Pride: The Fault Of Every Man

Pride: The Fault of Every Man

In literature as in life, people struggle with principles or beliefs they hold. In Antigone, King Creon struggles with principles and beliefs he holds. King Creon's decision is not to bury Polyneices because Creon believes Polyneices broke his exile to kill his brother and sell the people of Thebes into exile. Creon is blinded by his pride; he tries to make Polyneices into a villain, even though Eteocles is guilty of the same crime. Both men wanted to rule Thebes for themselves alone, and both men lost. Creon is corrupted by the same power that drove Eteocles and Polyneices into battle. That same power that drove these men into battle is pride, and this pride is what Creon struggles with throughout this play. Creon doesn't see the problems of his pride until Teiresais tells him of the calamity that has been brought upon the people and what will happen as a result of his pride. After the visitation from Teiresais, Creon is scared of what may occur. Creon immediately goes to set Antigone free but it is too late. Antigone (daughter of Oedipus) and Haimon (son of Creon) has committed suicide and as a result of the death Haimon, Eurydice (wife of Creon) commits suicide as well. Creon has many opportunities to realize his pride but does not realize his pride until it is too late.

The first opportunity Creon is given to recognize his pride is when the sentry notifies him of the burial of Polyneices. The sentry tells Creon of how there has been new dust on the slimy flesh of Polyneices and the sentry tells the king that he doesn't know who has done this. Choragos suggests that the burial was done by the gods. Creon denies this and immediately becomes enraged and threatens the sentry. The sentry then makes a statement; this statement was Creon's first opportunity to realize the error of his ways. "How dreadful it is when the right judge judges wrong!"(203). The sentry has become enraged by the pride of the king. The sentry believes that denying burial to Polyneices is a crime that violates laws that are established by the gods. Creon is too prideful to realize that he is a criminal for making a city law that violates a religious law.

The second opportunity Creon is given to realize his pride is his encounter with Antigone. The idea that women are subordinate to men made the realization of his pride even more difficult than it already was. Antigone is brought to Creon for the crime of burying Polyneices. Antigone openly admits breaking the city law. Antigone reiterates the fact that city laws are temporary while the laws of the gods are eternal. Creon does not recognize his pride again because he is blinded by the fact that a woman is defying the law he put into action. Creon even makes the statement that when he is still alive no woman shall rule. Creon realizes the pride of Antigone in their conversation but was unable to recognize his own pride.

The third opportunity given to Creon to realize his pride is his conversation with his son Haimon. Haimon starts off by telling Creon that he obeys his father because that is what a son is supposed to do. Creon is pleased with his son at this point because Haimon is telling Creon what he wants to hear. Creon then discusses the idea that women are the root of all evil and that it is better to lose to a man than a woman. After this statement Haimon tells his father, that the beliefs that Creon has is clouded by pride and tries to show Creon the ignorance of his ways but Creon is still unable