This passage from one of Creon’s speeches to Antigone in Jean Anouilh’s Antigone illustrates the views of people with power on people who don’t have power. When a person is given power, such as Creon they will tend to view people who don’t differently than ones who do. Creon also shows that he has preconceived views of Antigone, who he talks a lot about during this passage. After explaining the context of this passage , it will be analyzed by the following salient details: Jean Anouilh 's vision of the world, the character of Creon, the use of repetition, the conflict of Man versus Man. There will also be echos from things earlier in the play that will be discussed.
YOUR TITLE GOES HERE “A city which belongs to just one man is no true city,” (Lines 812,813) Haemon informs Creon, his father, to show that he cannot run a city without the ideas and opinions of others. There are many different ways to view this play and many different people visualize it in a different way, but in the play Antigone the themes Love and Betrayal are used carefully together to create Creon’s tragic hero. The events that occurred initially exposed Creon’s selfishness, megalomania, and anger which is showed throughout the play.
People don’t always listen to the right thing. One time I told my brother to stop hanging from the basketball hoop because one day it was going to fall over because it wasn’t a very heavy basket ball hoop and he would get hurt, but he didn’t listen to me and broke his arm; kinda like creon did, creon did not listen to antigone about burying her brother with a proper burial and when the city started talking about him and antigone buried the body probably would have felt like the equivalent to my brother breaking his arm in his eyes. Creon is very quick to anger because he doesn’t let anyone speak, doesn’t let anyone that thinks their mind speak about them. Creon is very selfish and wants everyone to think what he want them to think. I will be writing about creon and him being full of himself, thinks people only thinks what he thinks, and follows rules and only if it is his rules.
In the Greek tragic play, Antigone written by Sophocles, Creon, the king of Thebes is a very selfish, untrusting king. In the play, Creon orders that the body of Polynices shouldn’t be buried because he is a trader of Thebes. Though, many other people feel that Polyneices body should be buried. Creon would not take advice from anyone, and he believes his opinion is the only thing that matters. Creon is a misanthrope in the play, and as a consequence is not properly suited to be a good king of Thebes.
Creon and Antigone represent the madness in the world when a certain aspect of life is taken to the extreme. Their thoughts were unchangeable and its only consequence was the destruction of their lives. In Sophocles’ Antigone, a classic Greek tragedy that draws a parallel between claims of state and familial loyalty; both the aspects are brought to life. Where Antigone singles out the private sphere of life, Creon puts weight upon the political sphere. Where Antigone was a devotee of divine law, Creon came across as a supporter of the human law.
In the play Antigone, written by Sophocles, burial customs of the ancient Greeks play an extensive role. The women of the family perform the burial rites, and believed that if their distinct methods were not followed, the soul is destined to suffer between worlds until the correct rites were performed. Antigone, the sister of Polynices and Eteocles, is aware of this and is not going to stand by and let her brother, Polynices, linger between worlds in pain, after being killed by Eteocles. With her ambition and determination she does the deed, and of doing so she follows the god's laws, but breaks Creon’s laws in the midst of it. Creon is also aware of the burial rites but still decides, through his stubbornness, that Polynices shall not be performed these rites, because of his actions against Thebes.
“Whatever my hands have touched has come to nothing. Fate has brought all my pride to a thought of dust,” are the last words in the play said by Creon. This statement shows that a powerful king of Thebes once had fallen apart. In the play “Antigone,” written by Dudley Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald as Antigone as the protagonist and Creon as the antagonist, it is clear that Creon was cast away in distress, misery, and sorrow. By reading this play I was able to get a depth insight of several of the characters, question the norms of society I live in today and analyze the specific relationship between Antigone and Creon.
Gary Mottershead once said, “ A bad system, can destroy good people.” Throughout the world, we can see leaders progressively gaining more control each year, and it isn’t a good thing.. Powerful leaders can evoke a state of fear, and create destruction. In “Antigone”, Creon, the new king of Thebes, uses his power in a negative way, to use the people’s fear against them.
In the classic play by Sophocles, Antigone is a tragic story of the bold Antigone who defied her uncle, King Creonʻs, edict by burying her brother, Polyneices, who died attacking the city of Thebes, trying to take the power away from their brother, Eteocles, who refused to share the throne with Polyneices. Even though Antigone knew that going against Creon and burying her brother would not end well for her, she still choose to risk her life to do what is right. After being caught breaking the law, Antigone is appointed to be locked away, isolated in a cave until she dies, but she hangs herself at the end. At the same time, things for Creon are not looking good, as everyone around him seems to be against him in his decision for punishing Antigone. Everyone Creon cares about kills themselves from a curse that is put on Creon for not following the Godsʻ laws.
“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely” said historian Lord Acton. In Sophocles’ Antigone, Oedipus the King of Thebes newly departs after disgracing his people, and his successors to the throne, Polynices and Eteocles die in battle, thus leaving his brother Creon to inherit his throne. From the beginning, Creon uses his newfound power to impose excessive punishments against not only the people of Thebes, but also his family. As a result, the Thebans recognize his abuse of power, and express their fears through not only the chorus, but also his son. To finalize his play, Sophocles exposes how Creon uses his power to manipulate the hierarchy in Greek society; consequently offending the gods.
Antigone and the city’s rights are not made fairly and obeyed equally by all people. Creon uses his power to make choices that put him above everyone. Antigone’s rights and fate depends on Creon’s actions and proclamation. In Sophocles Antigone, Antigone faces harsh consequences for her actions throughout the story.. Why is Antigone going to lose her life?
Correspondingly, Creon's bona fide adherence to the laws of man is evident in the defense for his resolute actions. In the conversation aforementioned between Haemon and Creon, the latter defends his decision by declaring it is to "respect his own authority". As in his opinion, a respected ruler who is in the early stages of establishing authority must be uncompromising and resolute in making decisions. Creon rejects using divine laws to rule his people for they are irrational, and trusts that solely following man made laws will he be able to guarantee a peaceful and prosperous existence for his city. Creon says that the laws enacted by the city’s leader "must be obeyed, large and small, / right and wrong."