Creon's Fatal Flaw

In the beginning of the play Antigone, Antigone is planning on burying her brother Polyneices, which is against King Creon’s law. Creon’s law states that Eteocles should be buried with military honors and Polyneices, the traitor will have no burial and the birds can do to him whatever they feel. Whoever disobeys this rule, shall be put to death. Antigone doesn’t listen to this warning and goes ahead and buries Polyneices. Creon finds out from the Sentry and Antigone is to be buried alive. Creon doesn’t care that Polyneices and Antigone are his family; the only thing he cares about is that they are both traitors. Creon’s fatal flaw is stubbornness and pride because in his eyes he is never wrong and he doesn’t listen to Teiresias’s warning.

Teiresias’s prophecy reveals that Creon is doomed and cannot escape his fate because of what he did to Polyneices and Antigone. The time is not far off when you shall pay back corpse for corpse, flesh of your own flesh…..This is your crime, and the Furies and the dark gods of Hell are swift with terrible punishment for you.(OdeIV.SV.L841-850) Although Teiresias tries to convince Creon to let Antigone go, Creon doesn’t want to break his law. He has to look like a strong and unyielding leader, which will cause many problems in the future. A true leader should be able to recognize their flaws and make better choices.

Creon eventually decides to change his law and give Polyneices a proper burial; he also decides to free Antigone from the vault. Creon’s realization was too late and this caused many deaths. When Creon goes to free Antigone, he seea her hanged and later on his son Haimon stabs himself to be with Antigone. Haimon’s death causes Euridice, Creon’s wife and Haimon’s mother to kill herself. Now that Creon realizes how wrong he was, he is now devastated with guilt. Lead me away. I have been rash and foolish. I have killed my son and my wife. I look for comfort; my comfort lies here dead. (Exodos.L1034-36) Creon’s pride did not let him work out his conflicts, which brought his downfall.

A ruler should be able to make effective decisions that will benefit the whole city. Creon is a prideful leader who is feared by his people. He makes unreasonable laws that should never be broken, no matter how small or bias they may seem. He also never admits to his mistakes and will often blame them on others. This king wants loyalty from his people, but if one betrays the law they are an enemy and a traitor, even if they are family. Creon decides to save Antigone because he doesn’t want anything bad to happen to him or Thebes. To be a good ruler you should have principals to have during hard times.

In conclusion, Creon is the king of Thebes who uses power to make himself happy. He identifies the welfare of Thebes with his own self-interest on Polyneices and Etocles. When Teiresias warns him of the curse, he tries to escape