Topic > Creon's Pride as the Cause of His Tragic Downfall

Creon, a stubborn man with what he saw in himself as potential, saw his chance to realize his dream when his powerful brother, former king, Oedipus with his two eldest sons, Polyneices and Eteocles, died. The brothers were too proud. They both wanted the power that came with taking the throne of Thebes which caused battle between them and ended in their deaths. Creon finally has the chance to gain the power he has always wanted. However, as soon as he takes command, he makes a bad decision that begins a chain of dark and unfortunate events. He refuses to bury Polyneices, as in his mind he was a traitor. His order lights a flame of vengeful anger in Antigone. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Creon's reaction to Antigone's actions leads to those tragic consequences that essentially lead to Creon being portrayed as the tragic hero of Sophocles' play Antigone. King Creon plays an important role in Antigone. He is the one who keeps the tragedy alive, he is the “almighty” that everyone must fear and everything revolves around his actions. He makes sure to express his nobility to appear higher and righteous in the eyes of others, especially when he states: "Both of us stained with brotherly blood, dead in one day, and I, their next of kin, inherited the throne and kingdom which now I own." ” (Sophocles lines 137-139). This quote shows that nobility is important to Creon if he chose to talk about it in one of his first lines in the play. The first part of a character is where the audience gets a first impression and the main facts are usually brought out. If Sophocles decided to have Creon mention nobility in his first part, this must mean that he has something important to do with the character. People already know that Creon is related to Oedipus and his two sons, but Creon finds it necessary to state this once again, as if it will increase people's perspective on him. Although Creon is considered omnipotent and just, he does not make quality decisions due to his one tragic flaw, his pride. His pride is what gets in the way of good decisions for the city rather than just Creon himself. Creon is so focused on demonstrating his power that he stops listening to what his supporters have to say. When Haemon, his son, approaches the king and tells him that neither he nor the people of Thebes agree with Creon on his decisions, Creon indignantly states “The people of Thebes! Since when do I take orders from the people of Thebes? / No, I am king and responsible only to myself” (Sophocles, lines 630/632). At the beginning of the play Creon tries to teach the people of Thebes a lesson: no one, not even Creon's niece, can get away with a crime. He's so caught up in teaching that lesson and making his point, that his real flaws come out. According to Teiresias, the great Greek gods despise pride which is what leads to the curse of the tragic death of his loved ones, leaving Creon in misery. Creon has the opportunity to make many important decisions that make up Antigone's plot and that express the true tragic hero that he is. It is so easy to see Creon making these difficult decisions with apparent ease and ease that his son Haemon decides to give him this advice: “Father, stop and put aside your anger. I think, for what my young opinion is worth, that it is good to have infallible wisdom, since this is rarely found, the best thing is to be willing to listen to wise advice. ” (Sophocles lines 615-619). His son also advises Creon to overcome his anger and.