Creon In Antigone

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No one lives life without experiencing tragedy in some form. In the tragic play, Antigone, written by Sophocles, King Creon experiences the conflict between civil law and divine law when dealing with his niece Antigone’s defiance to his newest edict. He has a hard time believing that divine law is more important than civil law, as expressed by Antigone. Creon is the real tragic character in Antigone because he is unable to realize that his thoughts and actions are wrong, and consequently he experiences great tragedy.
Creon is unable to see how his power could lead to his downfall. He is disrespected by many people, including Antigone, and his son, Haemon, who is Antigone's groom to be. He makes an edict that ensures that the dead body of his …show more content…

Creon loses his wife, his son, and his niece in just one day. When Haemon ventures to save Antigone from her slow, painful death, he sneaks into the cave that she is locked in, and he discovers that she has hung herself. Haemon is distraught and when his father discovers him in her prison, he beckons for him to come. He shouts, “’Oh my child-what have you done? what seized you, /what insanity? what disaster drove you mad? /Come out, my son! I beg you on my knees!’” (1355-1357). Haemon is outraged that his father could have such little compassion for his dead fiancée. In response Haemon “…gave him a wild burning glance, /spat in his face, not a word in reply…” (1358-1359). Haemon lunges at his fleeing father with his sword and misses. In defeat, Haemon ends his life by “leaning his full weight on the blade, /he buried it in his body, halfway to the hilt” (1363-1364). Creon returns home with his dead son in tow, and he is greeted by the morbid news of how his wife kills herself. She had found out that Haemon was dead, and she blames Creon. As stated by the messenger, “She stabbed herself at the altar, /then her eyes went dark, after she’d raised/ a cry for the noble fate of Megareus, the hero/killed with her dying breath she called down/torments on your head-you killed her sons” (1426-1431). He is blamed for and blames himself for the death of Eurydice (his wife), Haemon, Megareus (his

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