The Similarities Between Antigone And Creon

The story of Antigone is one of the most enduring stories of the Ancient Greek civilization. The theme known as “Hubris”, (also known as excessive pride) is clearly evident throughout the entire text of this story and highlights the devastation one can create not only for themselves but also for their entire family and kingdom when they succumb to excessive pride. This essay paper highlights the Greek Drama known as Antigone, with references given to specific textual evidence from the story as well as highly credible internet resources with regards to the characters known as Antigone and Creon.

In some ways, both the characters Antigone as well as her Uncle Creon are delighting Hubris in the ancient Greek tragedy Antigone. Creon the uncle of Antigone, Eteocles and Polynices starts off as a “hero” type figure, as it is Creon who causes the exile of the cursed Oedipus from

the kingdom of Thebes. However Creon is filled with hubris (excessive pride) and this becomes evident when he tells Oedipus that he has no interest in ruling his kingdom yet at the departure of Oedipus, Creon encourages a feud between the brothers Eteocles and Polynices causing their deaths and his crowning. When Creon rules as king, he does so with deep satisfaction pleasure and most importantly with lack of self control. This is made highly evident in all of his actions as well as statements in the Greek tragedy Antigone. When Creon “declares that the body of Eteocles will be honored, but that Polyneices’s corpse would be left to rot and that anyone attempting to bury the body of Polyneices would result in execution” this not only angers the Gods but it also angers Antigone, the sister of Polyneices. (http://www.shmoop.com/antigone-sophocles/antigone-character.html).
Creon’s decrees angers the gods because Creon is putting his “man made laws” before the natural laws of the Gods (the Gods are on Antigones side and as such help Antigone by erasing her footprints in the dirt when she was placing dust on the body of Polyneices as well as causing a storm in order to intercept his corpse).
Although Creon believes that Polynices is a traitor, Antigone does not and she arranges for proper burial of Polynices. Antigone herself is later found out about and sentenced to death by means of the cave/ buried alive. Unfortunately, “Creon does not realize how bad his hubris has interfered with his dealing of problems until Teiresias’s prophecy” (http://adamcap.com/schoolwork/creon-as-a-tragic-character-in-antigone/).

In a visit to Teiresias, Creon is told that the prayers of the Thebans are not reaching the gods because of the abomination committed against Polyneieces.Teiresias proclaimed that the “birds cries are muffled because the birds’ throats are glutted with the blood of Polyneices” (http://www.gradesaver.com/antigone/q-and-a/what-predicitionprophecy-does-teiresias-make-concerning-creons-house-and-how-does-creon-react-to-this-prediction-222133). The seer thus encourages the king to make council right away. It is here that King Creon accuses Teiresias of bribery as well as conspiring against him. Teiresias continues to tell Creon, that the gods are furious that living women is entombed for providing her brother proper burial and that Creons family will suffer from the curse and are doomed because of Creons actions.

Unfortunately, before Creon can intercept her from her sentence. Antigone kills herself by hanging, instead of facing the cruel and unusual death of being buried alive. The death of Antigone causes her lover and son of Creon Haemon to commit suicide. Soon after, Creon’s wife discovers the death of her son and kills her self out of grief.

Hubris presents itself in many other ways including but not limited to statements made by Creon.

In the story, Creon refuses to believe in the prophecy of Teiresias and as such declares “Whatever you say, you will not change my will.”(Text, Antigone) Creon continues to show excessive Hubris because he is remains stubborn and arrogant even in the face of the seer and his assumptions about Antigone. Creon also boldly states that “The State is King!”(Text, Antigone). This also angers the gods because Creon is placing himself “higher” then them which is considered blaspheme.

Interestingly enough, Antigone is considered to have also exhibited “Hubris” in her own actions. This is primarily due to the fact that she was highly rebellious (yet righteous for her actions) in the face of the decrees of Creon. Antigone rebelled and broke the law by giving her brother the burial he deserved and expressed Hubris because of this. Antigone didn’t plea to Creon on why her both of her brothers deserved proper burial yet alone attempted to talk sense into her uncle , as the seer did towards the end of the

tragedy.