What is Creon's tragic flaw in Antigone?

Creon is arguably the most tragic figure in Antigone, going from a powerful king to a man bereaved of everyone he ever loved due to his own arrogance. His tragic flaw is his pride, which makes him believe he can defy the will of the gods and basic decency towards his fellow human beings.

Creon's pride is what inspires him to pass unjust laws regarding the body of Polynices, Antigone's brother. After trying to depose his brother Eteocles when he would not step down from the throne after the allotted period, Polynices revolted, only for both brothers to end up dead. Creon orders that Polynices not be buried properly, thus dooming his soul to never find the afterlife. Antigone rebels against this cruel decree, burying her brother properly.

Creon's pride prevents him from seeing how both his law and his attempt to do "justice" by executing Antigone are unnecessary and cruel. He thinks only of the need for order within the state. He is willing to do whatever he believes it takes to make everyone remain at peace, even though this means hurting the people he loves, including his own son, who is in love with Antigone and certainly does not want her killed. In the end, Creon sees his mistakes for what they are too late, and his pride isolates him from everyone he once loved, leaving him only with the emptiness of power.

In Antigone, what quotes show Creon's tragic flaws?

The term "tragic flaw" is not really one that can be pluralized. It is actually a somewhat misunderstood English translation of the Greek term "hamartia" that was used by the philosopher Aristotle to describe a pattern in the plot of Greek tragedies.

The word "hamartia" derives from the verb "hamartein," meaning to miss or stray from a path. It is used in Homer of arrows or projectiles missing their marks and carries with it the sense of a mistake that cannot be taken back or undone, like an arrow fired in a slightly wrong direction that cannot be returned to the bow. In Aristotle, it means a defect of character that leads to some irrevocable bad judgment or decision. It does not simply mean any random vices, as part of what makes a character a good tragic protagonist is greatness and nobility of character, for without some element of greatness and admiration, the audience would not experience fear and pity at the character's downfall.

The major flaw in Creon's character which leads to his bad decision to wall away Antigone in the cave is hubris, overwhelming pride that leads him to overstep the boundaries of acceptable behavior. His notion of his own excessive power is expressed in his statement of what creates justice: "The State is his who rules it, so 'tis held." Creon's clinging to his own sense of ego and pride rather than thinking through the merits of the particular situation is shown in the following quotation:

Go down below and love, if love you must—love the dead! While I’m alive, no woman is going to lord it over me.

In Antigone, what quotes show Creon's tragic flaws?

The many flaws in Creon's character are all related to his willful disregard of the Greek sense of the "higher order" that governs proper behavior.

Creon's hubris is tied directly to his stubborn and short-sighted insistence that the concerns of the king and the concerns of the state are of greater importance than the concerns of the gods. In this way, Creon puts himself above the gods, overturning the natural order - the higher order - that gives structure to life (according to the philosophy at work in the play). 

One way to understand the major themes of the play and Creon's role within the play is to look at the two types of morality that are in conflict in Antigone. Creon defines one morality as being aligned with the integrity of the state and its laws. (Burying Polyneices and/or allowing his burial is immoral because it will undermine the laws of the state and so weaken the social order.) Antigone defines another morality as being aligned with the will of the gods. (She must bury her brother, no matter what the state says, because this is the only moral thing to do. Burying Polyneices is the only way to maintain the integrity of a natural order that puts the gods above mankind.)

This theme of laws in conflict is conveyed as a subtle question at the end of Scene I, as the chorus speaks.

"O fate of man, working both good and evil!

When the laws are kept, how proudly his city stands!

When the laws are broken, what of his city then?"

The question becomes then which laws are to be kept? Which laws are most important? Whose morality is the "true" morality - that of Antigone or that of Creon? The fact that Creon seems to revere himself in his position of king fuels the outrage that he represents; a man fearful of his position sets himself above the gods who are quite secure in theirs. This is the folly that Tiresias tries to warn Creon about, but Creon is blind to all warnings.

Ultimately, Antigone is on the side of the true morality of the play. She is on the side of the gods. Creon's tragic flaw is his unwillingness to yield to Antigone's virtue. He refuses to even see her virtue and refuses to accept the honest assessment of the situation that Tiresias gives him. 

"His refusal to bend to the will of the gods effectively ruins his life" (eNotes).

Seen in this light, Creon's tragic flaw is displayed every time he defends his decision, whether he is speaking to the sentry, Antigone or Tiresias. The chorus speaks clearly of this flaw in Ode II. 

"What mortal arrogance

Transcends the will of Zeus?"

What are Creon's fatal flaws in Antigone?

Creon is certainly the tragic figure in Antigone. As such, he is beset by a fatal flaw. In the case of Creon, his fatal flaw is his hubris. When he is visited by Tiresias, he thinks that the prophet is corrupt and has been paid off to suggest that Polyneices should receive a proper burial and that Antigone should not be buried alive. It is clear that Creon's judgement is being clouded, as Tiresias did not insist that Antigone should live, only that the method of execution had displeased the gods.

Creon is also extraordinarily self-assured and self-centered. He even goes as far to exclaim "The State is King!" when Tiresias is interceding on behalf of the gods. This implies that Creon considers his own will to be higher than the will of the gods. When sentencing Antigone to her horrible fate, he seems to have very little regard that his own son is meant to marry her. Of course, as with most tragic figures, Creon only realizes the error of his ways when it is much too late.

What are Creon's fatal flaws in Antigone?

Pride

Creon's chief flaw, and ultimately his downfall, lies in his refusal to admit that he is wrong. By the time that he does, it is already too late to save Antigone. He only admits to his pride at the very end, when he decides to free Antigone.

Creon: That is true…. It troubles me. Oh it is hard to give in! but it is worse to risk everything for stubborn pride.

Selfishness

Creon doesn't think of his son, who is engaged to Antigone, or his son's happiness. He justifies his actions to Haimon by telling him that she wouldn't have been good for him in the end.

Creon: So you are right
Not to lose your head over this woman. Your pleasure with her would soon grow cold, Haimon,
And then you’d have a hellcat in bed and elsewhere. Let her find her husband in Hell!

Anger 

During Creon's argument with his son, Haimon, he allows his anger to cloud his reason. He even childishly repeats Haimon's question to make his own point.

Creon: Then she is not a criminal?

Haimon: The City proposes to teach me how to rule?

Creon: And the City proposes to teach me how to rule?

Haimon: Ah. Who is it that’s talking like a boy now?

Hypocrisy

Creon professes to be a leader who is committed to doing the right thing for the people. However, he allows himself to be corrupted by his own biases and desires. He expresses the following value during his initial monologue:

Creon: I say to you at the very outset that I have nothing but contempt for the kind of Governor who is afraid, for whatever reason, to follow the course that he knows is best for the State....

Creon's professed values as a leader contrast with the way he actually led, which caused dissent among his people. His anger and pride blinded him to the reality that he made the wrong choice until it was too late. His selfish behavior ultimately led to the death of Antigone, Haimon, and Euridice.

What are Antigone's tragic flaws?

Given the very restricted role of women in the culture of fifth-century Athens, it is remarkable that so many Greek tragedies feature women in a central role: Medea, Andromache, Electra, Hecuba, Helen and, of course, Antigone. This does not mean, however, that these women necessarily fit the strict Aristotelian definition of a tragic hero. There has been much dispute over whether Creon or Antigone is the hero of Antigone. Hegel famously described the play as a conflict between right and right, suggesting that they might both be heroic.

In fact, Antigone and Creon do have very similar characters and, arguably, the same tragic flaw: stubbornness. They are both willing to go to insane lengths for the sake of a principle. Ismene, who is the voice of reason, complains that Antigone cares more for the dead than the living. One might, therefore, say that her fault is family loyalty or a sense of duty. This is what she would say herself. These, however, are virtues, not flaws. Antigone's tragic flaw is that she carries these principles beyond all reason and clings to them stubbornly when any sensible person would yield. Precisely the same is true of Creon in his loyalty to the state.