Who Is Creon Tragic Hero

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In the Greek tragedy, “Antigone” by Sophocles, Creon possess three key traits that identify a tragic hero. These traits are; Creon is ultimately good, he is lifelike, and he is consistent.

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Creon shows he is morally good several times throughout the play. When Creon mentions he “suppose[s] she’ll plead ‘family ties.’ Well, let her. If I permit my own family to rebel how shall I earn the world’s obedience?” Creon wants the best for the people, and shall not let nepotism prevent it. Creon putting the people ahead of his family is part of what makes him good. Creon decrees, “I say to you...that I have nothing but contempt for the kind of Governor who is afraid, for whatever reason, to follow the course that he knows is best …show more content…
Creon expresses this trait primarily through his paranoia. When the sentry is conveying his story to Creon, Creon burst out, “From the every beginning there have been those who have whispered together, stiff-necked anarchists, putting their heads together, scheming against me in alley.” Creon then goes on to explain that the sentry is actively working against him, which is incredulous because the sentries were the most vetted workers in that time period. Creon, unlike Shakespeare’s Macbeth, shows emotion when his family is killed. When Eurydice and Haimon die at their own hands, Creon says “O God, I am sick with fear. Are there no swords here? Has no one a blow for me.” The readers connect because they have experienced losses before, and they see him as lifelike.

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The third and final trait that Creon shows that labels him as a tragic hero is his consistency. Creon constantly believes that everyone is being bribed. Two such cases, when Creon talks to the sentry and accuses him of, “selling [his] soul for silver”, and when Teiresias is suspected of, “let[ting] [his] words out for hire.” Another way in which Creon is consistent is his hubris. Many people including the Chorus, Antigone, and Haimon all tell Creon he is wrong, though each time, he does not
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