REPRESENTATION OF CREON'S TRAGIC HERO IN ..., Study notes of Literature

Download REPRESENTATION OF CREON'S TRAGIC HERO IN ... and more Study notes Literature in PDF only on Docsity! REPRESENTATION OF CREON’S TRAGIC HERO IN SOPHOCLES’ ANTIGONE AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters By: RR. LIRA DEWI CAHYANINGRUM Student Number: 024214023 ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS FACULTY OF LETTERS YOGYAKARTA SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY 2007 A Sarjana Sastra Undergraduate Thesis REPRESENTATION OF CREON’S TRAGIC HERO IN SOPHOCLES’ ANTIGONE August 9, 2007 (nai M. Luluk Artika W., S.S August 9, 2007 Co-Advisor Dedicated wholeheartedly to: My beloved Mother and Father My dearest Grandmother My lovely Sister My dearly-loved friends ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS On August 2002, I started my brand new days as a college student in English Letters, Sanata Dharma University. In times I have been spending there, many precious things I can gain: knowledge, skills, wonderful friends, lovely lecturers, experiences whether they make me happy or sad. However, the precious things motivate me to keep learning and they can make me a better person. And after all the years I have been studying in English Letters Sanata Dharma University, the time for me to finish the study has come, by doing this undergraduate thesis. Here, it is my chance to express my highest gratitude for those who has great influence to me, so that I can finish this thesis. First of all, I would like to say my highest respect and gratitude to the Almighty, Allah S. W.T. I would like to thank You for the bless and the chances You give to me so that I can finish this thesis. Thank you so much! I want to thank my family for being a wonderful family for me and for being the last place I go to, when I end my days. My respect and deepest thank are sent to my dearest mother, Sri Eny Hartati, S. Pd, who always keeps praying for me so that I can be a better person. Without you, Mom! I would be nothing. I also would like to send my greatest thank to my wonderful father, Triyono, for all his pray, and the chance he gave to me to study in English Letters Sanata Dharma University. To my lovely sister, Dian, I would like to thank you for all your supports. I love You, Sis! vi I want to send my deep gratitude to my advisor, Mr. Gabriel Fajar Sasmita Aji, S. S, M. Hum, for the unconditional support, guidance, and patience, which make it possible for me to finish this thesis. Thank you for the time and the ideas. I also would like to thank Mrs. M. Luluk Artika W., S. S for her willingness and her time in correcting my thesis. My gratitude is also sent for Mr. Paulus Sarwoto S. S, M. A., for the suggestions to make my thesis better. Thank you so much. I would like to send my great thank to the greatest friends. My special love and thanks are dedicated to my friends at English Letters Sanata Dharma University for their willingness to spend their days at English Letters with me. You are all wonderful friends for me. Thanks for the “Mad Seasons”! Last but not least, I would like to dedicate my deep thank and love for my lovely friends with whom I used to work together at Sanata Dharma University for their endless supports. You are all not only my partners at work but you have been my close friends. Thanks that was fun, don’t forget, no regret! And for some special people I do not mention here, thanks for the beautiful moments and supports. I will carry you in my heart! I also would like to thank to the officers in Secretariat of English Literature and Sanata Dharma University Library, who have contribution that make it possible for me to finish my thesis. -Lira- vii ABSTRACT RR. LIRA DEWI CAHYANINGRUM (2007). Representation of Creon’s Tragic Hero in Sophocles’ Antigone. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, Yogyakarta. The object of this study is Sophocles’ Antigone with humanity as its theme. The aim of this study is to find the hidden intentions of the text in making Creon an authoritarian king, which drives him to be an oppressor, and then bringing him to his downfall. In order to achieve the aim, the writer is going to find the surface and depth representation of Creon as a king. To define the surface representation of Creon as a king, the writer uses the different perspective from the common knowledge, which sees Antigone as the tragic hero of the play. The perspective of Creon as the tragic hero is used in this study. But, the discussion of this study does not stop in proving that Creon qualifies Aristotelian tragic hero. The writer is also going to define what Creon as a tragic hero is to represent as the depth representation of Creon as a king. In order to guide the analysis, three questions are formulated in this study. The first question is to find the qualities of Creon as a king. The second question is to identify Creon’s significant characteristics or traits that make him tragic hero. Third question is to find what Creon as a tragic hero is to represent. The writer uses library research to get the data and the theories. The writer applies structuralist approach in doing the research. Structuralist approach means that in analyzing the text, the writer must relate the text with the larger structure they are part of, since the text cannot be understood in isolation. The theories used in this study are theories on character and characterization, theories on tragedy, and theories on representation. After doing the analysis, first, the writer finds that the qualities of Creon as a king are loyal (to Thebes), too strict to the rules, arrogant, obstinate (stubborn), authoritarian, self-absorbed, male-chauvinistic, unwise, fond of his family, narrow- minded, noble, wealth, not greedy, intelligent, and powerful. Second, the writer can prove that Creon with his traits qualifies Aristotelian tragic hero. Besides, the writer finds that ultimately, the oppressed gains the readers’ and the audiences’ sympathy, admiration, and respect, and not for Creon as the oppressor since Sophocles’ Antigone is a humanity play. The writer also finds that Creon is actually the ‘victim’ of the system of absolute power. Further, the state of being ‘victim’ means to uplift the message of the text itself wants to emphasize. Finally, this is the depth representation of Creon as a king. ABSTRAK RR. LIRA DEWI CAHYANINGRUM (2007). Representation of Creon’s Tragic Hero in Sophocles’ Antigone. Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, Yogyakarta. Karya sastra yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah sebuah drama tragedi, yaitu Antigone, yang ditulis oleh Sophocles. Drama tragedi ini bertema kemanusiaan, yang lebih berpihak pada orang-orang tertindas. Si penulis percaya bahwa teks drama tersebut mempunyai maksud-maksud tertentu dalam menjadikan Creon sebagai seorang raja yang otoriter, sehingga membuat dia melakukan penindasan. Dan kemudian, Creon harus mengalami kehancuran sebagai konsekuensi dari penindasan yang dia lakukan. Dalam penelitian ini, si penulis mencoba untuk mengetahui maksud-maksud tertentu tersebut. Untuk mencapai tujuan dari penelitian ini, si penulis harus menemukan representasi ‘permukaan’ dan representasi ‘dalaman’ dari Creon sebagai seorang raja. Untuk mendapatkan representasi ‘permukaan’ dari Creon sebagai seorang raja, penelitian ini menggunakan sudut pandang yang berbeda dari persepsi umum, yang mempercayai bahwa Antigone merupakan tragic hero atau pahlawan yang tragis dari drama tragedi ini. Penelitian ini menggunakan sudut pandang bahwa Creon merupakan tragic hero atau pahlawan yang tragis dari drama ini. Lalu, si penulis menemukan bahwa Creon sebagai seorang pahlawan yang tragis tersebut sebenarnya menggambarkan sesuatu hal yang menjadi maksud-maksud tertentu dari teks drama ini. Dan pada akhirnya, inilah representasi ‘dalaman’ dari Creon sebagai seorang raja. Si penulis merumuskan tiga pertanyaan dalam skripsi ini untuk memandu analisis. Pertanyaan yang pertama digunakan untuk menemukan_ karakteristik- karakteristik Creon sebagai seorang raja. Pertanyaan yang kedua digunakan untuk mengetahui karakteristik-karakteristik Creon yang signifikan, yang membuat dia menjadi seorang pahlawan yang tragis. Pertanyaan ketiga digunakan untuk mengetahui hal-hal apa sajakah yang ada dibalik Creon sebagai seorang pahlawan yang tragis. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode kepustakaan untuk mendapatkan data dan teori. Si penulis menggunakan pendekatan strukturalisme dalam melakukan penelitian ini. Pendekatan strukturalisme berarti bahwa dalam menganalisa teks drama itu, si penulis harus menghubungkan teks drama tersebut dengan teks-teks lain dimana teks drama itu menjadi bagian dari teks-teks tersebut. Teori-teori yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah teori karakter dan karakterisasi, teori tragedi, dan teori representasi. Setelah melakukan anal si penulis menemukan karakeristik-karakteristik Creon sebagai seorang raja adalah sebagai berikut: setia (pada kota Thebes), terlalu patuh pada peraturan, sombong, keras kepala, otoriter, mementingkan dirinya sendiri, percaya bahwa laki-laki lebih superior dari wanita, tidak bijaksana, mencintai xi keluarganya, berpikiran sempit, mulia, kaya raya, tidak tamak, pintar, dan kuat. Kemudian, si penulis juga bisa membuktikan bahwa Creon merupakan tragic hero atau pahlawan yang tragis dari drama tragedi ini berdasarkan teori dari Aristotle. Si penulis juga menemukan bahwa pada akhirnya, orang-orang yang tertindas akan mendapatkan simpati, kekaguman, dan penghormatan dari para pembaca dan para penonton drama tragedi ini karena tema dari drama ini adalah kemanusiaan. Di samping itu, si penulis juga menemukan bahwa Creon merupakan korban dari sistem kekuasaan abolut. Selanjutnya, pernyataan menjadi ‘korban’ berarti untuk mengangkat pesan yang ingin disampaikan oleh teks drama tersebut. Dan pada akhirnya, inilah yang menjadi representasi ‘dalaman’ dari Creon sebagai seorang raja. xii Actually, until today, there is still a controversy in deciding the true tragic hero of Sophocles’ Antigone. Is it Antigone or is it Creon? The common knowledge states that Antigone is the tragic hero of the play, because she is much more sympathetic than Creon, who is seen as a tyrant (Barnett, Burto, Ferris, and Rabkin, 2001: 87). Moreover, the title is Antigone, which satisfies those who believe that Antigone is the tragic hero of the play. Most of readers and audiences believe that Antigone becomes the tragic hero because she tries to keep her faith and love for her family by burying Polyneices’ corpse (Polyneices is Antigone’s elder brother), which is considered as a noble action. She tries to honor her brother by fighting against Creon’s order to unbury Polyneices’ corpse because Creon considers Polyneices as a traitor for leading The Argive Army to attack Thebes. They also think that Antigone’s suicide is a form of her loyalty to her family. Most of the readers and the audiences view that Antigone has done the right things by disobeying the order of Creon, who is considered as a tyrant, and she dies in honor by keeping her loyalty to her family. But, the writer tries to see the issue by using different perspective from the common knowledge. The writer sees that though the title of the play is Antigone, it does not mean that Antigone must be the tragic hero of the play. The writer views that the character of Antigone and her actions are merely used to indicate the subject matter of the play, in order to support and to reveal the more important case of the play. What is meant by the more important case here is Creon, with his qualities as an authoritarian king, is the tragic hero of the play, since his qualities as a king with absolute power lead him to be the tragic hero of the play. Since this thesis uses the point of view that Creon is the tragic hero, the writer should discuss about Creon’s significant characteristics (traits) that make him the tragic hero in order to prove that Creon qualifies Aristotelian tragic hero. And, the most important thing to discuss is his tragic flaw. According to Hugh Holman and William Harmon in their A Handbook to Literature (5" edition), tragic flaw is an error or imperfection in the tragic hero’s part that causes his or her downfall, which becomes the essential part of the hero’s character (1986: 507). So, the belief that Creon as tragic hero can be justified. Then, in the last part of analysis, the writer is going to do an analysis that has never been done before by other researches, because the analysis of this thesis does not stop in analyzing the tragic hero of the play, just like what the common studies do. But, the writer views that the text has hidden intentions in making Creon as an authoritarian king with absolute power (a tyrant), then making him the tragic hero of the play. It means that the writer does not take it for granted that Creon is a tyrant, who claims to force his wills, and in most readers’ and audiences’ point of views, he is not sympathetic. So, in the end of the analysis, the writer is going to find the text’s hidden intentions in entering Creon to the system of absolute power, so that he does oppression, then it makes him the tragic hero. It can be concluded from the explanation above that the aims of this study are to find the surface and depth representation of Creon as a king. Creon as a king represents that Creon is the tragic hero the play. This becomes the surface representation of Creon as a king. Then, Creon as the tragic hero represents something, which the writer is going to find out. And finally, this is the depth representation of Creon as a king. B. Problem Formulation The problems above are formulated into three questions below: 1. What are the qualities of Creon as the king? 2. What are Creon’s significant characteristics or traits that make him the tragic hero? 3. What is Creon as a tragic hero to represent? C. Objectives of the Study The purpose of this study is to answer the questions stated in the problem formulation. First, this study is aimed to find the qualities of Creon as a king. Second, this study is also purposed to identify the surface representation of Creon as a king by describing Creon’s significant characteristics or traits that make him the tragic hero, including his tragic flaw. Third, this study is aimed to define and explain the depth representation of Creon as a king by finding what Creon as a tragic hero is to represent. D. Definition of Terms It is considered important to give the definitions of some terms used in this undergraduate thesis. It is purposed to avoid misunderstandings and it is helpful to understand the thesis. CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW A. Review of Related Studies Library research is done by the writer to find some studies related to the topic. The studies are written by other researchers. The studies or the reviews are taken from books and internet. It has been stated in Chapter I that this thesis is going to find the surface and depth representation of Creon as a king. The writer finds that there are some visible ideas that can be derived from Creon as a king. It is also urgent to understand that since Creon becomes a king, the fact makes Creon posses an absolute power. Besides, the writer also tries to reveal the hidden ideas which lay behind Creon as a king. Surface representation is trying to define the visible condition of Creon as a king (without anymore deep considerations) through Creon’s characteristics as a king. Then, the writer finds that his qualities as a king construct the idea that Creon is the tragic hero of Sophocles’ Antigone. That is why tragic hero becomes an important issue in this thesis. So, in this part, the writer tries to review other studies that discuss Antigone, especially reviewing the controversy about the tragic hero of the play and reviewing the studies that support each belief. It has been stated in Chapter I that the controversy about who the tragic hero of Sophocles’ Antigone is, still remains until today, whether it is Antigone or Creon. In fact, most of studies, readers, and audiences believe that Antigone is the tragic hero. Most of them concern on the struggle of Antigone in fighting against Creon’s (Creon as the representation of men) oppression toward Antigone (as_ the representation of women). It can be said that they pay attention on feminist issue. One of the studies that reveal the idea of feminism in Antigone is done by Setyarini. In her undergraduate thesis, which is entitled The Emergence of Feminist Ideas in Sophocles’ Antigone, she states that Antigone performs in herself some feminist ideas through her thoughts and actions to be confronted with men’s narrow view of the unfortunate position of women within the patriarchal society in Ancient Greek (2002: 84). So, the study above already provides enough explanation about the knowledge that Antigone is the tragic hero of Sophocles’ Antigone, which becomes a common knowledge. But, the writer tries to see the issue about the tragic hero by using different point of view (different angle) from the common knowledge. The writer tries to reveal the issue of tragic hero by using another knowledge, which states that Creon is the tragic hero. But, it does not mean that the writer sees that the common knowledge is wrong and the second knowledge is right. The writer tries to view and discuss the issue by using different perspective from the common knowledge in order to define the hidden ideas behind the issue of tragic hero. But, in this part, the writer is going to provide the related study which discusses that Creon is the tragic hero. Based on a study found in internet, Creon qualifies Aristotle’s tragic hero. The study states that Creon is significant because he is a king. Besides, he is neither 10 completely bad nor extremely good person, which becomes one of the qualifications of a tragic hero. This study concerns on Creon’s ability in making hard decisions. The study writes that Creon tries to make the best decisions he can, based on his belief. The study sees that his condition which forces him to make hard decisions makes him the tragic hero (http:/www.123helpme.com/preview.asp?id=60640). Besides, there are also some related studies that discuss Antigone. The first study is done by Sylvan Barnett, William Burto, Lesley Ferris, and Gerald Rabkin in their Types of Drama: Plays and Contexts (8" edition). They state that few modern readers see that Creon and Antigone are equally right and equally wrong. They state that most readers consider that Antigone is much more sympathetic than Creon for acting bravely against Creon and his laws, without the helps from other people. But, they see that she is a bit too headstrong and a bit eager to martyrdom. While they see that Creon in making the policies is not based on personal hatred, but as a new ruler of Thebes, he has an obligation to maintain order in a city, which has just undergone a civil war (2001). The second study is done by Gilbert Norwood in his Greek Tragedy. He states that commonly, people consider that Antigone is a noble martyr and Creon is a cruel tyrant. He views that the principle upheld by Antigone and upheld by Creon are equal validity. He states that it should be remembered that in judging the Attic literature, such as: Sophocles’ Antigone, should consider its belief that we are alive the sanctity of human life, but think far less the sanctity of national life (p. 137) 13 fiction specifically, is an extended verbal representation of a human being, the inner self that determiners thought, speech, and behaviour. Through dialogue, action, and commentary, authors capture some of the interactions of character and circumstance (1989: 143). Besides character, characterization is also an important element in a work of art. So, theories on characterization are urgent to be applied in the thesis. The first definition of characterization in this study is stated by Mary Rohberger and Samuel H. Woods in Reading and Writing about Literature. They define characterization as the process by which an author creates a character. It is also a process with its aim is to make the readers believe that a character is like particular person he is. In order to characterize, there are two principal ways can be used by the author. First, he can use direct means to describe physical appearance. Second, the author uses dramatic means and places the character in situation to show what he or she behaves or speaks (1971: 81). Characterization is also defined by Edgar V. Roberts and Henry E. Jacobs in their An Introduction to Reading and Writing. According to them, authors use four distinctive ways to present information about characters. The readers must use their own knowledge and experience as a human being to make judgments about the qualities of the characters. The first way is by observing the characters when they say and think. The readers must consider the situation or total context of a statement. The readers should also consider whether speeches show change or development. The 14 second way is by observing what the characters do. The readers should interpret actions as signs of character. Third, the readers can characterize the characters in the story by observing what the other characters say about them. It is known that in stories and in plays, as in life, people often talk about other people. The readers must always consider the context and source of all remarks before they draw conclusions about character. The last way is by observing what the author says about the characters, speaking as a story teller or observer. What the author says about a character is to be accepted as accurate (1989: 147-148). According to M. J. Murphy in his Understanding Unseens, there are several ways how the author describes characters (1972: 161-172). a. Personal Description The author can describe a character by analyzing his or her physical appearance. For example, the author can describe the details of the characters’ appearance, such as: the skin, face, eyes, hair, body, or his or her clothes. By analyzing physical appearance of the character, the author can describe the personalities of the character. b. Characters as seen by another character The description is gain from the eyes and opinions of other character. The author gives description of the character by showing other characters’ opinion toward the character, which the author wants to describe. 15 c. Speech The author describes the character through what the character says. The readers can observe the character’s personality by observing his or her speech. d. Past life The author describes the character’s personality through the events in past life. The readers can analyze by paying attention on the direct comments, the character’s thoughts, and his or her conversation. e. Conversation of Others To find the personality of a character, the author can give the readers a clue to a person’s character through the conversations with other characters and the things they say about him. f. Reactions The author can describe a character by letting the readers know how the person reacts to various situations and events. g. Direct Comment The author also can describe the character’s personality directly. 18 that the nature of tragedy is the falling of the protagonist, from his power, and from his happiness. And the most important thing is the falling from his high estate, which gives him a place of dignity to fall from. This fall can be said as his misfortune or his calamity (great and serious disaster), which involves an entire nation or people. According to them, the hero is not a superman. He is fallible. And the hero’s downfall is the result of tragedy (1999: 1295). Hugh Holman and William Harmon in their A Handbook to Literature (5" edition) state that plot is “the soul of tragedy”. The plot in tragedy must involve a protagonist who is better than ordinary people, and this virtuous person must be brought from happiness to misery. They also state that the protagonist must have significance or importance. For them, hero or heroine is called as tragic protagonist. To qualify as a hero or heroine, he or she must be a person of high character and must face his or her destiny with courage and nobility of spirit (1986: 506). In his book, Understanding Plays (2"™ Edition), Milly S. Barranger defines more on the tragic hero, who is considered as an important person with certain admirable qualities. The tragic hero usually does some deed and suffers as a consequence because, in Aristotle’s point of view, actions have consequences in the moral world. This was also Sophocles’ view. Moreover, Aristotle urged that the tragic hero, or protagonist, be credible; that is, he or she should be neither utterly villainous nor eminently virtuous. The reversal of circumstances is, therefore, brought about not by vice or corruption, but by some great errors-usually a misjudgment-on the hero’s part (1994: 58-59). Based on Aristotle’s Poetics, which is taken from David H. Richter’s The Critical Tradition: Classic Texts and Contemporary Trends (2"™ edition), Aristotle 19 states that tragedy is not an imitation of man, but of human action and life and happiness, and misery. Both happiness and misery consist in a kind of action, and the end of life is some action, not some quality. According to the character, men have certain qualities, but according to their actions, they are happy or the opposite. Thus, the end of tragedy is the most significant thing of all. Other important factors in tragedy are parts of the plot, which are the reversal and the recognition. (47-49). Reversal is the change of fortune in the action of the play to the opposite state of affairs, and it should be in harmony with probability and necessity. Recognition is a change from ignorance to knowledge. It can be meant that the main character has found or realizes the things that he ignores before, or the events that he never considers to happen, such as: the tragic hero realizes the consequences of his deed. In every tragedy, people can find both the complication and the resolution of the action (1998: 49-50). Here, David H. Richter also describes the definition of catharsis. The plot of tragedy can arouse the readers or the audience’s pity or fear, which can be said as catharsis. Catharsis can be translated as “clarification”, “purification”, and “purgation”. According to the classical scholar, Leon Golden, catharsis means “clarification”, and it is meant as the tragic incidents that are clarified. While Lodovico Castelvetro and Francesco Robortello in their purification theory, state that tragedy has the function of tampering or hardening the emotions by revealing to the audience the proper objects of pity and fear. And the oldest theory defines that catharsis means “purgation”. It means the violent that drives out the emotions of pity 20 and fear. Another definition of catharsis, which relates to the English word “cathartic” is the action of powerful laxative (the primary meaning of laxative is causing the bowels empty). It is because after seeing tragedy, the audiences’ souls are lightened and delighted. They are no longer obsessed by pity and fear, but their souls are cleansed and emptied (1998:41). According to Charless E. Bressler in his Literary Criticism (2" edition), Aristotle states that the tragic hero must be “a man who is eminently good and just, yet whose misfortune is brought about not by vice or depravity, but by some error or frailty. He must be one who is highly renowned and prosperous”. In addition, all tragic heroes must have a tragic flaw, or hamartia, that leads to their downfall in such a way as not to offend the audience’s sense of justice (1999: 20). In A Handbook to Literature (5" edition), Hugh Holman and William Harmon define tragic flaw is a flaw, or an error, of imperfection in the tragic hero that causes his or her downfall. It is the essential part of the hero’s character (1986: 507). So, based on the theories on tragedy above, this thesis sums the characteristics of tragic hero according to Aristotle, which are usually called as Aristotelian tragic hero as follows: ¢ The character must be noble. ¢ The character must be a person with ‘high estate’. e The character must be a person with ‘high character’. 23 For the next analysis, theories on depth representation are used to do deeper observations on Creon as the tragic hero to find the hidden intentions of the text in entering Creon to the system which drives him to be an authoritarian king, and then it makes him the tragic hero. So, theories on tragedy are still used here to define what Creon as a tragic hero is to represent, which becomes the depth representation of Creon as a king. 24 CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY A. Object of the Study The writer takes Antigone as the object of the study. The play was written by Sophocles. Sophocles is famous as the best tragedy playwright, who was born in Colonus (a village just outside Athens, about 496 B. C.). He had won 24 contests because of the plays he made. The play it self was written by Sophocles on 442/441 B.C. The play used by the writer is taken from The Literary Heritage, written by Hans P. Guth, and published by D. C. Heath and Company in 1981. The book, which explains about the history of literature, also includes some plays as the examples of each era, including Antigone. And Sophocles’ Antigone in the book was translated by Michael Toensad. Antigone can be included as one of famous tragedies of all time. According to Hans P. Guth, in The Literary Heritage, Antigone is the most widely-known tragedy and most successful drama of all time, and still performed in many places in the world (1981: 119). And Gilbert Norwood in his Greek Tragedy states that this play is perhaps the most admired of Sophocles’ works (p. 137). Sylvan Barnett, William Burto, Lesley Ferrris, and Gerald Rabkin in their Types of Drama: Plays and Contexts (8" edition) state that Sophocles’ Antigone has had a great influence, 25 especially in the twentieth century. According to them, it is known that Antigone was highly esteemed in the century after it was written and that it influenced a Roman version of the play (2001: 106-107). Also, in McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia World Drama Volume 4 (2 edition), Antigone is the most appealing tragedy in times of authoritarian rule, and this tragedy has reworked by some people, such as: Bertolt Brecht and Jean Anouilh (1984: 488). Generally, Sophocles’ Antigone tells about the tragic hero of the play, Creon, who must face his terrible fate. Creon became the king of Thebes after the deaths of the former kings, Polyneices and Eteocles. For a time, the two brothers, Polyneices and Eteocles, together ruled Thebes after their father, Oedipus (who was once the king of Thebes) left Thebes. But then, they quarreled, and the elder brother, Polyneices had to leave Thebes. He went to the city of Argos and turned into a traitor against Thebes. Then, he led the Argive Army to fight against his own mother land. In the combat, the two brothers met, and finally they killed each other. Based on this case, Creon, as the new king of Thebes, revealed a policy to unbury Polyneices’ body, because he had betrayed Thebes. Creon stated that the traitor did not deserve a decent burial. On the other hand, Creon decided to bury Eteocles’ body in an honorable rite because he was considered as a hero for protecting Thebes from the Argive Army and died because of it. Antigone, the sister of the two brothers disagreed with Creon’s policy. She decided to bury his brother’s body (Polyneices’ body), so that his soul could enter the 28 C. Method of the Study In collecting the data, library research was done to conduct the research. Both primary and secondary data were collected from the library and from internet. This study used two kinds of data. Both primary and secondary data were collected from many sources to support the study of “Representation of Creon’s Tragic Hero in Sophocles’ Antigone”. The primary data was the tragedy, titled Antigone, which was written by Sophocles (495-406 B.C.) in about 442/441 B. C. The play was taken from Hans P. Guth’s The Literary Heritage (1981). The secondary data were taken from some books to find the related studies and the related theories of the topic, which discussed about character, characterization, representation, tragedy. The data were taken from books and from internet. There were some steps done in this study. Firstly, in order to understand the whole context of the play, the writer read and reread the play for several times, so that the writer could get a better understanding on the intrinsic elements of the play, especially the main character of the play, Creon, which became the object of this study. Specifically, this study took Creon (as a king) as the object of the study. It was also urgent to understand first that since he became a king, it made Creon posses an absolute power. At first, it was necessary to analyze Creon’s qualities as a king to find the surface representation of Creon as a king. The writer used theories on character and characterization to find the characteristics of Creon as a king. The theories were taken from A Glossary of Literary Terms (3 edition) written by M. H. 29 Abrams; X. J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia’s Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama (7" edition); Edgar V. Roberts and Henry E. Jacobs’s Fiction: An Introduction to Reading and Writing (2™ edition). The writer also took the theories from Fiction: An Introduction to Reading and Writing (2 edition) by Edgar V. Roberts and Henry E. Jacobs; Reading and Writing about Literature by Mary Rohberger and Samuel H. Woods. Since this study used a play as the object of the study, the writer also used Understanding Plays (2 edition) by Milly S. Barranger. The next analysis of the thesis was to find the surface representation of Creon as a king, through the qualities of Creon as a king. In order to analyze it, the writer used theories on surface representation taken from Andrew Gibson’s Towards a Postmodern Theory of Narrative and Peter Barry’s Beginning Theory: an Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory (2™ edition). Since surface representation meant as observing the visible ideas of Creon as a king, the writer found that Creon’s qualities as a king constructed the idea that Creon was the tragic hero of the play. In order to prove that Creon with his traits qualifies Aristotelian tragic hero, the writer used theories on tragedy, specifically theories on tragic hero. They were taken from M. H. Abrams’s A Glossary of Literary Terms (6" edition); Walter Jackson Bate’s Criticism: The Major Texts; X. J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia’s Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama ( zh edition); Hugh Holman and William Harmon’s A Handbook to Literature (5 edition); Milly S. Barranger’s Understanding Plays (2"™ edition); Bijay Kumar Das’ Twentieth Century 30 Literary Criticism (4" revised and enlarged edition); David H. Richter’ s The Critical Tradition: Classic Texts and Contemporary Trends (. 2" edition). Lastly, the writer tried to define the depth representation of Creon as a king in order to find the hidden intentions of the text in making Creon as an authoritarian king with absolute power, and then making him the tragic hero of the play. In analyzing this problem, the writer used theories on depth representation taken from Andrew Gibson’s Towards a Postmodern Theory of Narrative and Peter Barry’s Beginning Theory: an Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory (2 edition), to find out what Creon as tragic hero was to represent. 33 And watch my country sliding Towards the precipice of ruins Nor can I be a friend to country’s foes. This I believe, and God may witness it. Our safety is bound up with that of our country. Therefore, all other loyalties are subject to Our country’s interests. (Scene 1, 125) 2. Too strict to the rules Being the king of Thebes means that he has to be faithful to the city’s laws and to give good examples to the citizens to be faithful to the city’s laws too. The writer also sees that there is a strong motivation in Creon to encourage honesty and loyalty among the Theban citizens, whether the loyalty to Thebes or to its laws. The two motivations encourage Creon to be strict to the rules or laws of the city. He demands himself to obey the rules of the city, also he demands all the citizens to obey the rules or the city’s laws. His attitude that shows this characteristic is his promise to punish people who do not obey the rules or the city’s laws, such as: the policy to leave Polyneices’ body unburied. This characteristic can be observed through the conversation between Creon and Chorus about Creon’s policy to unbury Polyneices’ body and about the punishment for those who disobey the policy. Chorus: We understand the attitude you take towards these men. It’s true your word is law. And you can legislate the living and the dead. Creon : What do you think of this new enactment? Chorus: If I were younger, I might c e... Creon : No turning back. The guard is set on the corpse. Chorus: What are the penalties for disobeying? Creon : The penalty is death. As simple as that. (Scene 1, 125) 34 The writer analyzes that Creon’s strictness to the rules or the city’s laws can be observed when he reveals a new policy to punish Antigone after finding out that she has disobeyed his policy by burying Polyneices’ body. Thewriter sees that Creon is being too strict to the rules because of his attitude to keep running the policy though there are some people who tell him to undo the policy, such as: Haemon, his son. Those people disagree with the policy because they see that Antigone’s action is not a crime, but it shows her love to her family. They think that there will be a better solution for the problem if Creon is being flexible in handling it. Haemon: However acute one is, there’s no disgrace In being able to learn, being flexible. In winter, when the streams turn into torrents, You can see the trees that try to resist the water Get rooted out and killed. But those that bend A little, manage to survive the flood. Ina gale at sea if you cram on full sail, You’ ll soon have the waves breaking aboard And bowling over all furniture. Why not relax and change your mind for once? (Scene 3, 137) Haemon says that Creon should not hold the law too tightly, because it will be better for Creon to be flexible in dealing with the law. And it is okay to change his policy, if it makes the situation better. This implies that Haemon considers his father is being too strict in dealing with the laws. Creon’s characteristic in being too strict to the rules can be observed through his own speech when he has a conversation with Haemon, which states that he keeps ordering to punish Antigone although she is Hemon’s lover and Haemon tells him to undo the policy. 35 Creon : Can there be anything worse that giving your love Toa girl that doesn’t deserve it? No, reject her, And let her go and find husband in the grave. Now that I’ve caught her flagrantly disobeying When everybody has toed the line. The eyes of the nation are on me. I must stay True to my principle. I must execute her. (Scene 3, 135) 3. Arrogant The writer defines that “being arrogant” means when a person shows too much pride of himself. The person is too proud of what he has got in himself, such as: his status in society, his position in society, and his wealth. This kind of characteristic can make the person behaves in superior manners. The writer sees that Creon is arrogant because some of his behaviours or attitudes show that he is too proud of his status as a man, his position as a king, his power, and his authority. This over-pride characteristic makes Creon behave in superior manners because he feels that he is much better than other people for possessing the status as a man, the position as a king, the power, and the authority. These motivate Creon to underestimate the other people, since he thinks that the people are not better than him. Creon’s arrogance can be seen through his statements in the conversation between Creon and Haemon, his son. They talk about Creon’s policy to punish Antigone for giving necessary purification to Polyneices’ body, which Haemon disagrees with, and Haemon tells his father to undo it since he thinks that Antigone’s action is a noble action. His arrogance can be observed through his attitude that underestimates Haemon because he is “only” a son, who has an obligation to obey the 38 as: Haemon, who disagrees with his policy to punish Antigone; and Teiresias, a blind prophet, who warns Creon to undo his policy to unbury Polyneices’ body and to punish Antigone (it was Teiresias who had first confronted King Oedipus with the terrible truth about his own past). Haemon advices Creon to pay attention to the other people’s point of views. Haemon thinks that there will be a better solution if Creon takes notice of the other people’s point of views about the policies. The writer sees that Creon is obstinate because Creon does not take notice of Haemon’s advices. He is unwilling to reconsider or rethink about his policy to punish Antigone, moreover to undo the policy. He ignores Haemon’s advices and keeps running the policy. This characteristic can be observed through Creon’s reaction toward Haemon’s advice. According to M J. Murphy in his Understanding Unseen, the author describes the personalities of a character by letting the readers know how the character reacts to various situations and events (972: 161-172). This is Creon’s reaction toward Haemon’s advice, which shows his obstinacy. Creon : What’s that? I’ve had enough of your abuse. By heaven, I swear I’ll make you suffer for it. Take that wild eat away. You’ll watch her die. Ha, she will die in front of her bridegroom’s nose. (Scene 3, 138) There is also another thing that makes the writer views that Creon is being obstinate. Besides he ignores Haemon’s advices, he also ignores Teire: advices. Whereas, what is said by Teiresias is not merely an advice, but it is a prophecy, which states that if Creon does not undo the policies (the policy to unbury Polyneices’ body 39 and to punish Antigone), there will be a horrible disaster happens in Thebes. However, Creon is still unwilling to take notice of the advices. Murphy states that the description of a character’s personality can be gained from the opinions of other characters (1972: 161-172). Through Teiresias’ statement, Creon’s obstinacy or stubbornness can be observed. Teiresias: M y son, I ask you to consider well what you are doing. We all make mistakes. The wise man, Having made an error of judgment, Will seek a remedy, not keep grinding on. Obstinacy isn’t far removed from folly. (Scene 5, 144) By observing the statements, it can be seen that Teiresias says that Creon is being obstinate. 5. Authoritarian The writer views that Creon is being authoritarian when he requires the other people (including his family and the citizens) to obey his authority as a king. This characteristic makes Creon do not give them chance to talk, since what can be done by them is only obeying Creon’s authority. Creon’s force toward the citizens to “obey” his authority contrasts to the citizens’ personal freedoms. This writer sees that to force the citizens to obey his authority means that he does not respect or appreciate the citizens’ rights, and as a ruler of a city, he does not give what the citizens deserve to get. The writer analyzes that Creon, is being authoritarian when he does not give the citizens the “freedom of speech”. “The freedom of speech” here means that the citizens have the rights to give opinions or comments on Creon’s policies, give 40 advices or suggestions to Creon, also they have the rights to criticize Creon relating to his leadership. The first evidence to show that Creon is being authoritarian is from Creon’s statement. Creon’s statement implies that Creon as the king of Thebes possesses the highest authority in Thebes. It means that since Creon poss s the authority, all the citizens of Thebes must obey all his words. Creon : Once a man has authority, he must be obeyed. In big things and in small, in every act Whether just or not so just. (Scene 3, 136) Creon’s authoritarian characteristic also can be observed through the conversation between Creon and Chorus (as the representation of Theban citizens). The Chorus also states that Creon’s word is law, which shows that he is being authoritarian. It is obviously seen that Creon does not want to be criticized by Chorus. Chorus: We understand the attitude you take toward these men. It’s true your word is law, and you can legislate for living and dead... Creon : What do you think of this new enactment? Chorus: If I were younger, I might criticize... Creon : No turning back. The guard is set on the corpse. (Scene 1, 125) Another evidence to show that Creon is being authoritarian because he is unwilling to be criticized can be seen when he has a conversation with Haemon relating to Antigone’s defiance. Haemon thinks that it seems so easy for Creon to reveal the policies and ask the other people to obey his words, but it seems so hard for Creon to listen to the other people’s advices and critics. Creon : Don’t try to flatter me, you lady’s man. Haemon: You like to talk, but you’re not prepared to listen. Creon : This woman will not live to marry you. (Scene 3, 138) 43 about her action in giving purification to Polyneices’ body, which is forbidden by Creon. Creon : Ifshe gets away with this behaviour, Call me a woman, and call her a man. (Scene 2, 132) This characteristic also can be observed through his statements when he has a conversation with Haemon in talking about Antigone’s action as follows: Creon : We can’t go about kowtowing to women. IfI must lose my throne, let it be a man That takes it from me. I can’t have people saying My will has been defeated by a woman. (Scene 3, 136) Creon’s point of view toward women, which sees them as second class citizens, Iso discussed or described by Ismene (Antigone’s younger sister) when she has a conversation with Antigone about Creon’s edict. Antigone asks Ismene to help her to bury their brother’s body. Ismene refuses it because she realizes their weak position as women in Creon’s point of view. She sees that as women, they must obey Creon’s orders, because she thinks that Creon is superior to them as women. Ismene: Oh please remember-we are women, aren’t we? We shouldn’t take on men. In times of crisis It is the strongest men who take control. We must obey their orders, however harsh. So, while apologizing to the dead, Regretting that I act under constraint, I will comply with my superior’s orders. Sticking one’s neck out would be merely foolish. (Prologue, 122) 8. Unwise The writer views that it is an unwise attitude when a person asks or orders people to always say “yes” for everything he wants or he orders. It shows that he forces other people to obey him, whether they agree or disagree with him. This writer sees Creon as being an unwise king when he has to face the problems relating to Antigone’s defiance. He forces the other people to agree with the policy to punish Antigone. The example is when he asks or orders the Guard to punish Antigone, though actually, he is unwilling to do it. The reason is because he feels sympathy for Antigone for burying her brother’s body. He thinks that she does it because she loves her family. Creon’s unwise characteristic can be seen through the Guard’s reaction toward Creon’s order to punish Antigone. There is a tendency that the Guard is oppressed to do it. Guard : So I’m half-glad, half-sorry. Glad that I am out off danger, But sorry someone that I like is in trouble. (Scene 2, 131) Creon’s unwise characteristic also can be viewed from his conversation with Haemon when he forces Haemon to agree with his policy. Creon :I take it you are siding with this woman. Haemon: It is your interests I have at heart. Creon : You show it by arguing against me? Haemon: Because I think you’re making a mistake. (Scene 3, 137) The next evidences to show that he is unwise are from the other characters say about Creon. Actually, what they say are more about advices for Creon to be wiser in handling the problem. So, it means they see Creon is being unwise. First, Haemon 45 asks Creon to be wiser in making policies. He says to his father that “of all God’s gift, good sense is far the best” (Scene 3, 136). It implies that he thinks Creon is being unwise. Second, it is Teiresias who reminds Creon to use his good sense in seeing the problems relating to Polyneices’ body and Antigone’s defiance. He says to Creon that “good sense is a man’s most precious attribute” (Scene 3, 145). His statement also implies that Creon is being unwise. Third, the Messenger says that “it only goes to show that good sense is best, when all this tragedy comes from one rash action” (Scene 6, 148). This is said by the Messenger when he reports to Eurydice (Creon’s wife) and Chorus about the deaths of Antigone and Haemon. It implies that the deaths of Antigone and Haemon because of Creon’s unwise personality in handling the problems. Fourth, chorus’ statement also implies that Creon is being unwise. The Chorus states that “proud man in old age learn to be wise” (Scene 6, 150). It shows that at the time the Chorus says the statement, Creon is being unwise. 9. Fond of his family This part concerns in Creon’s love to his family, including Haemon (his own son) and Antigone. The writer views that Creon, as a father and as a leader of his family, he loves his family. He loves not only Haemon, but also Antigone and Ismene, their nieces. His love to them can be seen when he willingly takes care of them after the deaths of Oedipus (their father) and Jocasta (their mother). Based on McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia World Drama (Vol. 4), it states that Oedipus blinds himself, leaves the city of Thebes, then he meets Creon (who has become the new 48 loves the city too much, which means that his portion in loving Thebes is far above the proper portion. Creon’s narrow-mindedness or single mindedness in defining the concept of “loving the city” tends to be chauvinism. Creon’s narrow-mindedness can be observed through his conversation with Antigone after he finds out that Antigone is the person who gave the necessary purification for Polyneices. From Antigone’s statements, it can be observed that Creon becomes narrow-minded in seeing the concept of “loving the city” by ignoring his obligation to obey the God’s law. In this case, the God’s law is to bury the dead body so that his soul can enter the Underworld (Guth, 1981: 4-6). Creon : You knew about my edict which forbade this? Antigone: Of course I knew. You made it plain enough. Creon : You took it on yourself to disobey? Antigone: Sorry, who made this edict? Was it God? Isn’t a man’s right to burial decreed by divine justice? I don’t consider your pronouncements so important That they can just overrule... The unwritten laws of Heaven. (Scene 2, 131) The writer also sees that Creon is being narrow-minded by ignoring his role as a father for Haemon. As a father, he does not care about Haemon’s deep love to Antigone. Creon keeps punishing Antigone, no matter how much Haemon loves Antigone. It means that as a father, he does not care about the feeling of his son, because what he cares and he pays attention to is the city’s interests, though it has to hurt his son’s feeling. Creon’s narrow-mindedness which makes him ignoring his role as a father for Haemon can be observed through Creon’s conversation with Ismene, when she wants to accompany Antigone in punishment. 49 Ismene: There is no life left without her. Creon : Forget about her. She’s as good as dead. Ismene: So you would execute your own son’s bride? Creon : Plenty of other women in the world. Ismene: But they were so well suited to each other. Creon : I won’t have my son marrying a criminal. Antigone: Poor Haemon! See how much your father cares. Creon : Leave me in peace. You and your marriage with you. Ismene: You really intend to take her from your son? Creon :I won’t stop the marriage. Death will stop it. (Scene 2, 134) 11. Noble The writer views that Creon is a noble person because of three things. First, he is noble because he inherits a noble blood (noble birth). He inherits the noble blood since he is the elder brother of Jocasta. Jocasta is the wife of the former king of Thebes, Oedipus. It means that Jocasta is the former Queen of Thebes. So, based on this family tree, Creon as the brother of Jocasta inherits the noble blood. The evidence to show that Creon is a noble blood can be found in Hans P. Guth’s The Literary Heritage. Here, Guth states that “Creon, uncle of the two brothers, and brother of the dead queen, Jocasta, then became the ruler of Thebes, fabulous city of the seven gates” (1981: 119). Second, the writer sees that Creon is a noble person because he belongs to aristocratic social class. Based on Webster's College Dictionary (2"™ edition), aristocrats can be meant as people who belong to the highest social class in a city (p. 71). In Antigone, the highest class of society is held by people who come from the kingdom. It means that the aristocrats are the family members of the kingdom. So, since Creon is a family member of the kingdom, he becomes a noble person. 50 Third, the writer views that Creon is noble because of his excellent moral characters. It is based on Webster’s College Dictionary (2™ edition), which states that the term noble can be related to high moral principle or excellent moral character (p. 981). The writer considers that Creon shows his excellent moral characters when he reveals the policy to unbury Polyneices’ body. By revealing the policy, actually, Creon intends to teach the Theban citizens an honesty and loyalty to the city of Thebes. He tries to show to the citizens that it is such a bad attitude to betray his own mother land for money, just like what Polyneices did, because this kind of attitude can ruin the city and can make the citizens suffering. Even, in Creon’s point of view, the God will not accept the soul of the betrayal who had betrayed his own mother land and burned the God’s temples. And Creon does not want the other citizens to be a betrayal of his own motherland and ruin the city, like what Polyneices did. So, by revealing the policy, it is hoped that the citizens will be loyal to Thebes and become honest citizens without corruption, so that the city of Thebes becomes a great city. 12. Wealthy The writer sees that Creon is wealthy based on the property he possesses as a family member of the kingdom, and moreover as a king. As the family member of the kingdom, he belongs to the highest social and political class in the city, or it is usually called as aristocrat. So, his wealth are much more than the ordinary people (the other citizens), whether it is money or lands. Moreover, he is the king of Thebes, which means that among the people who belong to the highest social and political class in the city (the aristocrats), he places the highest position. So, automatically, as the king 53 Creon : You cannot possibly judge a ruler’s worth Until he exercises the power he’s got. I’ve no time for the man who has full powers Yet doesn’t use them to enact good measures, But adopts a timid policy of ’do nothing”. Those aren’t my principle. (Scene 1, 125) His intelligence in political affairs also can be seen through his next statements. It can be seen from the statements that he knows a lot about the rule of laws and things that can ruin a city. Creon : Certain hostile elements in the city Who don’t like discipline and resent my rule, are in on this. They’ ve worked upon the guards by bribes. There is no human institution as evil as money. Money ruins nation, and makes men refugees. Money corrupts the best men into depravity. (Scene 1, 127) b. Being capable of facing difficult situation . This thesis analyzes that Creon has capability to face Thebes’ difficult situations after undergoing the civil war by doing realistic actions to make the condition in Thebes better. In this case, Creon’s realistic action is by revealing the edict to punish the Polyneices’ soul by leaving his body unburied, so that his soul can not enter the underworld. The writer sees that it is a realistic action to recover Thebes from the unstable condition because it is Creon’s effort to protect the city from other enemies. This law can be a warning for the other enemies not to attack Thebes, just like what Polyneices had done. Creon’s capability in facing difficult situation can be observed through his statements below. Creon : I’m not the man to sit quietly by and watch my country Sliding towards the precipice of ruin. Nor can I be a friend to my country’s foes. 54 This I believe-and God may witness it- Our safety is bound up with that of our country. (Scene 1, 125) c. Being capable of making hard decisions An example of the hard decisions he makes is punishing Antigone for disobeying his order. This thesis analyzes that the decision is considered hard because when he makes the decision, he has to face rebellions from the other people who disagree with his decisions, including his own family, such as: Haemon. Whereas, the decision he makes is for the interest of the nation and to make the city’s situation better after undergoing the civil war. This is also a difficult decision because he has to punish his own niece, whom he actually loves. But, Creon is able to overcome this difficult situation by making the best decision for the city’s and the citizens’ interests, and not for the individual interest. This capability can be seen when he decides to keep punishing Antigone though she is his family and though many people disagree with his decision. Creon :I don’t care if she’s my sister’s daughter. I don’t care if she’s closer to me than all my family. She and her sister won’t get off. T'll execute them both. (Scene 2, 132) d. Being capable of facing the consequences of his decisions This characteristic can be seen in Scene 5, when he realizes his mistake in making judgments, and he is willing to undo his actions by giving necessary purification for Polyneices’ body and setting Antigone free. This writer views that he actually knows that it is impossible to fight against the fate, but he is still willing to do efforts to prevent the disaster, and he is willing to face the consequences of his 55 actions. This can be seen through his statements which show that he is ready to face the consequence of his deeds and his decisions. Creon : Can’t fight against what’s destined. It is hard, But, I'll change my mind. You servants- Bring axes, hurry, and come with me. I must personally undo what I have done. I shouldn’t have tried being unorthodox. T’'ll follow the established laws in the future. (Scene 5, 146) His capability to face the consequences of his deeds also can be observed in the end of the play, when Creon must face the truth that he causes the deaths of Haemon and Eurydice. The writer views that Creon is willing to accept any punishments form Gods as the consequences of his decisions or actions. Creon : Wrong! How could I have been so wrong? And these deaths I caused-you have seen them- In my own family by my stubbornness. Oh my son, so young, to die so young. And all because of me! Chorus: It’s a bit too late to find out that were wrong. Creon : I know that. God has taken his revenge, Leapt on my head and beaten me. And trampled on the only joy I had. And all these years I have labored-wasted. (Scene 6, 149) 15. Powerful The writer views that Creon is powerful based on some things. First, the writer sees that he is physically powerful. From the text, it can be seen that Creon is an old man. This thesis analyzes that though he is old, he joined the war in fighting against the Argive Army. It can be said that the war actually is hard for an old man like Creon, since joining a war needs strong physics. In fact, though he is an old man, 58 The theory above, which is stated by Andrew Gibson in his Towards a Postmodern Theory of Narrative, means that surface representation observes the “visible”. The term “visible” here means that surface representation does not only observe the facts that can be seen by the optical organ, but also by hearing and feeling. If it is applied in a work of art, surface representation sees the work as what it is, without anymore deep considerations and various points of views about the work. Based on the theory above, in this part, the writer is going to define the surface representation of Creon as a king by reviewing the qualities of Creon as a king. The writer sees that Creon’s qualities as a king construct the idea that Creon is the tragic hero of Sophocles’ Antigone, which is believed as the surface representation of Creon as a king. So, in this part, the writer is going to prove that Creon with his traits qualifies Aristotelian tragic hero, based on Aristotle’s Poetics. 1. Creon as a king with the qualities of a noble person. According to Charles E. Bressler in his Literary Criticisms: An Introduction to Theory and Practice (2™ edition), Aristotle states that tragedy is an imitation of nature that reflects a high form of art exhibiting noble characters and noble deeds (1999: 20). Also, based on McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia World Drama (2™ edition), the tragic heroes in Sophoclean drama are noble yet not faultless (1984: 488). So, it can be derived from the theory that the tragic hero must be a noble person. The concept of being ‘noble’ to qualify Aristotelian tragic hero is that the main character must be a noble-birth or noble blood. X. J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia in their Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama ( 7" edition ) state 59 that the hero of a tragedy must be a person with noble-birth, apparently a king, a queen, or other loyal members of the family kingdom (1999: 1295). So, based on the theory above, Creon qualifies Aristotelian tragic hero since he inherits the noble blood from Jocasta (the former Queen or the wife of the former king, Oedipus). Based on McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia World Drama (Vol. 4), it states that Creon is Jocasta’s brother (1984: 491). The writer sees that the tragic hero must be a person with noble-birth since the nobility becomes his place to fall from. In order to satisfy tragedy, the hero must be brought from his prosperity to his adversity or the hero is fallible (Kennedy and Gioia, 1999: 1295), and his nobility becomes his place to fall from. So, if the hero is brought to his downfall, it means that the main goal of tragedy can be achieved, which is catharsis or purification (Richter, 1998: 41). Catharsis can be achieved by arising the readers’ and the audiences’ feeling of pity and fear when they observe the hero’s downfall. This implies that the hero must have a high place to fall from. The higher place the hero falls from, the stronger the feeling of pity and fear can be achieved. Then, the writer sees that being noble-birth becomes his place to fall from, since in the city, being noble-birth means to belong to the highest class of the city. This can make the hero’s position strong in the city, since in the city, by being noble- blood, the hero is respected for belonging to the family member of the kingdom, which becomes the center of the city’s governmental system. Then, the writer views that this noble characteristic can lead Creon to be the tragic hero because of some reasons. First, the writer sees that being noble makes 60 Creon’s position strong in the society. Then, by being noble, which makes his position strong in the society, gives him chance to make orders and ask the people with less nobility to obey his orders. It means that this also gives Creon chance to do oppression to the people with less nobility than him to obey his orders, whether they agree with the orders or not. This thesis analyzes that in the kingdom, people with nobility (in this case with noble blood) have power and authority to ask the people with less nobility to obey their orders. It means that by being noble, Creon has power and authority to order people with less nobility to follow his wills and his thoughts. The conversation between Creon and Antigone can show that Creon does oppression to people with less nobility than him, in this case are the guards, who must obey his policy to unbury Polyneices’ body. Creon’s oppression toward the guards is said by Antigone. Antigone: Then why not do it now? Our wills conflict head on. No chance of reconciliation. I can’t think of a finer reason for dying, Guilty of having buried my own brother. These men (the guards) are on my side. But they daren’t say so. Creon : That’s where you were wrong. You’re quite alone in this. Antigone: They’re on my side. They’ re forced to cringe to you. (Scene 2, 132) Then, by doing oppression to the people with less nobility, Creon is brought to his downfall, which is signified by the deaths of his beloved people, such as: Haemon, Eurydice, and Antigone. Creon’s downfall can be observed through Creon’s statement, which implies that Creon is facing his adversity as follows. Creon : Lead me away, a wreck, a useless wreck. (Scene 6, 150) 63 Thebes. His ability to save Thebes is confessed by Teiresias. He states that “By doing so, you were able to save Thebes” (Scene 5, 143). His statement means that by listening to what Teiresias said, Creon was successfully won the war over The Argive Army. It implies that Teiresias confesses Creon’s ability to save Thebes. The writer also sees that Creon is loyal to Thebes because he puts his highest respect to the city of Thebes, or according to H. D. F. Kitto in his Form and Meaning in Drama: A Study of Six Great Plays and of Hamlet, complete loyalty to the Polis is Creon’s theme (1956: 151). It also has been explained in the previous part of Analysis, the writer views that Creon is not greedy since he is not a kind of person who is money- oriented and will do anything to gain much money. The writer views that those characteristics are good personal characters possessed by Creon, because the writer sees that the characteristics encourage Creon to do the action to unbury Polyneices’ body, which is aimed to make the city great and make the citizens prosperous. It is also purposed to teach the citizens to be loyal to the city and to be honest. Creon : All other loyalties are subject to Our country’s interests. By such measures, I’ll make this city great, Measures like those I have just enacted Concerning Oedipus’ sons. (Scene 1, 125)... Creon : There is no human institution as evil as money... That ought to teach you to be more selective About what you get your money from. (Scene 1, 17) This thesis analyzes that by possessing the good personal characteristics make Creon become a person with ‘high character’. This thesis analyzes that this makes Creon an honorable person in the city. Also, this raises the admiration and respect from the audiences and from the readers. But then, this ‘high character’ person who raises admiration and respect from the readers and the audiences has to be brought to his adversity or his downfall because of the flaws he possesses. Because of it, the readers and the audiences can observe his tragic side. His tragic side is that an honorable person like Creon with his high character must be brought to his downfall because of his actions which are initially aimed to the joy and safety of the city and its citizens. This event makes him the tragic hero. While, according to Hugh Holman and William Harmon in their A Handbook to Literature (5" edition), the main character of tragedy must be a person with ‘high character’ (1986: 506). Based on the theory, this thesis concludes that Creon qualifies to be the tragic hero since he is a person with ‘high character’ with the good characteristics and finally he comes to his downfall. By observing to what happens in Creon, it can raise the readers’ and the audiences’ pity and fear. 4. Creon as a person who is better than the ordinary people in rank and mind. The writer has explained in the previous part of Analysis that Creon is intelligent in political affairs by reviewing his aim in making policy to unbury Polyneices’ body, which is to protect Thebes from the other enemies that also intend to attack Thebes. The writer also sees that Creon is intelligent due to his capability of facing difficult situation, of making hard decisions, and his capability of facing the consequences of his decisions. This thesis analyzes that Creon is a physically powerful person due to his capability in joining the hard war though he is a man in old age. He is seen as a powerful person for being supported by a strong military (the 65 Theban military) that are always ready to protect him and protect his leadership from enemies. The characteristics above make Creon better than the ordinary people with rank and mind that are above average, since not everyone can posses the characteristics above. Moreover, the fact s that he is a man and he is a king make Creon better than the ordinary people. According to Hugh Holman and William Harmon in their A Handbook to Literature (5"" edition), the tragic hero must be a person who is better than the ordinary people (1986: 506). Also, according to Aristotle, which is quoted by Walter Jackson Bate in his Criticisms: The Major Texts, the main character of tragedy must certainly be above average, whether in rank, and mind (1952: 16). It means that Creon qualifies this characteristic. Then, this thesis analyzes that by being a person who is better than the ordinary people with the characteristics above, can make him the tragic hero because of a reason. This thesis analyzes that the above-averaged characteristics make Creon an arrogant person. It means that he shows too much pride of himself due to the characteristics. This arrogance motivates Creon to underestimate the other people. The arrogance can be seen through Creon’s conversation with Haemon. Creon : You seem to have caught Antigone’s disease. Haemon: The people of Thebes don’t call it a disease. Creon : Must I ask their permission for everything? Haemon: You're talking like an adolescent now. Creon : Am] the king of Thebes or am I not? (Scene 3, 137) The above-averaged characteristics give him chances to do oppression to the other people who are considered not better than him. Then, this thesis views that this 68 whether the city well-organized or not, whether the citizens prosperous or not, it depends on Creon in ruling the city of Thebes. So, based on the explanation, it can be concluded that as a king, Creon poss ‘s significant or is being important in the city of Thebes. Creon : You can not possibly judge a ruler’s worth Until he exercises the power he’s got. I’ve no time for the man, who has full powers, Yet doesn’t use them to enact good measures, But adopts a timid policy of “do nothing”. Those aren’t my principle. I’m not the man To sit quietly by and watch my country Sliding toward the precipice of ruin. (Scene I, 125) It can be observed form Creon’s statement that since he is the king of Thebes, Creon has an importance to use his power and to make policies in order to make the city save or to avoid the city from the enemies’ attacks that can ruin the city. Then, the writer sees that being a man and being a king force Creon to possess these characteristics, such as: loyal to Thebes, too strict to the rules, arrogant, stubborn, authoritarian, self-absorbed, unwise, and male-chauvinistic. These characteristics have been explained in the previous part of this chapter. This writer views that by possessing the characteristics mentioned before, this can make him the tragic hero. Below, this thesis is going to explain how the characteristics can make him tragic hero. First, this thesis analyzes that Creon being loyal to Thebes. Besides, as a king, to put his highest respect to the city’s interests becomes a form of his loyalty to Thebes. Actually, the writer sees that ‘being a king’ forces him to stand for the nation 69 or to put the city’s interests as his priority. Or according Gilbert Norwood in his Greek Tragedy, Creon stands for the community, who loves his country with cold concentration (p. 138). This makes him ignore the other important interests, such as: the religion and family interest. Whereas, these interests also need to be concerned in too, by remembering that his role in the city is not only being a king, but also as a father and as a human being who must obey the Gods laws too. This Creon’s narrow- mindedness in defining the meaning of ‘loyal to the city’ makes him posses self- absorbed characteristic, since he only focuses on his thought or mind, and his willingness to be loyal to the city. Haemon: Don’t be too single-minded then, Don’t think that you have a complete monopoly of the truth. Isn’t it true that people who refuse To see any other point of views but theirs Often get shown up and discredited? (Scene 3, 13) Then, the writer also sees that his loyalty to Thebes turns into an obstinacy since he is never willing to listen to the other people’s advices relating to the policy he makes. Gilbert Norwood in his Greek Tragedy also states that Creon’s loyalty to the city turns into obstinacy because of his hardness and narrowness (p. 138). Second, the writer analyzes that by being a man, Creon has an important role in the city since his duty to protect Thebes from the enemies. Moreover, the societies adopt the patriarchy system that sees women as second class citizens under male- domination. This patriarchy system can be observed through Ismene’s speech. Ismene: Oh please remember, we are women, aren’t we? We shouldn’t take on men... 70 We must obey their orders, however harsh. (Prologue, 122) This fact makes Creon’s position become stronger in the societies, especially toward women. This characteristic motivates Creon to be a male-chauvinist, which is meant as a man who believes that men are superior to women. Creon : We can’t go about kowtowing to women. IfI must loose my throne, let it be a man. That takes it from me. I can’t have people saying My will has been defeated by a woman. (Scene 3,136) Third, the writer analyzes that being a king and being a man make Creon posses power and authority that are higher than the ordinary people (the citizens). This makes Creon become too much proud of himself by realizing his conditions that are much better than the other people. On other words, his status as a man and his position as a king make him arrogant. Besides, the power and the authority he has (as a man and as a king) motivate him to act in authoritarian manner. Creon’s authoritarian manner can be seen through Creon’s statement as follows. Creon : Once a man has authority, he must be obeyed. In big things and in small, in every act Whether just or not so just. (Scene 3, 136) So, this thesis analyzes that being the king of Thebes and being a man, which make him significant among the other people, also make him have importance in Thebes, actually force him to posses the characteristics have been mentioned and explained above. These characteristics, then, give him chance and power to oppress the other people, whose positions are lower than him (the citizens of Thebes), including women (by considering the fact that he is a man). Then, the oppression 73 adversity. On other words, the writer sees that the tragic event or the tragic incident he experiences is worse than he deserves. Based on McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia (24 edition), it is the fate of the hero to experience tragic incident and to suffer more than he deserves (1984: 386). This makes Creon a tragic hero. 7. Creon as a king who is neither utterly villainous nor eminently virtuous. M. H. Abrams in his A Glossary to Literary Terms says that in order to bring out the readers’ and audiences’ pity and fear, the tragic hero must be neither absolutely virtuous nor completely villainous (1985: 212). Also, according to Milly S. Barranger in her Understanding Plays, the tragic hero is a person who is not eminently good and just (1994: 723). Based on the theories above, the writer analyzes that the tragic hero is a mixture of both good and evil. It implies that a tragic hero must be a person who has good sides and bad sides since tragic hero is a human being. These bad sides can be meant as ‘weaknesses’, which are commonly possessed by a human being, because no human being is perfect. The writer sees that if the tragic hero is perfectly good or completely bad, the story will not be a tragedy. The play will be merely a common story that the readers and the audiences already know the resolution of the play, even before the play ends. Walter Jackson Bate in his Criticisms: The Major Texts paraphrases Aristotle’s’ statement. Bate says that “the downfall of the utter villain” is not tragic. This would be doubtless, satisfy the moral sense, but it would inspire neither pity nor fear, because for pity is aroused by unmerited misfortune, fear by the misfortune of a man 74 like ourselves (195: 17). On other words, the story will not be able to achieve the main goal of tragedy which is to raise the readers’ and the audiences’ pity and fear. It means that since the story does not evoke the readers’ and the audiences’ pity and fear, so they can not learn from what happen to the tragic hero. Moreover, the goal of tragedy does not stop in raising the readers’ and the audiences’ pity and fear, but according to Walter Jackson Bate in his Criticisms: The Major Texts, it offers a catharsis, which means as a ‘proper purgation’ so that their soul are cleansed after seeing or reading the play (1952: 17). The writer analyzes that Creon qualifies this characteristic because Creon is also a human being, who poss s the positive sides of human being, also negative sides of human being. His positive sides as a human being can be because of his intelligence, his nobility, his loyalty to Thebes, his love to his family, also because he is not greedy. Since no human being is perfectly good, Creon also has negative sides in himself, no matter how noble he is, how intelligent he is, or how powerful he is. It can be said that since Creon is also a human being, he has ‘weaknesses’. The writer analyzes that his ‘weaknesses’ are his arrogance, his obstinacy, his over-pride personality, his unwise personality, his narrow-mindedness, his male- chauvinist characteristic, his strictness to the rules, and his authoritarian characteristic which motivate him to make errors of judgments. And the errors of judgments cause the deaths of his beloved people (Antigone, Haemon, and Eurydice). The Chorus says that though a man (Creon) is given many abilities, talents, or intelligences, he can 75 make mistake since he is ‘only’ a human being. It implies that no human being is perfect. He must have weaknesses. Chorus: But the most brilliant gifts can be misapplied On his moral road, man swerves from side to side. (Scene 1, 128) So, from the bad events that happen to Creon, which are caused by his ‘weaknesses’, the audiences and the readers can feel pity for him. The reason is since he is a good person with his positive sides of human being, he must suffer more than he deserves. And, from the bad events or tragic incidents, which are caused by Creon’s weaknesses, the readers and the audiences will feel fear. The reason is because as human beings, they also have possibilities to experience what Creon experiences. From the horrible events experienced by Creon (the tragic hero), the readers and the audiences can learn, so that they do not do the same mistakes as Creon in their real lives. 8. Creon as a king with ‘tragic flaws’ that lead him to his ‘death’. Above, the writer has explained that Creon, as a human being, has some ‘weaknesses’ (in characteristics), that cause him make errors of judgment. And the writer sees that the errors of judgment done by Creon turn into oppression to the innocent people. What is meant by the innocent people here are the people who have lower status, have less power, less wealth, and lower authority than Creon. Based on the text, the people are the other citizens of Thebes (except Creon, of course), who are controlled by Creon since he is their king. So, the innocent people, to whom Creon does oppression, later are called as ‘the oppressed’ in this thesis. 78 The example of Creon’s oppression can be seen when he does oppression toward Antigone (the oppressed). It begins when Creon reveals a policy to unbury the body of Antigone’s brother (Polyneices), since he has betrayed Thebes by leading the Argive Army to attack Thebes. This policy becomes a trigger for Antigone to do the rebellion to Creon since she disagrees with the policy. The writer analyzes that her love to her family motivates her to do the rebellion, since she can not accept that her brother’s body is left unburied, which means that his soul can not enter the Underworld. So, she decides to give necessary purification for her beloved brother’s body. Antigone: Only that our friend Creon has decided To discriminate between our brothers’ corpses. Eteocles, he buried with full honors, To light his way to hell in a blaze of glory. But poor dear Polyneices-his remains Are not allowed a decent burial. He must be left unmourned, without a grave. A happy hunting ground for birds To peck for tidbits. (Prologue, 121)... Antigone: I intend to give my brother a burial I'll be glad to die in the attempt If it’s a crime, then it’s a crime that God commands. I then could face my brother as a friend and look him in the eyes. (Prologue, 123) The writer views that the factor, which makes Creon is able to do the oppression, by revealing the policy, since he is the king of Thebes, who has power and authority to make policies. Due he places the highest position in the city, it means that he has authority and power to control the citizens, who do not have power and authority to defy the king’s orders because of their lower status. 79 Then, the other example of the oppression done by Creon is when he reveals his second policy to punish Antigone for disobeying his policy by giving Polyneices’ body a necessary purification. Creon decides to punish Antigone by taking her to a deserted spot without food. Creon : I'll take her to a deserted spot. And bury her alive in trench. She’ ll have enough food to avoid the curse. (Scene 3, 138) The writer sees that Creon is able to do this oppression since he is the king, who has the right to make policies, and because he is a man, who dominates the society and considers women as second class citizens. The fact that Antigone is a woman, and she does a rebellion toward Creon, who is a man, also becomes a trigger for his intention to punish her. It is such a humiliation thing for him knowing that he is defied by a woman, whose position is ‘only’ as second class citizens in the society. Creon : We can’t go about kowtowing by women. IfI must lose my throne, let it be a man That takes it from me. I can’t have people saying that My will has been defeated by a woman. (Scene 3, 136) So, it can be said that Antigone is the ‘victim’ of the oppression done by Creon. That is why she becomes an appropriate character to represent ‘the oppressed’. From the issue of Antigone’s defiance toward Creon, the writer analyzes that Creon’s weaknesses can be observed from the ways how he handles the problem relating to Antigone’s defiance. From here, the readers and the audiences can apparently see his strictness to the rules, his arrogance, his obstinacy, his authoritarian characteristic, his self-absorbed characteristic, his narrow-mindedness, 80 his male-chauvinistic and his unwise characteristic, that have been explained above. Then, it should be remembered that these weaknesses in characteristic can reveal and become strong in Creon since he becomes the king of Thebes. On other words, the readers and the audiences can observe Creon’s weaknesses when Creon enters the system that drives him to be an authoritarian king with an absolute power. Next, by observing the text, the writer finds that Creon’s weaknesses encourage Creon to do oppression toward the oppressed. Then, the writer sees that the oppression brings Creon to adversity, since the oppression results in the deaths of his beloved people (Antigone, Haemon, and Eurydice). The deaths of his beloved people, of course, make Creon suffering or miserable. Then, what makes Creon more miserable is that he must face the fact that he is the one who causes the deaths of his beloved people. Or according to Sylvan Barnett, William Burto, Lesley Ferris, and Gerald Rabkin in their Types of Drama: Plays and Contexts (8'" edition), Creon suffers since he must live with the knowledge that the deaths of his beloved people, as well as Antigone, are his responsibility (2001: 87). It can be said that he must face the truth that he actually kills his beloved people. The Messenger considers that Haemon’s death is Creon’s responsibility since he has punished Antigone, which causes the suicide of Antigone. Messenger: Haemon is dead. Committed suicide. Chorus: He killed himself? His father didn’t do it? Messenger: Suicide, because Creon has murdered her (Scene 6, 147) Creon, himself, also states that the deaths of his beloved people are his responsibility as follows: 83 According to Harcourt Brace Jovanovich in his A World Enclosed: TRAGEDY, a flaw causes the hero to make some terrible mistakes and some disastrous choices (1973: 222). Based on the theory, this thesis sees that ‘being a king’ (by entering the system of absolute power) is also Creon’s tragic flaw, besides the ‘weaknesses’ above. The reason is because entering the system of absolute power drives him to be an authoritarian king. Then, by being an authoritarian king, Creon possesses the ‘weaknesses’ mentioned above, which cause his downfall that has been explained above. So, it can be said that ‘being a king’ (entering the system of absolute power) becomes Creon’s tragic flaw since it brings Creon from his prosperity to his adversity. There is still an important thing to discuss relating to the hero’s tragic flaw, which is about the concept of ‘tragic flaw’ in Ancient Greek Tragedy. In their Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama, X. J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia state that the downfall of a hero follows from his very nature (2001: 1296). It means that the tragic flaw is a part of the hero’s destiny or fate, just like his downfall. It means that the ‘flaw’ or the ‘weakness’ in tragedy can not be overcome or prevented by the hero, since it is a fate. Based on McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of World Drama, the dramatic action in tragedy was not mere theatre. It was a reflection of a Greek vision of life that encompassed man’s noble accomplishments-his power of imagination, his intelligence, poetic spirit, and sense of justice-in relationship to his weaknesses, his inability to finally order, know, or set anything right, especially in 84 conflict with the gods and his “fate” (1984: 395). The theory implies that the Greek tragedy deals with a noble’s man weaknesses, which are actually his fate. So, no matter how hard the hero tries to prevent, this is still going to happen, and actually, the hero realizes it. This also can be seen in what happen to Creon when he attempts to undo his policies by burying Polyneices’ body and to set Antigone free. It can be observed in the text that actually Creon realizes that this can not be prevented. He realizes that the disaster is going to happen in Thebes anyway. Creon : Can’t fight against what’s destined. It is hard, but P’ll change my mind. (Scene 5, 146) So, this is a sure that the hero experiences the ‘flaw’ and his downfall, since they have been his path of life to experience it. So, it can be said that the ‘weakness’ experienced by the hero is the ‘weakness by fate’. It can be concluded that the facts that Creon becomes a king, and then, he possesses the ‘weaknesses’ are his fates of his destinies. The fact that the ‘weaknesses’ encourage Creon to do the oppression, and the oppression causes the deaths of his beloved people, then this event brings to his downfall, are also Creon’s fates or destinies that he can not prevent or overcome, or according to H. D. F. Kitto in his Form and Meaning in Drama: A Study of Six Great Plays and of Hamlet, the ruin of Creon is the working of a universal law and it is ‘what would happen’ (1956: 174), Servant: My lord, what you see before your eyes- It isn’t all. You'd better come inside Creon : What fresh disaster could I suffer now? Servant: Your wife, the mother of this corpse, is dead. 85 Only a moment ago. She stabbed herself. Creon : Oh, death. Can I never wash it away? Why are you destroying me? What is your message now? Why stab me again? My wife dead too? Servant: see for yourself. They’ ve brought the body out. Creon : oh... Another blow. What else has fate in store? My wife, my son. (Scene 6, 149) Chorus’ statements below show that a destiny can not be prevented by human beings, no matter how strong they are, including by Creon. Chorus: There’s nothing can win fight against The force of destiny, nor wealth, or military might, Or city walls, or ships that breasts the sea. (Scene 4, 143) Then, by considering Creon’s oppression to the oppressed (represented by Antigone) and Creon’s tragic incidents (Creon’s downfall), the writer finds that in the end of the play, the readers’ and the audiences’ sympathy, admiration, and respect are not for Creon as the oppressor, but their sympathy, admiration, and respect are for the oppressed. The writer finds that the readers and the audiences consider that the downfall is Creon’s consequence of what he has done to the oppressed (the consequence of Creon’s oppression). The writer believes that their sympathy, admiration, and respect are for the oppressed by considering that Sophocles’ Antigone is a humanistic play (Kitto, 1984: 154). Since the play has humanity with its theme, it tends to stand for the oppressed. That is why in the play, it can be seen that Creon is portrayed as an authoritarian king with absolute power that does actions, which are considered as an insult of humanity, because the actions are forms of oppression.