Hubris: The Good, the Bad, Essay

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She is committed like Creon but for purely unselfish reasons. We see this when she tells Ismene, "I will bury him myself. / And even if I die in the act, that death will be a glory" (Sophocles 85-6). While Antigone admits that she is defying the law, she has something greater on her side, which is truth. In this sense, we can see how the truth cannot be stopped. Antigone even admits her guilt, telling Creon, "I did it. I don't deny a thing" (492). In addition to this, she is not afraid of the consequences. She even has the nerve to tell Creon that his doom will be her "precious little pain . . . This is nothing . . . I've been accused of folly by a fool" (520). Antigone goes to extremes but it is for the cause of something greater than herself while Creon cannot see beyond himself to see any other cause. This is what separates the two. Bernard Knox notes that Antigone's loyalty is more than a "private code of conduct" (Knox 39); it is also an act that has "strong political overtones" (39). This is something that Creon could never do and even in his last moments probably never completely understood because it was such a selfless act.

Creon is much like Oedipus because he believes that he is somehow immune to the pains that Oedipus suffered. He is foolishly thinking that he cannot be hurt by his actions because he feels so justified and so right about the entire situation. Haimon is significant to the story because he supports Antigone. More importantly, he is not supporting his father, which is intolerable for Creon.

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However, through Haimon, we can see reason and logic. He looks beyond family ties and realizes the truth of the matter. He tells his father, "Is this indecent? She kept him from dogs and vultures. Is this a crime? Death? -- She should have all the honor that we can give her" (I.ii.65-9). Haimon's reaction is one that Creon refuses to hear and acknowledge because it does not fit under what Creon believes to be the truth as he sees it. This is also the reason why Creon chooses to ignore Teiresius. Both individuals speak words that he does not want to hear -- not because they are wrong but because they are right and they would prove that Creon was wrong about his position. Creon is far too arrogant to simply be persuaded by logic; in his eyes he is king and everyone should accommodate him for that purpose. Right and wrong have long left Creon's vocabulary and his statements at the end of the play confirm this.

Antigone is play about two individuals that share a common characteristic and that is that they are both stubborn. Creon is stubborn and arrogant because he is king. He lets the fact that he is king prevail over all other arguments. He is full of love for himself. Antigone is stubborn as well but she is motivated by love and compassion. She is filled with love and compassion for her brother. These two characters illustrate the positive and negative outcomes of the same behavior. These characters illustrate how hubris can be both positive and negative characteristics. Both instances result in tragedy but one proves an honorable death is more desirable.....

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