I agree with you that at the end of the play I pity him because he sacrificed his family in the name of his kingdom. You also ask terrific questions which I would like to address.
I think Creon was stubborn in his decisions/actions because he was an inexperienced and lacked wisdom. He was attempting to be seen as a king as soon as he was given the title but put good sense aside to gain the respect of the people. Perhaps in seeing himself different from his brother, he thought he should do the opposite.
I totally believe he was wrong in holding his position because he did not take into consideration traditional values and the law of the gods. Though Antigone was rebellious, he did not take the time to actually listen and understand where she was coming from. Who doesn’t want to give their family member a decent burial? Antigone had her beliefs and traditions that were hard to ignore because it was her brother she was thinking about. I believe that even in present times, when a family member does something against the law, the feelings are still present though you do not agree with their actions.
Creon went wrong when he thought of the kingdom first before his family. Though one can understand that in order to be a leader he needed to exude authority; he disregarded the ties that bind (family). After all was said and done, he kept his kingdom but lost his family. What good or what did the kingdom matter if he was all alone? I think his wife was the one who gave him his last punishment – loneliness.
As a king he should have had the good sense (wisdom) to listen to the people around him but he chose instead to listen to his pride. He could have given both brothers a decent burial just because it was the right thing to do. He took the title of being a king more to heart that being human. His son pleaded with him but he ignored him and as a result, he lost what really mattered; his family.