Sophocles`s Antigone

Creon 's Fear

We see a remarkable change in Creon after his confrontation with Tiresias . Analyze the scene where Tiresias comes to warn Creon , and account for the change in Creon after Tiresias leaves . What is it about Tiresias 's confrontation with Creon that convinces Creon about the mistake in his judgment and his adamant , romising actions which he wants to rectify

The Antigone is truly a classic in many ways . An important insight in this particular classic is the insight on man 's folly . Probably aside from Antigone herself , the

other important character in the play where we get to have a peep at human folly is no one else but Creon . It is most interesting to see this particular character 's flaw and how such led him to disaster . In this particular essay , I will look at Creon 's stubborn reason and hubris , the two character flaws I have noticed which made him unbending . Afterwards , I will show how fear was able to finally move him . I will specifically look at his confrontation with Tiresias since such seems to be the climax of the play . As such , I will prove that Tiresias changed Creon 's heart , not because the king was moved by the force of reason nor did he acknowledge that his actions are hubristic , but because the king was moved by fear of the tragedies that might befall his life and family

That Creon did not find Tiresias 's statements reasonable was clear when he misinterpreted the prophet 's motives and thought that he plainly wanted to earn . It must be recalled that the prophet went to Creon and rebuked him for not burying the body of Polyneices , which was left rotting , the animals taking feast on it , with no proper burial rites given to the corpse (except the burial rites that Antigone unlawfully ' gave to her brother . Tiresias specifically said that Creon should make concessions to the dead - don 't ever stab a man who 's just been killed ' as there is no glory in killing a dead person one more time (lines 1146-1148 . Creon responds that Tiresias , for money 's sake , chose to say abusive words to him : But , old Tiresias among human beings the wisest suffer a disgraceful fall when , to promote themselves , they use fine words to spread around abusive insults (lines 1167-1170 , and later , the tribe of prophets - all of them - are fond of money (lines 1180-1181 . He chose not to listen to Tiresias 's words and instead charged the old man of scheming for some self-benefit . Plainly , the strength of Tiresias 's argument about respecting the dead did not find its way through Creon 's reason

Neither was Creon moved by Tiresias to realize that he was already acting out of hubris . It is worth noting how Creon continued to act in a proud manner to Tiresias prior to Tiresias ' telling of the prophecy Tiresias called him arrogant . Also , we hear Creon answer back to Tiresias that Even if Zeus...