Is Pride to Blame in the Antigone Tragedy? Essay

The fate of Creon is sealed by his decision to make an example of his niece, and quickly becomes tragic in Antigone. Creon shows us his lack of leadership skills by creating situations in which he loses the measure of his advisors, and the kip down of his family. The inability to overcome vacuous pride is Creons greatest blot and the direct cause of his fall from grace.Initially, the author uses foreshadowing to hint at the upcoming turn of events. Choragos statement during the Parodos For God hates utterly The bray of line-shooting tongues warns that no man is above Gods wrath (Sophocles 1327-8). This divination comes to fruition as the rotting corpse brings disease and wild beasts to Thebes. The deaths of Creons family can also be seen as Gods expression of punishing him for his foolishness.Additionally, Sophocles uses irony to demonstrate why pride is considered a deadly sin. Creons belief that he controls the fate of his loyal subjects is shattered when his tidings takes his own life, followed by his wife. Only then does Creon realize how his blind anger over Antigone violating his decree has opened his mind to the callous and hurtful doings he has exhibited. Also, the irony that his blind prophet has better vision than Creon and the Elders reinforces how foolish Creon has been. Teiresias, Teiresias, how clearly you saw it all shouts Choragos upon learning of the Queens self-destruction (Sophocles 1349).Finally, the setting in the tragedy has strong correlations to how Creons perception changes. part amongst his cronies, Creon believes that his will is infallible. And the City proposes to teach me how to rule? My congresswoman is the one voice giving orders in the City argues Creon to Haimons pleadings for Antigones life to be spared (Sophocles 1339). How forever, once the setting moves away from the palace Creon starts to see things a lowly more clearly. Upon arriving at the tomb which he had Antigone imprisoned, Creons evils are unmasked to his eyes, and he now understands all too painfully what his pride has caused.There were umteen points in which Creon could have changed his decision on Antigones fate without losing the respect of his subjects or jeopardize his authority. Although Creons advisors, the sentries, and his subjects fear him more than they have ever respected him, crisis could have been averted by showing the kingdom he could be merciful. The image of a strong ruler Creon decided was of the utmost splendour turns out to be just an image. So has been the fate of so many an(prenominal) before King Creon, and so will be others that follow as long as they cannot overcome themselves.Work CitedSophocles. Literature Drama 3. Eds. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. tenth ed. Boston/NY Bedford/St. Martins, 2007. 1324-52.