Character analysis

Sophocles’s play Antigone is about two conflicting views of right and wrong. The entire story is set in the Greek city of Thebes over the burial of one man, Polynices, who is branded as a traitor of the state. Creon, the newly appointed ruler of the state, believes he has done the right thing by refusing to bury Polynices and will sentence to death anyone who tries to give Polynices burial rights. Antigone, the sister of Polynices, is caught in the act of burying his body and Creon sentences her to die. In truth, this decision brought about the deaths of his family members. Creon is a stern and haughty ruler whose stubbornness leads to his downfall, including that of others.

Not long after being appointed as king, Creon exerts his superiority, enforcing a new law that forbids anyone to give sepulture to the body of Polynices. Instead, Creon says that the body will be left to rot out in the streets, a “prize” “mangled” by the “vultures and dogs” to be “foul to look upon”. In ancient Greek times, all people were required to have burial. Refusal of this practice alone was a great insult to human dignity. Though despite this, Creon still claims that the “providence of gods” does not have any care for the corpse. The gods were the ones who commanded that all people be buried and given the traditional rituals. From what is read here, it seems that Creon considers his law to be greater than the law of the gods.

    Creon believes himself so much greater, that he would go so far as to kill Antigone, the fiance of his son.
        Ismene. And wilt thou slay thy son’s betrothed bride?

Creon.  Full many a field there is which he may plough.

Ismene.  But none like that prepared for him and her.

Creon.  Wives that are vile, I love not for my son.

Antigone.  Ah, dearest Haemon, how thy father shames thee!

Creon.  Thou art too vexing, thou, and these thy words, on marriage ever harping.

    Ruthless is he, Creon, king of Thebes, that he shows no care or remorse for sentencing to death his son’s future wife. He shows severe scurrilous disrespect towards not only Antigone, but Haemon also. Haemon tries to argue against his father, saying that the “whole city wails this maiden’s fate”. Alas, Creon stubbornly refuses to reconsider his choice. In the end, its this same stubborn pride that sends everything in his life into shambles.

All throughout the play, many try to warn Creon against his decision to kill Antigone, one of whom is a blind prophet named Teiresias. He admonishes Creon that leaving Polynices’s body unburied to be maimed has angered the gods. Yet again, Creon refuses to listen to reason and Antigone is thrown into a cave where she is to die of hunger. Haemon is driven into a fury at this and attacks his father, only to accidentally stab and kill himself. It is only after this that Creon finally understands the “evil counsel” of his “rash plans”. He finally understands the error that he committed which led to not only the death of his son, but the death of also his wife, who also died by her own hand after hearing the fate of her son.

In the end, it took the death of both his wife and his son for Creon to fully comprehend the error of his actions. His arrogance and stubbornness led to the downfall of not only himself, but for others as well. He tried to play the hero, but in truth, he was actually the villain.