A well-known proverb states, “Pride comes before the fall of man.” Pride is the deadly sin of superiority that breeds conceit and arrogance and is the most known characteristic of a poor leader. No literary piece better illustrates this point than Sophocles’ classic story, Antigone. In this tragic story, King Creon of Thebes is a prideful monarch who rules with an unyielding approach. Due to his arrogance and excessive pride, he is unwilling to abide by the laws of the gods, disregards the advice of others and is unable to see the errors of his own ways until it costs him everything.
In ancient Greece, monarchs and citizens alike sought to honor the gods and obey their laws, for acts of dishonor could result in the gods punishing them harshly. According to Greek tradition, and in honor of the gods’ commands, all Greek dead are to be mourned and honored by proper burial. Antigone, the story’s central character and namesake, who is also Creon’s niece, attempts to honor this divine law by tending to the corpse of her dead brother, Polyneikes – a political enemy of the king who was killed while attempting to overtake Thebes. Because of his pride, Creon prohibits anyone from attending to the body of Polyneikes. Antigone defends her actions by saying, “It…
/ A foolish, impulsive man / who killed you, my son, mindlessly, / killed you as well, my wife.” (1500-1502). Pride is a fatal character flaw of a poor leader and leaders who fail to control their pride will meet demise. That’s not a guess, it’s a guarantee. With pride, it’s not a matter of “if” we will fall, but “when.” There are no exceptions. In the wise words of Leader: “Good sense is crucial / to human happiness. / Never fail to respect the gods, / for the huge claims of proud men / are always hugely punished— / by blows that, as the proud grow old, / pound wisdom through their…
