Creon analysis

Sophocles’ “Antigone” is a comedy about the loyalty that existed in the families of ancient Greece. The play is set in Thebes, a city ruled by a very typical king, Creon. He desires the best for his subjects, and kills those who oppose him. Our new king is forced into his position when the previous king is killed by his brother, leaving Creon to clean up their mess. As a new king, Creon deems it necessary to prove himself as a capable leader. Creon is inexperienced, stubborn, and has much to learn before he is accepted by the people.

                We find out early that our young leader has chosen fear as his main tool to influence the people. His first decree is that no one may “bury” nor “mourn” Polynices, as he is to be left as a “feast for birds and dogs”(line 206). It seems that Creon is starved for the respect of his people and is willing to do anything to gain that respect, even leaving the body of a trader to be ravaged by wild animals. The fire within our young ruler is further fueled by the elderly men of the Chorus as they encourage his actions telling Creon he “may use any habit both with the dead and with all of [those] who live”(line 216). But, Creon has not stopped once to consider how this might affect the more rebellious citizens of Thebes. Blinded by his own arrogance, Creon has not yet realized that fear does not have a positive impact on people, rather it turns them against him.

                Creon is also bound by his duties as a leader and has little time for himself.  Additionally, everyone close to him dies, leaving Creon to rule by himself with no one to confide in. Even his son Haemon is “lost,” blood spilled by “his own hand,” angry with Creon “for the murder” (line 1181). Without council from his trusted family, Creon often makes rash decisions, not realizing the negative effect they can have. In addition to Haeman’s suicide, Creon’s  wife Eurydice kills herself when she learns of her sons dealth. As explained by the messenger, she “struck” herself down “with her own hand” after she learned the “fate of her boy”(line 1321).  Creon was too occupied with his work to realize the destruction he had caused to his own family. By causing Antigone to kill herself, he set off a chain reaction that resulted in the death of his wife and son.

                Not only does Creon suffer from a lack of council, he also suffers from a stubborn will. He refuses to admit he was wrong even when the gods send a prophet to tell him that he has gone against their will. The prophet explains that Creon “dishonorably” jailed a “living soul,” and caused an “unholy corpse” to remain above ground, withholding it from the “gods below” (line 1070).  He initially refuses the prophet’s advise, sending him away, only to be persuaded otherwise by the Chorus later. It took the persistent efforts from the Chorus to finally sway Creon from his stubborn will. Not only will Creon not listen to the gods, he ignores his son Haemon when Haemon tells Creon he has done wrong in the eyes of the people. Haemon explains that Antigone has not fallen to this “disease,” for her “fellow citizens” of Thebes “deny it” (line 744). Haemon is telling Creon that the people of Thebes believe that Antigone has done nothing wrong by honoring the gods and burying her brother, yet Creon, blinded by his own stubbornness, fails to see that Haemon speaks the truth and refuses to veto his own decision to kill Antigone.

 Though Creon started out stubborn, defiant, and careless, in the end he realized that he was to blame for the death of his family. Creon experiences an epiphany, recognizing his role in the series of events that lead to the tragic demise of his family. Unfortunately, his epiphany comes too late to spare him from agony.