Who Is Creon A Tragic Hero

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In Sophocles’s Antigone, Creon, the new king of Thebes, exemplifies all of the traits of a tragic hero. Creon is good and vertuous by wanting to do what is best for the people of Thebes as their new king. Creon is also lifelike by having human like qualities. He is also constant throughout the play and does not change his thought and opinions. Creon show his virtue by trying to what is best for the people of Thebes. Creon shows his goodness and virtue by wanting to what is best for his kingdom. Creon says that he has no place for a man who cares more about himself then for the people. Creon makes sure that everyone knows that a “man who sets private friendship above public welfare” (53) is no use for Creon. He states that …show more content…
His first human like traits is that he exaggerates. He says the the burials of Polynesia was “boasting of barefaced anarchy” (60). The burial was not actually anarchy, so this was an exaggeration. Another human like quality is the fact that he thinks he is never wrong. When the Sentry came back with Antigone he tells Creon that he,”Should never be too sure of anything” (57) because Creon was convinced that his guards did it. This show that Creon is sometimes wrong even though he thinks he is never is and this is a human like quality. Mainly Creon is stubborn in his opinions when talking to the Sentry, Antigone, and Haimon. When Creon and Haimon were arguing Haimon compares his father to a “Stubborn trees, [there are] rorn up” (66). Creon is very stubborn when talking to people and he must always be right. Creon show the trait of being lifelike by having many human like …show more content…
Creon speculated that both the Sentry and Teires were bribed with they told Creon news he did not think to be true. When the Sentry delivers the new of Polyneices’ burial Creon is full of rage and claims they the Sentry was bribed. Creon is shocked that someone has “bribed [his] own guards to” (55) bury Polyneices. Creon show consistency because this is not the only time he thinks someone has been bribed. Creon Also thinks that Teires was bribed to tell him a false prophecy. Creon thinks that Teires “let out his words for hire” (74), and was bribed to lie to Creon. Teires has always be loyal to Creon but now that Creon thinks that Teires’s prophets was false he assumes he was bribed to tell him. Creon is consistent in his thoughts by believing that every time he hears some he thinks is false he thinks the person telling him was bribed. Creon is also constant in his principles and beliefs. Creon makes many statements to prove that he has “[his] principles” (53) they will not change. Creon’s stays constant throughout the play. Creon show all three of the traits for the tragic hero.
In Antigone by Sophocles, the new king Creon show he is the tragic hero by exemplifying all traits of a tragic hero. Creon shows his goodness and virtue by trying to do what is best for Thebes. Creon is also lifelike and believable as a human being. Lastly he is constant throughout the play. Creon Exemplifies all of the results