The Character of Creon As The Real Tragic Hero in Antigone

In the tragic play titled Antigone by Sophocles, it is debated on whether Creon or Antigone is the real tragic hero. By definition, a tragic hero is one who undergoes a reversal of fortune as a result of their own tragic flaw or fate. The play Antigone describes how the terrible curse of Oedipus greatly affected his children and led to undesirable outcomes. After the brothers Eteocles and Polyneices killed each other in a civil war for control of Thebes, Creon took over and brought back order to the city. Creon ordered that Eteocles should have a proper burial, and that Polyneices should not be buried. This order was disobeyed by Antigone, which led to a turn of events. Throughout the play, Creon clearly demonstrates how he is a true tragic hero in numerous ways. Therefore, Creon is the real tragic hero of the play due to his overwhelming sense of pride and stubbornness, how he is the king of Thebes, and his awareness of the mistakes he made in the end.

To start off, Creon is the real tragic hero of Antigone due to his pride and stubbornness for a few reasons. One of these reasons is that his pride and stubbornness are tragic flaws, characteristic of a tragic hero, which lead to his tremendous downfall. Creon’s tragic flaws are shown in Scene 5, Line 74 when he says, “Whatever you say, you will not change my will” during his conversation with the blind prophet Tiresias. This statement shows how he is unwilling to listen to what others have to say in fear of changing his mind and seeming weak to others. Another reason is that Creon’s tragic flaws blinded him and made him think of himself as higher than the gods. Antigone told Creon in Scene 1, Line 66 that his order to bury Eteocles but not Polyneices “was not God’s proclamation” and in Lines 69-70 that all of his strength is “weakness itself against the immortal unrecorded laws of God.” Since he went against the laws of the gods and was unable to save Antigone in time, Creon faced a reversal of fortune in which he lost his son Haimon and wife Eurydice. Hence, Creon’s tragic flaws caused him to suffer and lose everything meaningful to him.

Next, the fact that Creon is the king of Thebes makes him a true tragic hero for many reasons. A quality which tragic heroes possess, according to Aristotle, is being of royalty. Creon definitely fits this description because he was the brother of locaste, wife of former Theban king Laios. After Oedipus passed away and his sons Eteocles and Polyneices died in battle, Creon took over and brought back peace to Thebes, declaring in his speech in Scene 1, Lines 17-18 that he, “as next in blood,” had “succeeded to the full power of the throne.” Also, Creon had a greater downfall due to the fact that he held the high position of a king. Creon, as King, first took to ordering that Polyneices must not be buried, without regarding the people of Thebes. He firmly believed, as he stated in Scene 3, Line 110, that “the State is the King” and it is mandatory that everyone obeys him and does what he wants them to do. Finally, Creon was from a royal family but did undergo a greater misfortune as a result.

Finally, Creon eventually becoming aware of his mistakes in the end indicates that he is a real tragic hero for various reasons. One reason is that a tragic hero must understand that they are the cause of all the turmoil. Creon finally comes to his senses when he said in Scene 5, Line 42 that he has been “rash and foolish” and killed his own son and wife. He reflected upon his actions, which is right of a tragic hero, unlike Antigone. Also, Creon learned a valuable lesson from his mistakes that would overall be beneficial to him. At the end of Scene 5 in Line 132, Creon said, that he has “neither life nor substance,” and in Line 146, “Fate has brought all my pride to a thought of dust.” He now knows that his exceeding sense of pride made him a poor king and caused him to make the wrong decisions and act without thinking. All in all, Creon was able to look back on his own actions and learn from them.

In conclusion, Creon’s tragic flaws of pride and stubbornness, his position as king of Thebes, and his realization of his own wrongdoings makes him the real tragic hero of the play Antigone. The pride and stubbornness Creon exhibited led to his downfall and to him believing that he was superior to all, including the gods. Creon was the king of Thebes, however his social standing also meant for great devastation. Ultimately, Creon became conscious of how he was responsible for his erroneous actions and mistakes and benefited by learning from them. Therefore, Creon clearly displays the qualities and characteristics which Aristotle believed was necessary of a tragic hero.

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