The Fall Of King Creon In Sophocles Antigone

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The Fall of King Creon From the time we were little, most of us were taught to be humble, for pride will ultimately lead to our failure. Excessive pride is a dangerous weapon to play with, especially when we turn against our religious beliefs. Sophocles’ play, “Antigone, paints a scene of tragedy, where King Creon’s excessive pride, or hubris, directly leads to his demise. Within the story, we watch as Creon’s hubris bears root to his suffering, where he eventually experiences catharsis. Based on Aristotle's theory, Sophocles depicts King Creon as the tragic hero in “Antigone”. Creon’s tragic flaw is hubris. While conversing with his son Haemon, Creon states “Must I rule the land by someone else judgment than my own?” (Sophocles 792). This …show more content…
During his lecture from the chorus, he decides “For my part, since my intentions are so changed/ as I bound her myself, myself will free her” (Sophocles 1178-1179). Creon decided to release Antigone when he realized that his actions were unforthcoming of a king. He later recites, “I am afraid it may be for the best, in the end/ of life, to have kept the old accepted laws” (Sophocles 1181-1182). In this excerpt from the play, he finally succumbs to the will of the gods. His mind is changed, and no longer believes his ways to be superior to that of the creators. It is always better to be humble and confident, than prideful and ignorant. In addition to excessive pride being difficult to respect, some decisions made out of spite can be quite grievous. King Creon’s hubris essentially led to his suffering, which sparked his catharsis. Because he did not honor the will of the gods, they doomed him to an undesirable, but unescapable fate. He is thus seen as Sophocles’ tragic hero. Sophocles created the play “Antigone” to express the importance of obeying the almighty creators’ law, and steering away from excessive pride. A leader should be humble, not

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