Antigone character analysis

 In Antigone, written by Sophocles, is about Oedipus’s, Antigone, and about what

happens to her when she tries to bury her brother, Polyneices. Although Creon, the king
of the city, announces that whoever buries Polyneices will be sentenced to death,
Antigone goes ahead and buries him anyways. This is where the main conflict lies.
Through out the play, Creon reveals several aspects that contribute to the outcome of the
play. These are paranoia, stubbornness, and sympathy.

Throughout the play Creon convinces several people of trying to steal the thrown
from him. In the beginning of the play he first convinces the Sentry of trying to

overthrow him. Creon said, “I tell you the worse currency that ever grew among mankind
is money” (326-7). He reveals paranoia because he thinks the Sentry is trying to
overthrow him, but really the Sentry is actually trying to tell him that someone had buried
Polyneices. Because the Sentry said something that Creon does not like, he starts
accusing him of trying to overthrow him. This is how Creon reveals paranoia.

Creon also reveals stubbornness throughout the play. He won’t listen to anyone
and he is once again accusing someone else of trying to overtake the thrown. He says,
“Old man, you are all archers, and I am your mark. I must be tried by yours prophecies as
well” (1092-3). Although he is once again convicting Teiresias of trying to overthrow
him, he is actually just being really stubborn. Although he probably knows what Teiresias is saying is true, he just does not want to believe it and is once again trying to convict
someone of trying to overthrow him. This is one way in which he reveals his
stubbornness.

Towards the end of the play, Creon reveals sympathy towards the people who

have died and comes to the realization that he had caused all of it. He says, “Lead me
away, a vain silly man who killed you, son and you, too, lady. I did not mean to, but I

did. I do not know where to turn my eyes to look to, for support. Everything in my hands
is crosses. A most unwelcome fate has leaped upon me” (1413-9). Because of his actions,
several loved ones died at the end of the story. His son and his wife died. Because of this

he is feeling sympathy towards them although it is too late.

In Antigone, paranoia, stubbornness, and sympathy are the three characteristics
that Creon reveals throughout the play. Because of these traits the story ended how it did.
If it wasn’t for his stubbornness and paranoia, Antigone and the others probably wouldn’t
have died. These are the three characteristics that he showed during the play.