Greek plays were performed as part of religious ceremonies, and their goal was to teach the audience valuable lessons. In Antigone, Creon is guilty of extreme pride and stubborn arrogance. By refusing to bury Polyneices, Creon has defied the gods. Despite warnings from Antigone and the wise prophet Teiresias, Creon will not repent, humble himself, and admit he made a mistake.
Eurydice is Creon’s wife, mother of Haemon. At the climax of the play we learn that Antigone has hanged herself and Haemon killed himself after attempting to kill his father. Eurydice overhears the messenger delivering this news and rushes to her room, where she curses her husband as she commits suicide.
This is the final blow for Creon. He was already grieving over the deaths of Antigone and Haemon. He fully realized that he was to blame because of his pride. When Eurydice dies cursing him, Creon sinks into complete despair. He has lost both his wife and son, the two people whom he loves more than any other. If Eurydice had lived perhaps Creon could have managed to carry on. But her death, especially when she died hating him, leaves him with no hope for the future. He begs for death himself.
“Oh, let it come, let it appear, that fairest of fates for me, that brings my last day,-aye, best fate of all! Oh, let it come, that I may never look upon to-morrow's light… Lead me away, I pray you; a rash, foolish man; who have slain thee, ah my son, unwittingly, and thee, too, my wife-unhappy that I am! I know not which way I should bend my gaze, or where I should seek support; for all is amiss with that which is in my hands,-and yonder, again, a crushing fate hath leapt upon my head.”
Creon learns his lesson about pride too late.
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