As new king of Thebes, Creon only wishes to gain the respect of his people. He wants to enforce the value of loyalty, and protect the integrity of Thebes. Polyneices is considered an enemy of the state after attacking the city, and Creon cannot allow any traitor to be honoured, even if he is family. In one of his early speeches, he says:

any enemy of my country as a friend” (204-208).

Creon is demonstrating his authority and clearly stating his hatred for traitors. He m

Those who stand behind Antigone as the tragic hero of the play argue that she fits the part in light of the fact that she dies in doing what is right, and that Creon meets his end as a result of his power-hungry and selfish needs. Antigone believes it is better to follow the laws of the Gods than disobey them and follow the laws of mortals. On numerous occasions, she allows her temper to get the better of her and she blatantly accuses Creon of being impious. She is blind, however, to the fact that it is Creon’s duty as king of Thebes to create laws that are just in the eyes of the people, rather than the gods. This makes what he is fighting for just as right as it does for Antigone. Creon is noble in the sense that he believes the laws of Thebes must benefit society above anything else.

The characters of Creon and Antigone, both, find themselves surpassing certain boundaries throughout the play which leave them very susceptible to tragedy. The question over who is the play’s tragic hero still fuels debate among scholars, for there are valid arguments either way. However, if one goes by the belief that a tragic hero must come to realize his mistakes before the story is over, then there is no doubt that the tragic hero is Creon, for he is the only one

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