Feeling proud is good for your well-being. Being good for self image and happiness, pride can be a vital part of interacting with people. But, some people are proud to a point that they are arrogant. A prime example of narcissism is the egotistical, major character King Creon.
Creon displays arrogant pride throughout the majority of the play: killing his own brother to take the throne, and insisting that his own judgement is correct over Tiresias’s (one of the smartest men in Greece). He was the stereotypical harsh ruler, making unreasonable laws and showing no sympathy for anyone who broke them. (Even those who were relatives!)
Despite his extreme arrogance, Creon experiences peripeteia. The tragic events of the story transform him from a big-headed jerk to a humble man. The dramatic change throughout the story makes him a dynamic character. Creon has a point of realization (anagnorisis) when he learns the law he passed was too harsh and he regrets having the pride to pass it.
Deciding the protagonist and antagonist in Antigone is up for debate. One would think the title character Antigone is the protagonist. Though she is brave and loyal, she is the one who broke the law in the first place! Creon made some harsh laws, but he only had the best intentions for his kingdom. He changes for the better in the end of the play, making him a good candidate for the protagonist of the story. But, even though Antigone broke the law, she had a pretty acceptable reason for doing so. Her loyalty to her family values forced her to go against Creon’s law and give Polynices a proper, deserved burial.
Though Creon was a bitter ruler, he really regretted his harsh ways in the end of the play. If only he had gotten his act together sooner; before his family committed suicide!
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