Aristotle believed that for a tragedy to truly come true, there must be a tragic villain who is completely aware of his evil but takes little pleasure in acting evil. In Antigone by Jean Anouilh, this character is Creon from the moment he is “the bad guy” in the Prologue. At the heart of Antigone's overall success is the way in which Anouilh characterizes Creon as overcoming personal, moral, or religious ethics and acting with a certain degree of political pragmatism. This rationality stems largely from his gain in responsibility and power as we see Creon become a decisive leader, before his brutal pragmatic instincts diminish towards the end of the play. This is illustrated most clearly during his power struggle with Antigone, where Anouilh uses literary techniques such as rhetorical devices to not only develop the public's perception of Creon as a pragmatist, but also to tie his political opportunism to the political context of France at the time. .Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay As the play progresses, Anouilh establishes Creon as a cynical leader, even as he holds Thebes at the forefront of every decision he makes. Anouilh opts for rhetorical devices to expose this, as when Creon says that Antigone "would do more good to Thebes than by dying, believe me", regarding giving Haemon a son. This is just one of many occasions where Creon considers the judgment of his citizens the priority and demonstrates an astute sense of persuasion. In this case, it manifests as “believe me,” as Creon uses his position of power to exert a facade of wisdom. Despite this, it is evident that Creon is confined as a leader by the same people of Thebes and is forced to act rationally to please his people, through dialogue such as "They will say it is not TRUE. That I spare my son. Nonetheless, the greatest examples of Creon's pragmatism shine through in his decision-making. For example, this occurs when Creon was unsure whether he had buried the body of Eteocles or Polyneices, but wanted to arrange what seemed a fair burial process for each brother in the eyes of the people of Thebes. This amplifies Creon's ever-present awareness of the judgment of his inferiors. While it could be interpreted that this inhibits the stubborn and willful decisions made by Creon as ruler, it certainly proves to be an indication of Creon's wisdom and a recurring feature of his pragmatism as he acts in the best heart of his people to avoid conflict. Another reason why Creon feels obliged to act rationally in his decree is that he believes that the well-being of Thebes depends only on himself, and Anouilh uses a metaphor extremely clever stretch to persuade Antigone and the audience of this. Saying, “Someone has to steer the ship.” It is letting water in from all sides,” sums up the voice of Creon, who feels desperate and vulnerable at the prospect of displeasing Thebes when “the rudder is adrift.” The sheer length of this metaphor forces the audience to realize its meaning in a broader context. He draws attention to the way in which this anxiety that surfaces in Creon not only ensures that he is presented as an hapless antagonist or as a tragic villain, who must tackle the daunting task of leading a crew that "n 'do not accept orders'. but it also adds an extra dimension to his character. We can sympathize with Créon as Anouilh exposes viewers to thebravery demonstrated by Creon, being the "someone" who must "say yes" to the task of ruling over a Thebes in turmoil as an indispensable pragmatist. Creon's pragmatic qualities which result from this self-confidence are intelligently illustrated by Anouilh through his wise and wise character. This is best illustrated when he first meets Antigone and asks her if anyone had known about Antigone's crime before formulating a well-constructed plan that would keep all parties involved satisfied. He says to Antigone “go to bed, say that you are sick, that you have not gone out since yesterday. Your nurse will say the same thing. I'm going to make these three men disappear. The way Anouilh prescribes dialogue for Creon in short, formulaic sentences based on imperative verbs such as “to go,” “to say,” and “to do” amplifies Creon’s clarity and logical thought processes. It highlights Creon's desire not only to prevent Thebes from rebelling by not hearing about Antigone's crime, but also to satisfy Antigone and therefore Haemon again. This highlights Creon's initial consistency as a utilitarian, making Creon appear as an indicator of logic and rationality in the eyes of the spectators. Therefore, we see that Creon's pragmatism could well have been the predominant quality, which would resolve his dilemma with Antigone, but rather it was Antigone who caused the conflict in the play by not cooperating with Creon's sagacity. Thus, Anouilh's pragmatism leaves the extent of Creon's ruthless and authoritarian nature open to interpretation for viewers, who may also now wonder whether Creon was actually the true antagonist of the play. Which also makes this public judgment so important. more thought-provoking is the way Anouilh creates a predetermined destiny for each character. The meta-theatrical narrator prophesies the death of anyone who rebels against Creon's orders in the Prologue, and how one day the guards will be "ordered to arrest Creon." This leaves little room for Creon to prove himself a just ruler and distract viewers from Antigone's "uncompromising purity and innocence." Nevertheless, Creon's logical reasoning and allegiance to pragmatic decree persists in his confrontation with Antigone and increases doubt as to whether or not Creon is the true antagonist of the play. This pragmatism is also of paramount importance to Antigone because it once again allows for the fulfillment of tragedy, as Creon's brutal political opportunism inevitably results in the play's climax; Antigone's punishment. However, after this confrontation with Antigone, Creon's political pragmatism fades in Antigone as he loses the decisive advantage that made him seem suitable for the daunting task of ruling Thebes. Anouilh does this by inserting hesitation into Creon's voice; “The crowd already knows…I can't go back,” where Anouilh's use of ellipses amplifies an allusion to regret in Creon's dialogue. This is associated with how Creon attempts to alleviate the guilt of Antigone's death sentence, by leaving her to die in a sealed cave. It is at these moments in the play that Anouilh opens the audience to Creon's degradation. He was once a liberated man who "loved music and beautiful buildings", but he becomes subject to the burden of Thebes as he rises to power and Anouilh's attribution of Creon's political opportunism proves insufficient to stabilize Thebes. This deterioration of Creon's principles here links to what Creon ultimately symbolizes; how he is only an “archetype linked to his time and his system.