It is karma’s rule that what we put out in the universe comes back to us. We often meet some people who do not want to listen to others, they just do whatever they want to do. This makes karma realizes that it still exists. In this essay, I am going to write about a person who was beaten by karma, because of his bad deeds.
Creon was a King of Thebes. His wife’s name was Eurydice and he was the father of Haemon, who was the future husband of Antigone, who was the antagonist of this play. He was a weary and wrinkled man. Creon was a stubborn, arrogant, and selfish person whose decision to kill Antigone made his son end his life. Even when Teiresias warned him his decision to kill Antigone would bring death to everyone, he refused to change his mind and said: “Even if Zeus’ eagles should choose to seize his festering body and take it up, right to the throne of Zeus, not even then would I, in trembling fear of some defilement, permit that corpse a burial”. This example shows that he was a stubborn person.
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He had a strong objective. He wants everyone to follow his rules and do what he suggests they do. He was a man who comes into power at the end of the civil war in the city and feels deeply that he needs to bind that city together and make it one nation again. That means distinguishing friends and enemies. He believes that he can do that, that is his arrogance. But the main obstacle to his objective was that he was challenged by Antigone. He thinks that if he will change his mind to give her a big punishment, he would be no longer a man. People started to oppose him because they were thinking that it is Antigone’s right to bury his brother, and Creon was trying to take that right away from her.
As Antigone killed herself in the cave, his future fiancé Haemon ended his life as well as he was a true lover of Antigone. When the guard was telling this hard truth to Creon, his wife heard this from back and she killed herself because she could not live without his son Haemon and his betrothed Antigone. This incident made Creon realize that he was wrong, thus karma’s rule says that karma has no menu, and you get served what you deserve.
As Polynices and Eteocles killed each other in battle. Creon announces in a long speech that because Polynices attacked the city, he will not be given proper burial rites. Anyone who will try to bury Polynices will be punished by death. But Antigone decided to bury his brother properly. Creon learned from the guard that someone has buried Polynices. He demands that the guard must discover who did it. He threatens the guard with death, that if he can’t find this out, he will be killed. Then, the guard brings Antigone in reporting that she was the one who buried Polynices. After listening to that guard, Creon vows to execute her. After that, Creon discusses this issue to execute Antigone with his son, Haemon who was a future husband of Antigone. But when Haemon attempts to defend Antigone and advice his father, Creon explodes and started yelling at his son for defining him. Teiresias also arrives to speak with Creon. He advises Creon not to execute Antigone, because possibly everyone will die. When Creon refuses to obey the prophet, Teiresias predicts that he will suffer and die: “In heaven; and thou usurp'st a power not thine./ For this the avenging spirits of Heaven and Hell/ Who dog the steps of sin are on thy trail:/ What these have suffered thou shalt suffer too”. Though Creon may appear to be pitted against Antigone in her beliefs in the honor of the family and the gods above all else, his behavior suggests otherwise. He aggressively argues that the honor of the family is very highly regarded by Haemon. He also believes that they have decrees that he states are consistent with the rule of the gods and with the best interests of the people.
Creon is also shown to be one of the few characters who just listen to people, but only those that he respects, and even though he rejects their advice at first, he ends up changing his course after Tiresias has given him advice before he learns of what will happen to his family and he is very fearful of that and tragically he is too late for this, but the fact is he does change his mind and must be a rational person because of it.
Furthermore, Creon’s laws seem to reflect his own character. At times they can seem very harsh and thus they can seem quite usable. He condemns multiple times in his speeches. Firstly, he accuses everyone of conspiring against him. He also disbelieves the words of Tiresias at first when he gives him advice. Furthermore, his paranoia leads to his downfall. Although some of his positive characteristics appear to become negative, the reverse is also true. Creon’s strong lead and dedication to law seem to be exactly what Thebes is in need of after the war. Creon’s downfall becomes symbolic of the tragedies that occur when the laws of man attempt to compete with the ancient laws of the gods.
However, Creon was not a villain even though he may be an antagonist above all else. He seems to be the true epitome of a Sophoclean hero. Some people may disagree with this thinking, that they do hate Creon, and they make a comment that was a rubbish character.
In conclusion, it is observed that Creon got many chances to change himself. So many people had warned him such as Haemon, Teiresias, and Antigone. But it can be concluded that a toxic person can never change, they just change their victims and whom to blame next.
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