Antigone from Creon's Perspective - Essay Example

ANTIGONE The current research investigation looks at Sophocles’ play “Antigone,” looking specifically at the perspective of one of its major characters, that of Creon. Although equal arguments could be made about both Creon and Antigone being the main tragic hero in this play, it is the estimation of the current investigation that Creon is more of the tragic character, because there is pathos in his dual responsibility of the future of the city, and the short-term emotional pull of various situations. This is primarily a play about Creon and Antigone. The character of Antigone loves and cherishes Polyneices as a brother, and, more importantly, as an individual. Creon takes a less personal and individual view of people and rules the city by what he thinks is right for society in the future, even if it seems wrong to individuals at that time and place. Therefore, much of the play’s tension with Antigone is played out outside of the initial acceptance of society, which is represented by Creon and the Chorus, and it is perhaps as powerful as it is because it is so selfish. Looking at Creon in opposition to other characters in the play, one can see that he is out for what is best for society, even if it means ruining people emotionally and physically in the short term. This makes him cold in comparison to Antigone, but it also makes him a good and effective ruler, because he is able to sacrifice his selfish nature for the good of society. Creon is a noble character who is just trying to do what is right for his city and society, but in doing so, he shows a lot of pride and intractability because he is stubborn about his own solutions to the problems of the city, and doesn’t want to hear anyone else’s, even the gods’. Creon’s stance on society is not individualistic or over-emotional but it is prideful and intractable. Still, Creon believes that he is doing what is right, and is making his own sort of sacrifice for society. He believes that he can suspend love indefinitely until the present becomes smooth and calm. This is perhaps Creon’s biggest mistake, as it relates to an excess of pride. He truly believes that he can bring society to his own notions of order and harmony, and that while there is disharmony in society, as there is always bound to be, there cannot be love in governance. “I wont be a leader who lies to his people,” Creon states, “No I will kill her, If I rear a disorderly family, I am feeding general disorder” (798-802). His suspension of rationality in the present fr future concerns makes him wrathful towards the disruption of order. He wants the respect of the people, so he does what he thinks is right for the future of his society. In the opinion of this writer, this makes Creon more of an example of hubris than Antigone. Creon’s morality is more universal than Antigone’s. He is also more societally than morally correct. Unlike her, he shows himself to be a character in the play who is capable of change. Perhaps because he is more attenuated towards listening to society in terms of the chorus and gods, he is able to change himself enough to at least stay alive. Antigone dies for her pride; Creon lives in shame for his. But in the end, looking at who is alive is the major factor. Creon is willing to sacrifice his personal desires for the good of the city. Creon can be seen in the play in many cases, as the opposite of Antigone. He is willing to make sacrifices for the future of the city, but she is more selfish. Selfish may be too strong a word; perhaps individualistic is better, although one could even say that her love makes Antigone self-righteous. Antigone has little regard for the future: when upbraiding Creon, she seems almost casual about her decision and its implications regarding her fate. This is because it feels good to her to be taking a stand one way or the other, even if it means going to extremes. Loving selfishly makes her selfless. Her love is a cure for the pain that would overwhelm her if she was to accept the desecration of Polyneices’ body, which is done by Creon. Antigone’s feelings become mixed up with duty and rebellion and propels her onto a collision course with Creon’s mandates. She will not be dissuaded from this course by Creon, her sister, or anyone else, because she believes in her own heart that what she is doing is right. Creon, on the other hand, represents a love that is fueled by society and keeping up appearances despite of what one might feel personally, and this manifests itself in his overriding concern for the future safety and steadiness of the society. He is acting as a king in the play, and Antigone is acting as a sister. Their motives are respectively personal and societal. And arguably, Creon is more of the hero of the play, because “To Aristotle, a hero is a "man who is not eminently good and just, yet whose misfortune is brought about not by vice or depravity, but by some error or frailty. He must be one who is highly renowned and prosperous...” (qtd in Hughes, 2009). Creon is not perfect, but also, he is not selfish; he is not plagued by vice, either. He strives to do his best for the future of society, even if it means giving up his present. Another theme in the text is that of overriding divine law on the part of humans, with disastrous consequences. This is a common theme in many Greek tragedies. Creon takes the law of the state to extremes and wants to stand by it even when it is obvious that the gods do not agree. This sort of pride leads ultimately to the destruction at the end of the play. Therefore, he is arguably more of a tragic hero type character than the title character of the play. Antigone did what she personally thought was right, despite Creon’s proclamations and official version of what would be right for the city and society. This caused her civil disobedience against the unjust wrath of Creon, who desecrated her brother’s corpse. Antigone speaks wisely and strongly of love, and her speech is often laced with danger and matters of life and death. “I will bury him myself,” she states, “If I die for doing that, good: I will stay with him, my brother; and my crime will be devotion” (87-90). Her love is very important to her and impacts her emotions and feelings dramatically, perhaps because it is so personal. Creon is less likely to take a situation personally, and is more likely to take a long view of the situation that sees the good of society as being prized. As mentioned, the two main characters of the play are Antigone and Creon, and each means different things when they are talking about friends and enemies. In a discussion of friends and enemies involving the play, it is important to make distinctions between ideas of rebellion and ideas of the perseverance of order, and this must be kept in mind when making a tentative balance between different kinds of friendships regarding their destructive capabilities. Generally Antigone talks about friends and enemies in a less wrathful and more personal way than Creon. Creon is more likely to bear a grudge, but he is also less likely to invest in a short term situation without thinking of long term goals. As the ruler of the city, Creon feels a great responsibility for these goals on his shoulders. Creon’s speech reflects his beliefs about his role in society. His is a societal sort of belief; a love of governing the people in an effective manner so that they may be productive. His belief is based on behaving in a manner that is best not for his own personal feelings or obligations, but for society. Creon does not want to be caught befriending anyone whom he considers to be the enemy of society. Creon’s sense of his beliefs is also inspired by duty. “Jebb brings to light the fact that, "Creon regards the family almost exclusively in one aspect; for him it is an institution related to the state as the gymnasium to the stadium; it is a little state, in which a man may prove that he is fit to govern a larger one” (qtd. in Hughes, 2009). Therefore, the tragedy of the family is writ large on the state, and the personal becomes the political, whether Creon wants it to, or not. Throughout the play, the chorus is alluding to both Antigone and Creon because they are making statements about human life as a whole and how it can be reflected in both of these main characters. It is somewhat ironic that Antigone is compared to a mother because she is not actually Polyneices’ mother, but his sister. Her feelings are amplified by the fact that by taking a stand and remaining on her brother’s side, even though he is in the process of being desecrated by Creon, she is putting forth the idea of love as emotionally-charged and blind-to-consequences devotion that is intensely individual. On the contrary, Creon is thinking of society, rather than being ruled by his emotions. Creon chooses a less personal method because he thinks it will benefit society. Creon is willing to mete out harsh justice for the future of society. Although this is perhaps because he loves society, it might be more to the point to say that Creon loves order. This was also Pentheus’ mistake before Dionysus: by concentrating too much on order and denying his capability for weakness, he chains the society which he believes that he can set free. Creon winds up believing that he can bolster love by issuing death and desecration because he is no longer following his own personal compass of what is right and wrong. This is what ultimately becomes so tragic about his character. He stopped being moral when he ordered that the corpse of his nephew be left out for carrion eaters for the good of society. And this lack of morality, as well as not listening to the gods, is what dooms him. The chorus often refers to different types of love in reference to Creon. His sense of duty does not go against the grain of society, and rather seeks to aid and support society. He does not see any place for love in a state that is not safe and steady. Love could be said to represent turmoil of eros for him, and, unable to face this turmoil personally as a public servant, he relegates it to the background so that he can do what must be done. Antigone loves her brother as an individual and is willing to equate this love into personal sacrifice against the society which seeks to desecrate his body, for him. He is no longer alive. Therefore, Antigone’s faith is not altogether rational, but it is powerful and vital, and stays in the present. Creon wants his sort of rule to be more rational, but unfortunately, it also comes off as being iron fisted or the result of too much structure. “He is obviously not entirely good or just, and he does make mistakes. His greatest error is issuing the decree forbidding anyone from giving Polynices a proper funeral. However, he does not do this entirely out of spite or anger, but instead to protect his country” (Dunkel, 2009). Creon does not let his emotions get the better of him; he does not care about being liked. Overall, Creon is a tragic figure but not very sympathetic. He is willing to suspend his sense of love during trying times, which leaves a void where love would have been. His love is not centered in the present, but represents the hope for a future that is safe and secure. WORKS CITED Dunkel, R. “Antigone.” http://depthome.brooklyn.cuny.edu/classics/dunkle/studyguide/antigone.htm Accessed 2009. Hughes, M. “Antigone.” http://studentweb.tulane.edu/~mhughes1/Antigone1.html Accessed 2009. Sophocles. “Antigone.” The Three Theban Plays. Robert Fagles, trans. New York: Penguin, 2000. Read More