Burial At Thebes Creon Character Traits

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2,500 Years Apart, Yet Twins
In the play, Burial at Thebes, Creon is a self-centered, narcissistic man; his character is similar to the egotistical Donald Trump since their leadership abilities are clouded by their inability to see things from other people’s perspectives. Throughout the play, Creon continually hears only what he wants to hear and the rest is marginalized. Whether it is Antigone defending her decision to bury her brother, Haemon giving him supportive advice and a new perspective, Creon is blinded by his need to be right. Donald Trump is running for the presidential election 2016, and his personality is immensely similar to Creon’s. Trump looks out for only himself and was actually diagnosed with a mental disorder called NPD, …show more content…

This becomes apparent in his conflict with his niece, Antigone, when she stands up for her beliefs and reiterates how important it was for her brother to receive a proper burial. Antigone’s views are aligned with the gods, who call for proper burial rites. Creon is opposed to Antigone burying Polynecies, and rather than respectfully disagreeing with her decision, he says to Antigone, “Go then and love your fill in the underworld. No woman will dictate the law to me.” (34) Creon is not only ignoring others’ opinions, but he is also being sexist and putting down women. He refuses to listen to what Antigone has to say because she is a woman, and instead, he focuses on defending himself and asserting his power. Shortly after he has sentenced Antigone, Haemon challenges Creon’s decision and also informs Creon about the views of the gods and the people of Thebes. Creon, wrongfully so, thinks that his son is siding against him. Haemon assures Creon that he is supporting him, but Creon refutes him. “On my side, but always going against me?... Who’s to take charge? The ruler or the ruled?” (#) Creon simply cannot take any suggestions and does not realize that his son is trying to help him see the situation from other people’s perspectives. All Creon cares about is the fact that he is the ruler and everyone must abide by …show more content…

During this past summer, Trump made some rude personal comments about John McCain about his past as a prisoner of war. A short while later, people were expecting an apology from Trump. However, when questioned by CNN broadcasters, Trump said, “I believe in apologizing. But to apologize for me is very difficult. I would consider apologizing if I were wrong on something, however I am not.” Trump is certainly entitled to his own opinion; however, he should have the decency to keep it to himself or at least apologize. This example of Trump’s narrow-minded behavior is similar to how Creon cannot see that Antigone and many people have different beliefs than him. Trump and Creon are both oblivious to the fact that their opinion, whether it be about a burial or about someone’s past, are understandably different from others. Because they are people in powerful positions, they need to accept and respect that. In 1980, Trump was diagnosed with “Narcissistic Personality Disorder”, the number one characteristic of this condition being “an exaggerated sense of self-importance”. Trump not only seems and acts selfish, but also he truly has a problem with his personality and ability to hear others around him. Trump and Creon are both controversial leaders due to their inflexible beliefs and incompetent to understand views beside their

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