Creon vs. Antigone – Ideals & General Viewpoints

In the ancient Greek tragedy Antigone, the two characters of Creon and Antigone are sharply contrasted. Creon is ultimately a man ruled by pride and hyper rationality, embodying the ideal of upholding the law at all costs. Denying his own nephew a proper initiation into the afterlife for going against the crown in pursuance of his birthright clearly illustrates that Creon values the laws of man over the laws of his religion. When his niece, Antigone, goes against Creon’s edict, he again shows no mercy, sentencing her to be buried alive. Creon’s actions can be interpreted as placing superior value on the enforcement of rules over the importance of family. This conclusion is further supported when Creon denies his own son the salvation of his fiancé, Antigone, resulting in the suicide of both and the subsequent suicide of his wife. Strict adherence to the rules and a hyper-rational mind seem to guide Creon’s decisions as the ruler of Thebes (Griffith 35). His dominant personality traits are inherent stubbornness and pride, and an unwillingness to back down even when morally challenged. Although he eventually changes his mind after oracles warn him of imminent misfortune, his stubbornness, pride, and desire to enforce the rules have already ensured his downfall.

Antigone, in contrast, values morality and honor over all else, especially human-created laws. She is willing to break these laws and endure threats of death to ensure that the gods are obeyed, tradition is carried out, and that her brother has safe passage into the afterlife (Griffith 29). Her sense of family loyalty is so strong that when her sister refuses to help her in burying her brother, Antigone disowns her. Nevertheless, her continued morality is further displayed when, upon discovery by Creon, her sister tries to take a share of the blame and Antigone denies it, saving the life of her sister even as she gives herself up. However virtuous this sense of morality may be, Antigone’s character is ruled by stubbornness almost as much as Creon. Rather than humbly explaining to her uncle that she had only done what she felt was right, Antigone fiercely argues the injustice of Creon’s actions, even in the face of death. Ultimately, Antigone is a character ruled by an innate sense of virtue, exhibiting the courage to stand on principle and the willingness to go against authority when morality is in question.

Work Cited

Sophocles. Antigone. Ed. Mark Griffith. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1999. Google Book Search. Web. 2 March 2014.