Justin Wong Antigone Essay Humane Letters 11B 1/17/10 According to Aristotle in his Poetics, a tragedy must contain

a noble hero who possesses a character flaw. The flaw becomes apparent when he commits an act of hubris that defies a law or a god. This ultimately leads to a reversal of fortune and his subsequent downfall. In Sophocles play, Antigone, there are two major characters, Antigone herself and King Creon. Although labeling Antigone as the tragic hero is tempting since she is the plays namesake, it is wrong to do so. Despite her flaws, her actions are virtuous and in accordance with Greek views on piety. Additionally, she does not experience a downfall or a reversal of fortune as she is prepared and welcome to accept her consequences even before she commits the crime. Creon, on the other hand, in one of many instances, demonstrates his hubris by leaving his enemies unburied, defying the gods wishes. As a result of his actions, his wife and son commit suicide. This shows that Creon is the true tragic hero. In fact, excessive pride leads to his downfall. He demonstrates this excessive pride by his authoritarian rule over his household and city, refusing to listen to his people, and even defying the gods. Creon demonstrates his excessive pride by refusing to listen to his subjects. When he is delivering a speech to the chorus of elders, he himself states the importance of counsel, I think that a man supreme ruler of a whole city, if he does not reach the best counsel for her, but through some fear, keeps his tongue under lock and key, him I judge the worst of any (Antigone line 178)). Creon, however, goes against his own words and

refuses to let anyone persuade him or influence his decisions, his pride making him blind to his own hypocrisy. When arguing with Haemon, he asks rhetorically, Must I rule the land by someone elses judgment other than my own? (Line 737). Creon even refuses to believe the ethical advice of Teiresias, when Teiresias tells him that, All men can make mistakes; but once mistaken, a man is no longer stupid nor accursed who, having fallen on ill, tries to cure that ill, not taking a fine undeviating stand (Lines 1022-1026). Here, Teiresias is telling Creon to restrain his pride and admit his mistake. However, he is unwilling to admit to his mistake and instead tells the prophet to make your profit from Sardis instead. Admitting a mistake or conceding to anyone would damage his pride. This becomes apparent during his arguments with Haemon and Antigone, when he repeatedly belittles Antigone for being a woman and Haemon for yielding to a woman. In his argument, he tells Haemon that we cannot give victory to a woman.we must not let people say that a woman beat us (Lines 678-680). It is this obstinacy and rejection of counsel stemming from pride that leads him to sentence Antigone to death, causing his downfall. Creon demonstrates his excessive pride by exercising authoritarian rule over his household and city. Creons pride requires unswerving obedience, and he even demands that Haemon, his son submit to his edict sentencing Antigone to death. As he tells Haemon, this should always be in your very heart, that everything else shall be second to your fathers decision..If a man have sons that are no use to him, what can one say of him but that he has bred so many sorrows to himself, laughter to his enemies (lines 639-648). This is similar to his fear of being defeated by a woman. Having a son who is not completely subordinate to his wishes would diminish his value as a man, and cannot

be allowed by his pride. However, by not listening to Haemon and killing Antigone, he causes his own downfall. Likewise, in his governing, he tolerates no dissent, as he himself says, But what I am doing now, and other things before this, some men disliked within this very city, and muttered against methey would not bow justly beneath the yoke to submit to me (lines 290-294). Creons pride leads him to believe that only his rule is just and even above those of the gods, and demands that all submit to him. As a result, none dare defy him, and even the chorus of elders say that they are none so foolish as to love his own death (lines 220) if they disagree with him. In response, Creon agrees with them, confirming the threat. Since the chorus of elders all fear to give Creon advice, they acquiesce even when he commits a major act of hubris by leaving Polyneices unburied. This is the act that ultimately leads to Creons downfall. Because of his excessive pride and the authoritarian rule that results from it, none of his subjects dare remind him that he is in fact breaking the laws of the gods. Creon demonstrates his excessive pride by defying the gods. His pride stems from his belief that the laws he creates can override the law of the gods. This is blasphemy, as it implies that he also is above the gods. He tells Haemon, I shall not make myself a liar in the citys sight. No, I will kill her. So let her cry if she will on the Zeus of kinship (lines 656-659). Creon is directly disregarding the laws of the gods that require everyone to have a burial. Teiresias tells him this explicitly, saying that he has kept a soul without due share of rites of buriala corpse unhallowed. With all this you, Creon, have nothing to do (lines 1070-1074). Later, Creon even defies Zeus openly, insulting him, telling Teiresias that this dead man you shall not hide in a grave, not though the eagles of Zeus should bear the carrion, snatching it to the throne of Zeus itself (lines 1039-1041). This

is hubris, the ultimate form of pride that the gods hate, the type of pride that puts humans above the gods. The consequences of this hubris are disastrous, and lead him into a whirlwind of destruction that is his own making. Although Creon may seem to be an unlikely candidate as a tragic hero because of his role as an antagonist, it is important to realize that he is not an evil character. In his speech to the chorus, he himself states that he wants the best for his people. Despite his good intentions however, he is lead into committing hubris by his flaw of pride. Like Oedipus, he is a noble character who carries out well intentioned deeds but blunders because of a human failing. He is not a despicable character, and he garners sympathy at the end of the play. This fits Aristotles description of a tragic hero of a character whose misfortune is brought about not by vice or depravity, but by some error or frailty. Yet the realization of his error comes too late, and as the chorus says, great words of haughty men exact in retribution blows as great (lines 1350-1351). Pride leads to his downfall.