Theme Of Hubris In Antigone

The play “Antigone,” by Sophocles, is a Greek Tragedy about a young and loyal woman named Antigone. In the play, Antigone goes to the city of Thebes where she learns that her brothers Polyneices and Eteocles have died. Furthermore, she discovers that under the leadership of King Creon, her brother Polyneices may not be given a proper burial. Throughout the rest of the play, the audience discovers the aftermath of the new law as dictated by Creon. Although several main characters such as Antigone, Polyneices, and Eteocles, demonstrate the tragic flaw of hubris, the true tragic hero is King Creon.

In the beginning, the audience meets the new King, and the tragic hero, Creon. Creon’s first action as King is to declare that the corpse of Polyneices may not receive proper burial rights as he was a traitor to Thebes. Furthermore, he proclaims that anyone who does attempt to bury the corpse is to be given “death by stoning publicly” (2006). While this law may appear harsh, it is meant to demonstrate Creon’s

authority following the anarchy previously found in Thebes. However, hubris, Creon’s tragic flaw, quickly takes over. Creon refuses to listen to what others, including the blind and wise profit Teiresias, have to say. Despite Teiresias warning that his refusal to bury Polyneices will anger the Gods and cause his demise, Creon remains stubborn and will not allow the burial. As a result of his pride, he wants to appear as a powerful man who does not back down from his declarations. It is not until the denouement, when he agrees to release Antigone, that he realizes the error in his ways. Unfortunately, everyone he loves, including Antigone are already gone. Consequently, Creon must experience the death of those around him to understand the extent of his own hubris.

Antigone’s pride and fierce devotion to her family and is on full display when she buries her brother Polyneices.

Even though the King wants to leave Polyneices “for the birds that see him” (2006), Antigone feels he deserves proper burial rights. Thus, out of fierce loyalty and pride for her family, Antigone declares that she “shall be a criminal” (2007) and “[heaps] the earth on the grave” of her brother. Consequently, she is thrown into prison by the King and hangs herself. While being prideful of her family is not a negative character trait, the way that Antigone goes about the burial demonstrates her tragic flaw. Even though Antigone originally has honorable intentions in burying her brother, she becomes overly prideful in them wanting Ismene to “shout” (2008) and “proclaim” (2008) what she has done “to everyone” (2008). Thus, Antigone falls to hubris when she takes the noble action of burying her brother too far and attempts to receive glory for her

deeds.

While Polyneices and Eteocles do not utter a word in the play, they are both are main characters illustrating the characteristic of hubris. Before “Antigone” takes place, her brothers argue about who is to become the next ruler of Thebes. Both are power hungry and prideful wanting to become the next leader. They refuse to share the throne out self-pride and cause Antigone and Ismene to lose their brothers “by their hands dealing mutual death” (2006) to one another. As a result, the entirety of the play must take play as Antigone tries to bury the body of Polyneices. Both men demonstrate the tragic flaw of hubris as they are too prideful to share the throne and this mindset is what causes their “battle to the death” (2006).

While some may argue that either Antigone, Polyneices, or Eteocles is the tragic hero, the real tragic hero is Creon. A tragic character, as defined by the textbook, is “traditionally a good and noble person of high rank” who is “brought to a disastrous end” but “comes to understand the meaning of his deeds” (A12). Creon fits all of this. First all, he was born into nobility and became king later in his life. Creon is also “brought to a disastrous end” (A12) when all of his loved ones, from Antigone to his wife, pass away. Lastly, he “comes to understand the meaning of his deeds” (A12) in the final lines when he says “it was I that killed her” and pleads for his own death to come quickly. While many characters in “Antigone” demonstrate tragic flaws and hubris, the true tragic hero is King Creon.