wrong. Creon exclaims, “That is true…It troubles me. Oh it is hard to give in! but it is worse to risk everything for stubborn pride….It is hard to deny the heart! But I will do it: I will not fight with destiny.”
Creon was the uncle of Antigone, Eteocles, Polynices and Ismene. He became King of Thebes after his Nephew’s died after battling over control over the city. Creon is the kind of man that believes in law and authority as he rules over the city of Thebes. He does not believe in bending the rules for any of the people in his city not even for his own niece Antigone. Antigone defies her uncle Creon after he passed a law that his own nephew Polynices would not have a proper burial after he battled against the city of Thebes. Antigone become furious after Ismene told her about the law. Antigone left the city during the night and gave her brother a proper burial against her uncle’s wishes. The sentry went to Creon and told that Polynices had been burred. Creon became in raged be the news and told him to find whoever did it so he could punish them. After hearing the news Creon started accusing people of being against him and it was only his first day in power.