Creon's Mistakes in Antigone

Creon's Mistakes in Antigone

The two main characters of Antigone are Creon and Antigone. There are major conflicts in between both of them throughout the story which leads to many consequences. Creon cared very much about the law and state and Antigone cared very much for her family. The tragic events of the story may have been avoided if Creon had not made so many mistakes.

One of Creon's flaws is his excessive pride. His pride led him to false accusations. He in some ways felt he was better than the gods and definitely felt he was inferior to women. Creon didn't just condemn Antigone because she disobeyed him but it was also because she was woman. This made her punishment more severe. Creon's son even warns him that the town will side with Antigone but Creon doesn't bother to listen. Finally, he puts his pride aside and listens to the chorus but with mush resistance. He only listens because he fears the punishment he may receive. Antigone in a way was a martyr. She died for everything she believed in. No matter what Creon accused her for, she stayed firm in what she believed in.

Creon's faulty and unreasonable punishment for Antigone led to the tragic death of his son and wife. His pride had then completely disappeared. Creon brought tragedy upon himself by triggering their deaths. Pride is what destroyed him. Prideful people are punished by the gods. In the end, you realize the story isn't really about Antigone but it's about Creon.