The conflict between Antigone and Creon in Sophocles’ Antigone brings to life a battle that we all have within us. Many times it is written that this play portrays a conflict between pride and morality. However, it can also be seen that Antigone isn’t a show of pride versus something else, but pride versus itself. With the two main characters we are shown two different sides of pride, a passionate pride and an authoritative pride. The pride of the characters ultimately leads to their deaths. Reading this play from the surface level, it, along with many other works can cause one to say that pride is an all around negative characteristic, but pride is much more two-faced than that, being both beneficial and destructive. Some may be quick to argue that pride is evil and deadly, but it could also be argued that it is the exact opposite. It all depends on how it is used and to what extent it is being used. The goal of this paper is to use the conflict between Antigone and Creon to examine the two types of destructive pride and discuss how pride, when used in a right way, is absolutely essential to who we are as humans.
In Sophocles’ Antigone, the characters of Antigone and Creon both exhibit dominance and pride in the sense that neither of them is passive. Antigone is a woman who is willing to stand strong in what she believes, what she perceives as a sense of morality and “righteousness” or “godliness”. She will not back down from her sister, lover (Creon’s son), or leader (Creon himself). Her pride is a pride of passion. And likewise there is Creon, who much like Antigone mentioned before is not willing to back down for anyone or anything, that is back down from his sense of authority and obligation to lead with consistency. His pri...
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...oing so let to his realization of what he did – a punishment worse than death in that he has to live in the sin he created for himself. Satan, another notable figure controlled by a consuming pride, desired to be God, not to be a servant of God. In reluctance to serve Him, Satan was pushed from heaven.
Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor.
I cast you to the ground;
The Essential Pride
Thus far, pride has painted itself to be a very negative attribute. In the extreme amounts to which the individuals mentioned above have pride, it is. However, pride is more intriguing than that. It is crucial that one is critical of how they let pride impact themselves in both behavior and thought. In other words, how do you “use” your pride? Is it used as a source of false confidence or a sense of accomplishment?
One of Creon’s many failures as a statesman is his prideful attitude. For example, Creon believes that gods chose him to lead the kingdom: “But see, the king comes here, /Creon, the son of Menoeceus, /Whom the gods have appointed for us/In our recent change of fortune.” (Par. 122—125).This quote explains how authoritative Creon was when he first became king. Also, Sophocles explains how Creon’s divine rights made him feel superior to everyone else, which made him more insolent. In addition, Creon believes that he is the sole leader of the kingdom: “We’ll have no woman’s law here, while I live.” (Sc 2.444). Sophocles illustrates the dangers of pride in kingship. He emphasizes more on how kings should be reasonable to the citiz...
“There are two kinds of pride, both good and bad. ‘Good pride’ represents our dignity and self-respect. ‘Bad pride’ is the deadly sin of superiority that reeks of conceit and arrogance”-John C. Maxwell, American author. In Antigone by Sophocles, Creon, the king of Thebes, typifies the tragic hero and Maxwell’s quote. Initially, he makes a huge error in judgment that eventually leads to his downfall. Also, his pure arrogance caused to go against the will of the Gods. After he gets over his self-pride, his view shifts away from that of ignorance.
The plot revolves around a story of Antigone’s struggle to give Polynices, her brother, his final rights by giving him a proper burial, despite the fact that Creon has forbid for anyone to do so as Polynices was a traitor to Thebes and its people. One major struggle throughout the play is the apparent conflict between Antigone and Creon. Creon and Antigone have temperaments that clash with each other. Antigone values passion while Creon values the state. Although they have very different values, Antigone and Creon have very similar personalities. They are both stubborn, independent people who are so similar that they can never see eye to eye on issues. Both Antigone and Creon are filled with pride and passion in their beliefs. These traits can be considered both very advantageous and moral as well as being a negative trait that represents the stubbornness in human beings. Antigone and Creon are incredibly proud, making it impossible for either one to concede defeat once they have taken a stand for what they believe in. As stated by Tiresias “stubbornness brand...
Pride is a quality that all people possess in one way or another. Some people take pride in their appearance, worldly possessions, or position in society. The story of Antigone written by Sophocles has two characters who have a tragic flaw of pride. I will show how Creon’s pride of power leads to his destruction, and how Antigone’s pride makes her an honorable character who should be treated as a hero.
The great Saint Augustine once said, “It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels” (Enchiridion of Augustine chap. 27). Hubris “a great or foolish amount of pride or confidence”. This is a very important word in the play and for the characters. It is displayed in the play because it makes it more interesting in so many ways. Many of the conflicts are caused because of hubris. In a way it is good to have pride, but an excessive amount of pride can be harmful. In the play Antigone, Creon is the one that has the most pride.
In the story of Antigone, the way the author describes characters is very success, especially Creon and Antigone. Antigone is definitely a feminist hero in the story, who persist in morality, and fearless to the power of the king. Moreover, on the way to grotto, there were several internal monologues that she never showed to others. "You see me, you people of my country/as I set out on my last road of all,/looking for the last time on this light of this sun.../though I have known nothing of marriage songs/nor chant that brings the bride to bed./My husband is to be the Lord of Death."(Sophocles 1243) Though the foreshadowing, we can see that the desire of living insides of her that she is not just a hero, but a
It is important for citizens of the modern world to read Antigone because it acts as a cautionary tale to help people today avoid excessive pride causing suffering.
against carrying out the execution he becomes adamant. Haemon cautions him about the Theban citizen’s discontent towards the verdict telling him the people already deemed her a heroin. Creon’s pride is so pernicious that he threatens to carry out the execution there and then despite Harmon’s counsel. Blinded by pride he responds to his son ‘’should the city tell me how I am to rule them?’’(Antigone480) One can argue that Antigone suffers the same tragic flaw but her pride is directed first towards the gods then her family and finally her fellow Thebans. However Creon’s pride causes him to become a tyrant
In the beginning of the story, Creon was seen as a harsh, unfair, and unfit ruler. As the play moves forth the readers and audience understand Creon’s transformation into a tragic hero. This helped develop the plot of the story along with the theme and tone to intrigue the audience and or reader. One of the first things to begin with in Creons change into the tragic hero was his attitude and ego which was a big part in his downfall.
Antigone is a character with fierce devotion and loyalty to the gods and her family rather than the societies laws constricting her choices. Sophocles specifically wanted Creon and Antigone to represent opposing forces to show the contrast between human ideological laws and laws of the gods. This extends to the philosophical ideology of what purpose humans have on this earth, whether it is to act ‘right’ in the ethical world, or believe in a higher power and follow the laws created by the society at a given time. By introducing these characters and ideologies, Sophocles dives in the idea of justification, as society creates its own set of boundaries for what is justified. This shows how society shapes people's morals and judgement of what is
SAY: Within this section on page 67 of Sophocles’ Antigone, Creon states to the leader that the nation that he belongs to has somehow survived the turmoil that it’s so mercilessly witnessed. On top of that, he mentions how the people of Thebes have so faithfully followed their king, Oedipus, and even after his death, they honored him and stood valiantly at the side of his children, proving how their “loyalty was unshakable”(187). To bring it to a close, Creon solidifies the fact that Oedipus’ two sons, Eteocles and Polynices, have killed each other, and that due to the nonexistent heir to the throne, Creon, their uncle, states that he his next in line for the throne, and he is now the possessor of all of the powers that it beholds.
On pages 138-140 of the play Antigone a Sentry brings Antigone to Creon and explains to Creon that this is the person responsible for the burial. Instead of denying the claims, Antigone takes full responsibility for the crime. Not only does she take responsibility for the crime, she states that the reason for the burial was to give honor to her brother. Creon does not agree with Antigone and states that she went against his laws as King and therefore she must be killed. This starts an an immediate debate between Antigone and Creon, which reveals one similarity between the two characters; they are both stubborn. Antigone does not represent the ideological correct woman of Sophocles time, one who is obedient to the King. Instead she continues to argue with him over his authority. Creon is being just as stubborn as Antigone, does not back down from the order that he has made. Sophocles’ strategy of confrontational question and answer creates the dramatic effect of escalating tension between the two characters. The two are not seeing eye to eye and what surprises
In the play, Sophocles examines the nature of Antigone and Creon who have two different views about life, and use those views against one another. Antigone who is depicted as the hero represents the value of family. According to Richard Braun, translator of Sophocles Antigone, Antigone’s public heroism is domestically motivated: “never does [Antigone] give a political explanation of her deed; on the contrary, from the start [Antigone] assumes it is her hereditary duty to bury Polynices, and it is from inherited courage that [Antigone] expects to gain the strength required for the task” (8). Essentially, it is Antigone’s strong perception of family values that drive the instinct to disobey Creon’s orders and to willingly challenge the King’s authority to dictate her role in society.
..., this sense of arrogance angers Creon to a point beyond belief. Antigone’s refusal to cooperate causes Creon to go mad with irritation and frustration. Wanting to show his sense of power, he refuses to back down in fear of losing his position. His stubbornness grows stronger as Antigone continues to disobey his commands. Antigone’s strong and steady foundation helps her show defiance. She is able to overcome the opinions of the people and commit to helping her brother regardless of the after effects. She ignores what everyone says and does only as she wants. She is powerful, both physically and mentally, and is successful in her tasks. Antigone matures into a commendable and respectable character in which she depicts her rebelliousness and bravery, pride and tolerance, and sense of moral righteousness to demonstrate fundamental character development in the play.
“...never let some woman triumph over us. Better to fall from power, if fall we must, at the hands of a man —never be rated inferior to a woman, never.” This quote spoken by Creon, in Sophocles’ Greek tragedy Antigone, adequately represents the opinion on women during the time in which Antigone would have been alive. Women were viewed as lower than men and were expected to be docile and passive. They were expected to never object to a man’s words, no matter if those words were to be unfair or unjust. Despite this, Antigone refuses to follow one of the most fundamental teachings of her culture by burying her brother even though the king, Creon, explicitly forbids the action, since her brother is a traitor. She rebelliously does what she feels is right, which cannot be said for her sister, Ismene. Ismene represents what a woman of her time was viewed as: weak and submissive to men’s