Antigone

             "The mighty words of the proud are paid in full with mighty blows of fate, and at long last those blows will teach us wisdom." Illustrated in this final quote of Antigone, the underlying theme for this tragedy is that excessive pride leads to a gain of knowledge and inevitably sorrow. Enforcing this idea is the relationship between Creon, the king of Thebes, and his son Haemon in that their struggles exemplify the destructive effects pride can have on an individual. .
             ".I"ll raise a mound for him, for my dear brother." Upon dying in an attempt to invade Thebes and usurp the kingship there, Polyneices, brother to Antigone, was left to rot in the fields having died as a traitor. Devotion to her brother and beliefs that her actions would be held sacred by the gods drove Antigone to attempt a proper burial for Polyneices. Ignoring the decree forbidding this action, Antigone was caught and later punished as a traitor. ".not out of fear of some man's wounded pride." Declaring the laws of the gods to be superior to those of a prideful king, Antigone professes her motivation to please the heavens despite the rulings set forth by man. Upon being brought into the scene as a culprit of Antigone, Ismene states "What? You"d kill your own son's bride?" In reality, Creon is so absorbed in his own interests and pride, he would never appear inferior to a woman even if it meant killing Antigone, Haemon's bride, by closing her in a stone tomb to die. .
             Haemon's support and respect towards his father is highlighted in the quote "No marriage could ever mean more to me than you." Accolades are given by Creon for this and he goes so far as to say his son should be "subordinate to [his] father's will in every way." Creon protests that good judgment should never be sacrificed for a woman and ".it all goes cold in your arms." Foreshadowing the nearing misery Haemon will suffer, this quote again emphasizes Creon's complete lack of respect for women and his self-interest.