A tragic hero is a literary character who makes an error of judgment that inevitably leads to his own destruction. Every Greek tragedy must have a tragic hero. In Sophocles' play Antigone, the tragic hero is Creon. He possesses the tragic flaws of excessive pride and being pretentious. This causes the tragic reversal that leads to his emotional ruin not only with himself but also with his family. The conflict was that Creon created a law allowing Polyneices, Antigone's brother, to be buried improperly. Antigone thought it was her right to bury her brother by causing her to disobey the law of Thebes. Between Creon and Antigone it is clear that the strength of a family lies in mutual loyalty. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Creon's stubbornness, excessive pride, and inflated ego are his greatest flaws that would ultimately create his downfall. Haemon, Creon's son, and he argue over Antigone and her fate. Haemon, being Antigone's future husband, wants her father to let her go and not punish her, but Creon's need for right and power turns out to be more important than his son's happiness. As Haemon continues to argue his point, he says to Creon, “So do not let your mind dwell on a single thought, that what you say is right and nothing else. A man who thinks that only he is wise, that he can speak and think like no one else, when these men are exposed, then everyone can see their inner emptiness. Haemon is saying that Creon is acting stupid because he thinks he is flawless and that he is the only one who thinks he is right. Haemon also states that if you open Creon there is nothing but an empty heart that doesn't care about the feelings of others. Creon's stubbornness against his son is a significant sign of his downfall as a tragic hero. Creon's interactions with Antigone reveal that his reasoning is based more on sexism than rationality. In one of their interactions Creon questions Antigone about her actions. Antigone being herself defends her position without showing weakness towards Creon and disrespecting him as king. Creon, disconcerted by the attitude that Antigone is giving him, gets angry with her, threatens her and states: “Then go down among the dead. If you must love, love them. No woman will rule me... no, no, not while I am still alive." Creon does not want to be challenged by some girl so he sends her to death without any remorse. Antigone's constant smug comments pushed Creon to his limits making him reveal his defects Creon is at a crossroads with Antigone, he does not know what to do with her. Creon admits to himself that he must punish Antigone or risk losing his authority and even his manhood. He cannot respond rationally to her argument, so he must free himself of her. “She laughs at what she has done. Well, in that case, if she gets what she wants and goes unpunished, then she is the man here, not me,” Creon seethes, and his anger drives him. to an action that will ultimately doom his entire family. The final decision Creon has to make is whether or not killing Antigone would do the right thing, but this would prove that he was wrong with his new law's decision and does not want to admit that I was wrong. These flaws that Creon possesses contribute to his development as a tragic hero. Creon's actions not only affected him but also his family and their loyalty to each other. In the play it is very clear that Antigone is very loyal to her family, regardless of the consequences which cannot be said for Creon's family..
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