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Creon Trial Statement Speech

869 Words4 Pages

Maeve Croucher
Mr. Marando
English 10 Honors
10 March 2023

Trial Statement Speech

Honored jurors, esteemed judges, and witnesses: welcome. I am very grateful for the opportunity to bring justice in this court today. As the ruler of the gods and skies, I am excited to share my wisdom and knowledge from my many years of ruling over Greece. We have gathered here today to put Creon, an innocent man, on trial for tyranny and treason. Let me make this perfectly clear: Creon’s law was not perfect. It challenged a vital Greek custom, and therefore went against the gods wishes. The punishment for this came in the form of Creon’s deceased wife, niece, and son. Despite his law’s imperfection, Creon’s law was made with good intentions, he …show more content…

He had ruled that Eteocles would receive a decorated military funeral, while Polyneices would not be buried at all. It is true to say that his law violated our custom of honoring the deceased, especially during wartime. However, he considered Polyneices a traitor for attacking Thebes and putting the kingdom at unnecessary risk. His actions threatened the safety of the kingdom, which Creon must protect, seeing it is his duty as king. When Sentry went to Creon with concerns about the law, Creon stated, “Is it your senile opinion that the gods love to honor bad men?” (Sophocles 1.1.110). Creon believed that honoring the body of a traitor would anger the gods more than following the Greek custom. He believed that he was sincerely acting in favor of the gods and doing what was expected of him. This explains the severity of Creon’s law: he wanted to maintain law and order in Thebes seeing that the kingdom was at risk of falling apart. Creon would soon learn the value of questioning his previous …show more content…

This is incorrect. Following the warning from the prophet, Creon pledged his loyalty to the gods. He spoke to Choragus, “The laws of the gods are mighty, and a man must serve them/To the last day of his life” (Sophocles 1.5.107-108). Creon finally truly understood the power of the gods and the wrong in his actions. This statement allows us to conclude that Creon has clearly learned his lesson. All of us here have had a loved one die, and understand the effects it has. Grief changes and transforms us. It is not fair to say that Creon’s punishment was insufficient and did not serve a valuable purpose, when it clearly has. Creon’s punishment was part of a plan amongst the gods: to bring him to his senses. It is not necessary to punish him further. I have shown Creon what happens when you rule thoughtlessly. Allow my decision to rest and for life to go

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