The drama Antigone is more Creon's story than it is Antigone's. Creon has a much bigger impact on the play. Without him, there would be no dilemma or theme. He is also the tragic hero of the play. That is why the play is really about Creon even though the title is Antigone.
Creon's impact on the play is much bigger than Antigone's. Creon is in almost all of the scenes. At first it shows what kind of ruler he will be during his council meeting. He said that rulers need to think of the people. Then he tells the council that neither friends nor family will be spared from the law. Creon also said that he would never accept bribes and warns the rest of the council against doing so.
Creon creates the theme and the dilemma in the play. He is the one who makes the decree about Polyneices not being buried. In doing this, he angered the gods. Antigone knows she can't leave Polyneices unburied for fear of not being able to see him in the underworld. So she buries him. Creon's arrogance with the decree and his judgment on Antigone that she had to die greatly angered the gods. Then when Teiresias comes and tells Creon the error in his ways, he holds to his arrogant pride and dismisses Teiresias as a prophet who was bribed to deliver false predictions.
Creon is also the tragic hero of this drama. He failed at being a good ruler. Because of his decree about Polyneices and his judgment on Antigone, he suffers the consequences. He realizes his mistake in going against the gods, tries to go and free Antigone, and to give Polyneices a proper burial. It was too late because Antigone had already hung herself. When Haimon, Creon's son, saw that Antigone had hung herself, he unknowingly added to the tragedy by plunging his sword into his side. In a final tragedy, Queen Eurydice took her own life with a knife. All of this punishment was brought on Creon because he went against the gods. Even though he himself was not killed, Creon had to live with the death of his loved ones around him making him the tragic hero in this play.
