Creon as Antigone's Tragic Figure

A detailed Summary of Creon as Antigone's Tragic Figure


In Sophocles' Antigone, Creon clearly fills the role of the tragic figure. He fits all seven of the traits of a tragic hero as defined by Northrop Frye. Two of these traits stand out especially; Creon's sense of commitment to his decision and his transfiguration after suffering the consequences of his actions.

Creon's decision to outlaw Polyneices's burial sets the stage for the tragedy that ensues. He regards Polyneices as an enemy of Thebes and sees no reason to honor his death. He remains dedicated to the decree in opposition to convincing arguments from Antigone, Haemon, and Teiresias.

The first and most passionate challenge brought against Creaon's edict comes from Antigone. Her blatant disregard of his orders stun Creon. He holds fast in his arrogance despite Atigone's protest:

Antigone: It was not Zeus who published this decree, / Nor have the Powers who

rule among the dead / Imposed such laws as this upon mankind; Nor could I think that a decree of yours - / A man - could override the laws of Heaven. (ll. 450-454)

Creon ignores the insight of her comment and likens Antigone to nothing more than a wild horse and a slave. (ll. 477-479) By disregarding her observation


It is not until his confrontation with Teiresias that Creon realizes how blind he has been to what is going on around him. When they first converse, Creon acknowledges the seer's wisdom. However, as soon as Teiresias brings Creon's follies to light, the King accuses the seer of dishonesty and corruption:

Haemon: The city mourns this girl. 'No other woman', / So they are saying, 'so

shares in the sin. / 'Twas I dealt the blow. This is the truth, my friends. / Away, take me away, far from the sight of men! / My life now is death. Lead me away form here. (ll. 1318-1322)

After forecasting the world of terror which will soon envelope Creon, Teiresias leaves. The King is suddenly unsure of himself. The seer's words are terrifying enough to force him to rescind his edict. Creon's fears are affirmed by the Chorus which advises him to release Antigone and bury Polyneices.

Creon's will is crushed with the discovery of what his actions have done. First, he finds both Antigone and Haemon, dead by their own hands, in each others arms. While grieving for his son, the news arrives that his wife has also taken her own life. Here, finally, the King makes the transformation of a tragic hero:



Some common words found in the essay are:
Nor Powers, Teiresias Sickness, Antigone Haemon, Northrop Frye, Despite Haemon's, Despite Creaon's, Creon Teiresias, Teiresias Creon, Haemon Teiresias, Creon Threaten, tragic hero, tragic figure, creon fills role, creon's decision, committed decision, antigone haemon, role tragic, polyneices's burial, dogs birds, decree /, fills role, fills role tragic,

Approximate Word count = 1173
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

join now Save Paper

Related Essays

  • Tragic figures of Anigone ... not listen, and after burying the body was captured and brought to Creon who sentenced her to death. As you can see, Antigone, was a very tragic figure and is ... 863 words
  • Tragic HeroCreon ... Antigone. Surprisingly, it is not Antigone who is the tragic protagonist of Antigone, but Creon, the ruler of Thebes. This ... 781 words
  • Antigone The True Tragic Hero in Sophocles Antigone ... power Antigone is still a powerful figure in Thebes, since she was to be married to Creonamp39s son Haemon and the whole city seemed to know how tragic her life ... 2076 words
  • Antigone as Tragic hero ... She was to be married to Creonamp39s son, Haemon ... the whole city seemed to know how tragic her life ... Furthermore, another trait shown in Antigoneamp39s character is that ... 520 words
  • Antigone ... Creon is the one who makes a mistake his figure is perhaps more tragic. Heamp39s the one that realizes that heamp39s wrong, and he suffers for it. Antigone walks to ... 453 words

Professional Essays

  • Arthur Milleramp39s Death of a Salesman ... Compare the situation of Creon in Antigone, whose misery loss of his son Haemon, guilt and ... The tragic figure encounters Antigone or perhaps ... 2501 words
  • The Religious ampamp The Political ... In other words, the story of the tragic hero serves ... Death requires acknowledgment, and this is why Antigone insists on ... Creon suffers for his sin as well by the ... 2990 words


Saved Paper

Save your papers so you can locate them quickly!

Newest Essays

Testimonials

  • "Thank You So Much!!! You have saved me once again!!!"
    Jack M.
  • "With so many papers to chose from, I was able to get ideas to help me with all of my classes. Thank You!"
    Brian P.
  • "I've used this site for the last 3 years to help me come up with ideas for my papers."
    Sara J.
  • "I use this site every week to help me write my own papers!"
    Rachel W.
  • "I love this site!!!"
    Marie N.
Home Join Now Support
Acceptable Use Policy About us FAQ
All papers are for research and reference purposes only!
© 2002-2009 DirectEssays.com. All Rights Reserved.