The Effects of Pride

“A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you're looking down, you can't see something that's above you. ” (C. S. Lewis).

Pride can take over the lives of people who have it within them. It is ok to feel proud but if the sense of pride is exaggerated it will lead to arrogance and therefore to problems. In the book Antigone, by Sophocles, pride is displayed as good and bad through both Antigone and Creon, which in the end lead to their downfall. Pride can have a big impact on people when it is taken for granted.

Sophocles uses such powerful language and gives such great imagery with his words that it is apparent pride is greatly implied in his book. The conflicts and morals being taught to us in his book states that pride is something that should be gained and kept with honor. When one’s pride is being stepped on they would react, just like as Brad Moore said: “Pride would be a lot easier to swallow if it didn’t taste so bad. ” As human beings, it is obvious we surely dislike being wrong and to admit we did wrong.In the play Antigone, the blind prophet reveals the pride in the characters. Teiresias explains to Creon that the only crime that was committed was pride.

The prophet explains that all men make mistakes but only a good man will stop when he knows he is doing something wrong and try to fix the damage he has created. The play opens up with Antigone trying to convince her sister Ismene to be on her side with the burial of their brother, and while Ismene yields to what kind Creon wants, Antigone’s pride keeps her mind set on wanting what she wants best for her brother.But I will bury him; and if I must die, I say that this crime is holy: I shall lie down with him in death, and I shall be as dear to him as he is to me. ”(Act II, scene I, 673). Obviously Antigone makes it clear that she has made her choice and stands by it, which isn’t necessarily a bad sense of pride.

But as the story progresses Antigone strays away from have good pride to becoming arrogant and disrespectful, insulting Creon during her trial, ensuring that there will be no pardon for her actions.In life being right isn’t always the best option; while it may be the right thing to do if settling a conflict means taking sides with an opposing is usually should be done. Like arguing with your parents: while you may be right you almost always know that challenging them most often than not creates more problems then solutions. Antigone’s sense of pride got her in a lot of trouble even though she felt burying Polyneices was the right thing to do, however in a conflict pride most often than not creates more negatives than positives.Creon was no exception, as his sense pride led to the death of his son and his wife.

However unlike Antigone’s pride, Creon’s pride issues weren’t good from the start. As King of Thebes, Creon thought that his decision was right and was unable to understand that some people might not agree with him. Because of his pride and his wish to be a good King, Creon does not realize that his decision is contrary to both custom and divine law.He is so prideful that he doesn’t even believe the great prophet Teiresias when he tells him he is wrong, "O my son, these are no trifles. Think: all men make mistakes, but a good man yields when he knows his course is wrong, and repairs the evil. The only crime is pride.

Give in to the dead man, then: do not fight with a corpse- what glory is it to kill a man who is dead? Think, I beg you: It is for your own good that I speak as I do. You should be able to yield for your own good" (Scene V, 692).Because of Creon’s pride no one is able to persuade him into not killing Antigone, not Teiresias or even his own son Haimon. Creon's pride leads him onto suffering. He is failed from his power and happiness.

He is failed to acknowledge a higher good than that of his decision. Most often than not getting ideas from others results in a better decision and answer, for example the president of the United States doesn’t just make decisions on his own he consults his advisors and other people to hear there opinion to make the best possible decision for his country.Creon had lots of sources of help in order to make a fair decision on the case of Antigone like Choragos, Haimon, and Teiresias but because he didn’t use his resources he suffered leading to the death of his beloved family. The cause of Creon's downfall is his flaw, so he is directly responsible for his fate.

Through good and bad senses of pride both Antigone and Creon suffer, Antigone commits suicide and Creon becomes the victim of Antigone’s death as his son and wife commit suicide.Both Antigone and Creon’s pride have effected many people, although they didn’t know their pride would lead to the death of three characters their sense of “getting what they want” deeply affected themselves and others if they had only listened to others around them maybe the outcome could have become much different. As proclaimed by Choragos at the end of the tragedy, “There is no happiness where there is no wisdom; No wisdom but in submission to the gods. Big words are always punished, and proud men in old age learn to be wise.