who seems fated, like Cassandra, never to have his prophesies believed. Indeed, Creon's arrogant dismissal of Tiresias is eerily similar to that of Oedipus in the earlier play, with the same allegations of corruption. Thechorus warns Creon against disregarding Tiresias as soon as he has departed, and even Creon admits that Tiresias's record of accuracy troubles him.

When Haemon is dead, Creon curses his own "blind heart" which has brought him to "final darkness." These phrases are telling, since they contrast Tiresias's physical blindness with what we might call "emotional blindness" on the part of Creon. Tiresias's blindness means that he has to be led into the King's presence by a boy, and it is significant that after the death of Eurydice, Creon asks to be led away like a blind man, as he has no more strength to bear himself up.

The irony of Creon's forbidding Haemon to marry Antigone "while she lives" is, of course, another instance of his blindness. He does not see that Haemon values Antigone more than life itself. Like Oedipus, he is brought to insight and understanding through suffering at the end of the play, since he himself no longer values life after the deaths of Haemon and Eurydice. He can therefore ultimately see the world from his son's point of view.

In Antigone, just like in the rest of the Theban trilogy, the theme of being able to "truly see" is ever-present. The kings of Thebes are typically myopic, and Creon is no exception. This is ironic considering how clearly he was able to clearly find fault with Oedipus, who also was a leader who allowed his hubris to get the better of him.

This hubris manifests itself in a blatant denial of the message of Tiresias which, in this particular play, is an extension of the will of the gods themselves. Creon denies the relationship of Antigone and Haemon with outright refusal. So insistent is he on his own will that he condemns the well-meaning Antigone to a more horrible fate than the brother she was trying to honor. It is entirely possible that Creon had come to regret his decision to leave Polyneices on the battlefield as carrion. However, so intense is his pride that he will defend the decision, even in the face of divine punishment.

It is ironic indeed that the blind prophet Tiresias can "see" more clearly what needs to be done than the stubborn Creon. Though Tiresias may be blind in a literal sense, Creon is metaphorically blind, and it's this blindness to the consequences of his actions that will ultimately bring death and disaster upon himself and his family. Creon is so stubborn, so full of vengeful pride, that he's lost sight of the importance of honoring the gods. Tiresias, who's lost his physical sight, understands this all too well, and constantly warns Creon of the dangers of his present course of action.

Creon's son Haemon is engaged to Antigone. But as Antigone has blatantly defied Creon by attempting to bury the corpse of her brother Polyneices, Creon forbids his son from marrying her. The significance of this is that it shows that Creon is putting his own selfish needs above those of his family as well as his city. In both cases, the consequences will be disastrous.

The blind prophet Teiresias warns Creon ,who can physically see but is figuratively blind to the consequences of his decisions, that by ignoring the laws of the gods, he will bring tragedy upon his family. Creon ignores Teiresias warning and his predictions do come true. His niece is dead, his son and wife are dead and he loses his power because of Creon's hubris or pride would not allow him to change a decree he made concerning Polyneices. The motif of blindness becomes important because a blind prophet wisely tries to warn Creon of his downfall, yet Creon believes he can "see" what's better for the state than a prophet whose predictions have come true many times. Even when Haemon asks that Antigone's life be spared, Creon's answer is a cold "you'll never marry her..." Thus Haemon commits suicide to end his father's power over him.

Blindness versus sight is a motif that appears in all three of the Oedipus plays—Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone. The motif is enhanced by the appearance of the blind seer-prophet, Teiresias, who plays a major role in two of the three plays, Oedipus Rex and Antigone.

In all three plays, major characters refuse to acknowledge—they refuse to "see"—the consequences of their actions, even when seemingly everyone around them is aware of what that particular character cannot see or simply refuses to accept.

This is true of Oedipus in Oedipus Rex and Creon in Antigone. To a lesser extent, characters outside the action of Oedipus at Colonus, specifically Oedipus's sons Polynices and Eteocles, are blind to the consequences of their civil war over the throne of Thebes, which their self-blinded father can see. Polyneices and Eteocles are also unaware of the curse that Oedipus pronounces against them that seals their fate.

In Antigone, Creon's tragic flaw is one of excessive pride (hubris). His pride blinds him to the violations of unwritten laws of the gods and the immorality of his decree that Polyneices must not be buried. Pride also blinds him to the consequences of such a decree for his own family and for the community of Thebes as a whole.

Antigone's tragic flaw is not her pride or her prideful obstinance. Antigone's tragic flaw, if she actually has one, is a compelling need—in this one instance only— to confront the prevailing, established order.

This violates one of the enduring principles of Ancient Greek life: moderation in all things. In defying Creon's decree, Antigone appears to be acting immoderately. It appears that Antigone is rebelling against the prevailing power structure, as represented by Creon and his decree against burying Polyneices.

In fact, Antigone is upholding a longstanding moral and ethical tradition among the Greeks and virtually all other civilizations that requires burial of the dead, even the enemy's dead. It's actually Creon who is acting immoderately in forbidding Polyneices's burial, and it is Creon who is defying the established order.

Antigone isn't blind to the consequences of her actions or to her fate. She knows exactly what's going to happen to her. In fact, she welcomes it. She can finally escape the "curse of Oedipus" and be welcomed into the afterlife by her family, and by the gods, whose laws she upheld even at the cost of her life. Antigone doesn't want to die, but she accepts her fate as a consequence of doing what she believes is morally right and wholly justified in the eyes of the gods.

Creon remains blinded by his pride to the consequences of his decree to leave Polyneices unburied and his death sentence on Antigone until the consequences of his actions are absolutely spelled out for him by Teiresias.

TEIRESIAS. O King, thy willful temper ails the State...

Therefore the angry gods abominate
Our litanies and our burnt offerings...

Know then for sure, the coursers of the sun
Not many times shall run their race, before
Thou shalt have given the fruit of thine own loins
In quittance of thy murder, life for life...

What these have suffered thou shalt suffer too....

For, yet a little while,
And sound of lamentation shall be heard,
Of men and women through thy desolate halls;
And all thy neighbor States are leagues to avenge
Their mangled warriors who have found a grave
I' the maw of wolf or hound, or winged bird
That flying homewards taints their city's air.

Only then, when confronted with the dire consequences of his hubris and the effect of his actions on the people of Thebes and on his own family, does Creon finally "see" the enormity of his mistakes in judgment that were caused by his pride.

Creon rushes to the cave where Antigone was walled up to die, but he arrives too late. Antigone has already hanged herself. Creon's son, Haemon, tries to kill Creon, then kills himself. Creon's wife, Eurydice, kills herself when she hears about the death of Haemon.

CHORUS. Yea, king...Vengeance of the gods
Is swift to overtake the impenitent.