Antigone - Creon the Tragic Hero

In the play Antigone, Creon, displays all of the characteristics of a Tragic Hero. As the new king of Thebes, he suffers from excessive pride, stubbornness, controlling demands, and evokes pity. His people look upon him as being inflexible and aloof. This deadly combination of characteristics inevitably leads to his downfall caused by his own unfortunate actions.

  In the beginning of the play, Creon is the antagonist and the audience views him as being villainous; and this influences the readers to side with Antigone. The conflict between the two characters increases as the play goes on. When Creon discovers that Antigone is the lawbreaker he shows no mercy even though she is his niece and is also to be wed to his son. He declares her to be executed. Soon after, Creon's son Haemon pleads for Antigone's release, but his arrogant father mocks him, ignoring his worries. An angry Haemon runs away, hurt that his father has treated him like this. Antigone is sent outside of Thebes to starve to death in a cave. While Antigone is suffering this unfortunate fate, the blind prophet Teiresias warns Creon that the gods are very angry that he has refused burial for Polyneices, since the very same dogs and birds that eat his flesh are later used for sacrifices. As a result, Creon's son will die in punishment. Mocking Teiresias, Creon does not listen to this advice, saying that Teiresias just wants to scare him. However this all changes after the Chorus reminds him that Teiresias has never been wrong about anything.
  Creon suddenly has a change of heart and becomes extremely worried and scared for the fate of his son. He goes to the body of Polyneices to finally perform a proper burial and cremates the body's remains. Then he goes to free Antigone from the cave where she is imprisoned, but it is too late. Creon finds Atigone hanging by a rope, and Haemon standing there weeping beneath her. After trying to attack Creon, Haemon stabs himself and dies holding Antigone's...