Antigone Written Response - Essay Example

Based from the analysis of the play, Creon’s being a tragic figure is questionable. First, his motivations cannot be comprehended as enough bases to being a tragic figure. It would seem at first reading that indeed he can be seen as a ruler who tried to be fair and good, justifying each action before they are committed. However, it is for the same reasons that he fails at leading as a ruler. Because he tends to justify his actions, he believes that he is always right and hence always does his bidding.

His refusal to listen to advices even from his own son proves that he is not tragically inclined. A tragic figure is someone who indeed has pride but is compelled to have an open mind when it comes to matters that involve others. And being the kind, it was a premier characteristic for a tragic hero to understand the repercussions of his actions before he set forth in giving exacting decisions. The fact that being rejected made Creon decide the fate of a person based from personal grudges is simply not heroic.

Although he does not qualify in the definition of a tragic figure, he still possesses some characteristics that can be treated with nobility. He came from a good lineage, albeit the fact that he inherited the crown with twisted means, and he has what it takes to take over an entire kingdom. His pride and composition makes for a talented king, one which will be able to defend his constituents when the need arises. However, his actions as a king must be measured. This he had proven as his weakness, for in the end he has led to the tragic affairs that would forever taint his rule.

Compared with Antigone, Creon is the weaker character. Antigone is a good example of a tragic figure, one which clings to her ideals if she knows they are right and would demand to be heard before she made her own means. Her actions towards the burial of an important person prove how fearless she is. And when it comes to dying, she chose to die with honor. Creon, in contrary, lack the courage it took Antigone to take her own life. That and that alone, is enough proof that Creon is nothing like Antigone.

He is nothing like the sort of man a woman could trust decisions in. He failed to discuss his options and saw the fruit of indecision leading to untoward events. As king, it was his obligation to care for his minions, which he never fulfilled with satisfaction. In argument, sympathy can be felt for him at the end of the play when the actions he had started led to a vile event that he had not seen coming. Indeed, no one would have seen the death of one person to lead to more deaths. However, this grief was not enough to overshadow the fact that he brought the deaths about by himself and it is fitting that he should suffer the consequences of his action.

While he may not be called a bully, he can be seen as a misogynist, which is a bad trait for a king. His dejection of his wife was enough to cause her death, and his failure to forgive Antigone for faults that can be traced from her lineage was something he must pay for. And that he had paid for indeed. However, this payment is not enough to draw the attention from Antigone to him. With all things considered, it is fitting that the title of the play is Antigone instead of Creon. If it were to be changed, then more of him must be said.