In Antigone by Sophocles, Antigone and her uncle Creon (king), show many similar and different character traits, after the death of her two brothers and the drama that came with it. Creon and Antigone are both arrogant and prideful, but they are also loyal to different things. These character traits lead to both of there downfalls and epxain why they are bloth to blame for the trajic outcome of the play.
In the trajedy Antigone, Antigone and Creon have many differences. To start, Antigone is very loyal to her family. For example Antigone refers to her passed brother Polynieces, when she says, "But I will bury him; and if I must die, I say that this crime is holy: I sha'll lie down with him in death, and be as dear to him as he to me" (prologue. 57-60). Antigone states this after her uncle Creon established a law to make sure no one buries Antigone's brother Polynieces and bury her other brother. This shows that she is loyal to her family because even though its against the law, she is still willing to do anything to have justice for her brother and bury him no matter what the consequence is. Although she is loyal to her family, she is also loyal to the gods. In scene 2 Antigone agrues to Creon that all the dead are due honors. This shows that she is loyal to the gods by obeying the rule that honors are due to all the dead and buring her brother. While on the other hand, Creon is loyal to his state. Creon says, "I say to you the very outset that I have nothing but contempt for the kind of Govenor who is afraid, for whatever reason, to follow the course that he knows is best for the State; and as for the man who sets private friendship above the public welfare, -I have no use for him, either" (1. 21-25). This shows that he is more loyal to state than any friendship. Another difference Creon has from Antigone is that is not as loyal to his family. In scene 1, Creon makes a law to make sure no one buries his nephew which is not being loyal to family at all. These are some of the reasons why Antigone and Creon are different from eachother.
Antigone and Creon are also similar. They are both arrogant and prideful. Antigone shows arrogance when she says, "I should have praise for what I have done"(2.113). This is a demonstraition of arrogance because Antigone is baisically demanding praise and honor for her actions and she wants to be recognized for what she has done. Another example of Antigone's arrogance is when she says that everyone would agree with her but there just afraid of Creon. This shows that she thinks she is right and is overly confident with her actions. Creon also posseses character traits of a prideful and arrogant person especially when he says, "No Teiresias: If your birds-if the great eagles of God himself should carry him stinking bit by bit to heaven, I would not yield. I am not afraid of pollution: no man can defile the gods" ( 5.46-50). This is an example of arrogance because when the prophet Teiresias comes to tell Creon that he is doing wrong , Creon still believes he is right and rebukes him. A final example of Creon's Pride is in act 3 when his son Haimon ( the prince promised to marry Antigone), comes to Thebes to tell his father that everyone thinks Antigone is not guilty and they disagree with his law. Creon on is outraged and in denial when his son tells him this news and accuses him of choosing the girl he is in love with other than his own father. This shows arrogance because Creon thinks he is right no matter what people tell him. In the end of the story, creon punishes Antigone by keeping her hostage in a stone vault until she dies, but Creon realizes he is wrong and imediately buries her brother Polynieces and goes to free Antigone. When Creon , the senturies, and Haimon go to free Antigone, they discover that she has hung herself. Haimon is furious and tries to stab Creon but stabs himself instead. Creon's wife kills her self because of the news of her dead son. Leaving Creon with nothing but the country of Thebes hating him and Antigone being dead.
To conculed, both Antigone and Creon are both to blame for the trajic outcome of the play. Both of their similarites and differences caused them to bumb heads and land them in the place they ended up in. Creon is to blame because of his arrogance and the loyalty he didn't have for his family. Which cause his family to die and all of Thebes to disagree with him. Antigone is also to blame for being very arrogant and headstong Even though she was loyal to her family, her arrogance and pride caused her own death.
