Creon Archetype

Who would you call someone who has experienced their own sister’s suicide, claimed the throne of Thebes, and then witnessed the suicide of his whole family? According to Aristotle, these events would fall into line with the theme of a tragic hero. Creon, from “Antigone” written by Sophocles, fits into the archetype of a tragic hero. He has experienced the rise and fall, that every tragic hero has dealt with, including having a tragic flaw.

Creon experienced his rise through the dethroning of the previous king of Thebes, Oedipus. In his place Creon became the king, and through that, the tragic ruler of Thebes. Creon had cleansed Thebes from the plague given to Thebes from the rule of Oedipus. Oedipus had became king of Thebes through solving the riddle of the sphinx and cleansing the plague himself. However, unbenounced to him, he had fulfilled a cursed prophecy in the process. He killed his father and married his mother. This event caused another plague to rise in which Oedipus was ultimately the cause of. Eventually, Oedipus was dethroned, cast away, and replaced by Creon, his brother-in-law. Therefore, Creon experienced his rise, through the tragic fall of Oedipus.

However, much like Oedipus, Creon had a tragic flaw as well.

Oedipus had a flaw of having too much pride to admit and realize that he was the cause of the plague. Much as Oedipus ignored his problems, Creon had done the same. Creon had chosen pride over moralities when he sentenced Antigone to her certain doom (Sophocles 27). He chose to let her die in a tomb to revel with her actions, which in hindsight were noble(Sophocles 28). Through these actions, Creon was warned by the great seer Tiresias to let Antigone free, or he too would experience a great loss at the expense of his son (Sophocles 57). Creon ignored him and let Antigone die over his own foolish pride. The refusal he had to do the right thing was the source of his downfall, and led him to his own

despair.
. Creon experienced his great downfall through the deaths of his family. Even after Creon was warned, he did not heed to the warnings, rather, he chose his pride as a supreme and respected ruler, over the well being of his family and friends. Antigone was sentenced to death in her tomb, and death is what she received. Although Creon knew that Antigone was his son, Haemon’s, wife to be, he still let her die, and eventually Haemon heard. Haemon was so distressed by the death of his wife to be, that he committed suicide himself, after he saw her hung by her own hands (Sophocles 63). The death of his son caused his wife, Eurydice, to also kill herself over the loss of her son (Sophocles 70). This led Creon to finally realize his actions, and his tragic flaw. The fact that he chose pride over justice, and ignored the warnings of a trusted seer, which led him to his downfall.
In conclusion, Creon has fulfilled the characteristics of a tragic hero well, however unsettling the events may be. Many and most would make the argument that Creon was the cause of his own doom. Many may choose their pride over their moral justices. However, some can blame the events on a curse, a curse brought from Oedipus, to all the future rulers of Thebes, a never ending curse.