Examples Of Pride Over Family In Antigone

Pride over Family

The play, Antigone is written by Sophocles and tells the story of Antigone, who believes that humanity or the “natural” laws have priority over Creon’s laws and disobeys his instructions accordingly. In Antigone, the tragic hero portrays someone who makes a mistake, usually due to their blindness of their own self pride, and takes advantage of their own power, which eventually leads to their downfall. The tragic hero also realizes his/her mistake and eventually will accept their consequences He recognizes his weaknesses, and his downfall from his own self-pride, stubbornness, and controlling demands. Creon, the uncle of Antigone and father to Haemon, is the tragic hero in the play Antigone.

Creon portrays the tragic hero

through his overly prideful self, and his many flaws that lead to his downfall. As Haemon discusses with creon about acting like a boy, Creon snaps, “Do I rule this state, or someone else?” (367). Through this quote the reader realizes that Creon thinks he is in power and tries to rub it into everyone else’s faces. Creon gets full of himself believing that all decisions are up to him. This highlights Creon as an overly prideful character, which is a main flaw of a tragic hero. Another tragic flaw is when Tiresias calls him out on being “a fool, a proved stubborn fool.”(376). This further supports that other character see Creon's flaw and how he wants more power for himself, which causes him to be stubborn. Creon does not listen to anybody else and will not take their advice. Creon is under the impression that he is always correct in his judgments and his beliefs. Towards the end of the play, Creon refers to himself as “rash, weak, foolish man”(386). As stated, a tragic hero realizes his or her mistakes, but after consequences take place. Creon realizes his mistake and admits to in front of the Leader. Creon’s mistakes makes him the closest to being the definition of a tragic hero through his tragic flaw of his over pridefulness in himself and owning up to it. Some may disagree and say Antigone is the tragic hero in the play, Antigone.
Antigone may also be seen also as the tragic hero because of her stubbornness, and her willingness to go against her uncle Creon who plays a high role in the play.

As Antigone goes against Creon's law, she is put into danger because what she believes is right and what the state's law says is right contradict each other. When antigone brings up “he is my brother still, and yours;...but i shall not abandon him” Ismene is shocked that she would “Challenge creon to his face” (345). This has already given Antigone the mindset that even her own sister is against her. Antigone wants to go against Creon, to stand up for what she believes in, and what she believes is right for her brother. Creon confronts Antigone, “so you chose flagrantly to disobey my law?” as she acknowledges it “Naturally! Since Zeus never promulgated such a law, Nor will you find that justice,” (358). Antigone goes through great lengths to go against Creon and prove herself as a strong individual. Antigone shows her stubbornness of having to go against her uncle’s laws and show that people should not follow the one path of someone. Although Antigone never does do anything terribly wrong, where she has to realize where she went wrong and accept consequences, unlike Creon where he realizes and accepts

them.
Creon portrays more characteristics of a tragic hero then Antigone. Creon begins to realize his mistakes once the leader points the finger at creon and “[he] knows! the horns of [his] dilemma. It’s hard to eat [his] words , but harder still to court catastrophe through overriding pride.”(378). Creon begins to realize that his own self pride is getting to him and causing dilemmas between him and his family. Creon’s prove to be more of the tragic hero through his flaw of not listening to his own family, rather just doing whatever he wants. Creon begins to realize his mistake, “Oh, death, pitiless receiver! Kill me? Will you Kill me? Your mercy dwindles, does it?” (385). Creon starts to own up for his mistakes that he has made, in hope of forgiveness of his family. He is asking to be killed because he does not want to live with weight of the death on his shoulders, knowing it was his fault. Creon is trying to take back what he has done, but it is already too late. That suggests Creon to be the tragic hero, because a major characteristic of one is realizing where he went wrong which Creon did as Antigone did not. Creon accepts his consequences when he owns up to “I killed her, I can own no alibi: The guilt is wholly mine, Take me quickly…” (386). Creon accepts what he has done, as he owns up for killing his own wife. He experiences the pain of losing his own family but there is nothing he can do know, she is already gone and there is nothing left for him to do. Creon stands out to be tragic hero in the play Antigone due to his high status, being blinded by his own pride, his major downfall caused by his tragic flaws, realizing what he did wrong, killing his wife, and then accepting his consequences of his actions.
In Antigone, Creon fits the role of the tragic hero. He is responsible for his own fate and he is expected to make an error of judgement which is caused by his own pride in himself. Even though he realizes his mistakes, it is already too late for him to fix anything. Creon being the tragic hero portrays the audience's devotion to him. Creon has more self pride and controlling demands then Antigone which highlights him as the tragic hero. Antigone sends the message that power corrupts those who take advantage of it. Through those features, Creon is seen as the true tragic hero of the play Antigone.