Characteristics of Creon

Contents

• Stubbornness and Inflexibility
• Hubris and Pride
• Conclusion

Creon is one of those big characters in Sophocles' tragedy "Antigone." His main traits really steer his actions throughout the play. He's strong-willed, super stubborn, and sticks to his guns no matter what. Creon’s all about authority and he just won't hear other folks out, which kinda leads to his downfall. If we dig into what he's like, it's clear that his tragic flaw is pride. This whole pride thing blinds him to the aftermath of what he does and stops him from seeing his own goofs. This essay's gonna explore Creon's character and why it matters in the play, showing how his flaws lead to a real mess.

'Characteristics of Creon'

Stubbornness and Inflexibility

One major trait of Creon is his stubbornness and inflexibility. Right from the get-go, Creon’s all about showing off his power and making sure his laws stick without any compromise. He figures Thebes can only stay cool if he's got tight control over everything. You can see this in how he talks with his son Haemon and the prophet Tiresias. When Haemon asks him to think twice about killing Antigone, Creon just blows him off like, "Do you think I would ever prove myself weaker than a woman?" (Sophocles 685). That line shows he couldn't care less about emotional pleas or different views. His stubborn nature stops him from getting that his son is trying to warn him about what's coming.

The same goes for when Tiresias warns Creon about how ticked off the gods are and suggests freeing Antigone. Creon's reaction? He gets mad and says Tiresias got paid off to mess with him. This inflexibility makes him ignore good advice from a wise prophet and keeps him from thinking he might be wrong.

Creon's stubborn streak kicks off all the tragic stuff in the play. By refusing to listen to reason or consider other ideas, it leads to deaths—Antigone's, Haemon's, Eurydice's—and eventually drags him down too.

Hubris and Pride

Another thing that brings Creon down is his hubris and pride. He thinks he's always right and he's the only one who can decide what's best for Thebes. This pride makes him blind to the fallout of his actions and blocks him from spotting where he messed up.

You see this pride in action when he decides not to bury Polyneices properly or when he chooses to execute Antigone. He believes denying Polyneices a burial sends a strong message in Thebes affirming his power. But this pride stops him from even considering the moral side of leaving a soldier unburied—this even when Haemon begs for some compassion.

When Creon finally wakes up to realize he's messed things up big time, it's already too late. His pride holds him back from openly admitting screw-ups or asking for forgiveness. Instead, he tries fixing things secretly by saving Antigone or burying Polyneices—but yeah, too late again! And this leads straight into tragedy for those he loves.

Conclusion

In wrapping it up here, Creon's traits like being stubborn as heck, inflexible beyond belief; then add hubris mixed with massive pride—all lead to tragedy in Sophocles' "Antigone." Not listening or taking other views seriously or admitting mistakes brings death upon those close around plus himself going down hard too eventually! Creon's inability seeing flaws within oneself coupled unwavering commitment principles serve warnings dangers unchecked power-pride offers great lesson today world leadership!

Sophocles uses Creon's journey show us why humility matters; leaders gotta listen wise counsel open changing decisions anytime necessary otherwise face consequences flawed nature proud mindsets deliver none wants experience firsthand ever truly.

References

• Sophocles, Antigone: A New Translation (Various Editions)
• Kirkwood G.M., A Study on Sophoclean Drama (1971)
• Doyle J., Character Analysis Series: Greek Tragedy Vol II (1988)
• Bendall M., Power & Politics Ancient Greek Plays Revisited (2014)
• Miller F.J., Leadership Traits Across Cultures: Lessons From Classics (2019)