Tragic Hero’s Downfall

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Both Kings declared that whoever the traitor was would be punished, However when Creon is asked by Antigone “what more do you want them my death” and Creon responding with “Nothing” (209). At this point Oedipus has the benefit of the doubt because Creon won’t change his mind he is blinded by the fact that someone could test his power. It’s hard to sympathize to a man who can’t see past his own selfish ways. Both Kings talk to Tiresias and both don’t like what he says however Teiresias tells Creon that “[...] [he] is king because of [him]” (233). It’s hard to tell know when Oedipus was thinking that Creon was planning against him when really he was. Tiresias just told us that he set up Creon for this great power, and then tells him he can take it back as well. To Finish Oedipus punishment was way worce than Creon, Oedipus took “the golden brooches[...] and plunged them down straight into his eyeball” (69). Both of them lost someone dear to them, a family member. However Oedipus took his eyes but gain insight while Creon only mourned about wanting death for what he did. Both of theses great men could not escape their fate.

To sum this up, Creon set himself up for failure from the beginning, Sophocles maps this tragic hero story out from the start. He was worse than Oedipus, and he was the reason for his own downfall. Creon had a chance to be a good King, and even change his mind about his law on Antigone. However, the power that he possessed clouded his mind to see what path he was leading down, which ended bad for him in the end. This story after all was created to show that everyone should walk the Golden path, and live your life, don’t tempt fate.

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