Leaders who have absolute control tend to take their power too far, which in turn, could make things difficult for everyone. As shown in Sophocles’ play, Antigone, The leader takes his power too far, and while doing so, his kingdom, and life, starts to crumble In Antigone, the character Creon could be considered immoral because of his unwillingness to listen to others opinions and beliefs, and because he takes his power too far; but, also how he eventually makes others feel sympathetic towards him due to the loss of a few of his loved ones. Creon makes everyone aware of his ignorant and immoral ways by not listing to the beliefs of others. When it came time for him to test out his new position as ruler of Thebes, he makes a harsh decision,
Power, power can be good and bad, but which one is it used for most? Power is used badly, more than it is used in a good way. Power that is used from Antigone is bad power when creon is using it. The power Creon uses to rule and make his own rules is bad. Creon in the play Antigone, made up his own rules.
Antigone sacrifices her own life, trying to stand up in the horrible society in which she 's imprisoned. Would you do it? Oedipus has just passed away in Colonus, and Antigone and her sister decide to return to Thebes with the intention of helping their brothers. You can look at Antigone 's clash with Creon as symbolic of the larger struggle of a man. Creon relationship with Haemon demonstrate how parents assert their power in relationships with their children, and how children can lose favor with their parents.
However, in order to hide his insecurity about whether or not he is favored by his people, he portrays himself as a powerful, monarch who will stop at nothing to show his eminent power. He comes off as arrogant and merciless, demanding the respect of the people in his kingdom without actually giving them as genuine reason as to why they should give their devotion to him. The king, instead of cooperating with the people, illustrates his absolute power with demands which can be identified in the following quote: “This is my command, and you can see the wisdom behind it” (I, l. 48-49). Using the stated quote as a source, Creon's unyielding personality comes into light, and due to his lack of concern for the people's opinion, Creon begins his descent from an egotistic ruler to someone who will lose everything that is dear to
Above all else, Creon values the health of the state. Creon, having gained the throne after the recent deaths of the only two heirs, declares, “No one values friendship more highly that I; but we must remember that friends made at the risk of wrecking our ship[Kingdom] are not real friends at all” (Sophocles 945). To him, the bond between friends is inferior to the well-being of the state. Relationships that risk “wrecking our [country]” are completely meaningless. Creon’s own nephew, Polyneices, was shown not even the slightest shred of respect due to the fact that he was a traitor.
Being very stubborn is something that I try often not to do. When somebody tells me something trying to change my attitude toward something I try to listen to what their saying and not allow myself to have quick judgment about it. I don’t want to stick to what I believe even if I strongly believe in it, I would rather like to hear different aspects to a situation. I have been in situations before where someone did not want to listen to what I was saying even though I had good arguements on the topic. Many people who are very stubborn get defensive if a person argues what they believe.
n Antigone, Sophocles alludes to many Greek myths in order to accentuate how Antigone views the situation of her being punished by Creon for giving her brother the proper burial he deserved by the law of the gods and the importance of her words. Creon has decided to sentence Antigone to death for going against his words and following the laws of the gods by burying her beloved brother Polyneices. Creon’s tragic flaw is recognized when Antigone says, “How often I have heard the story of Niobe, / Tantalus’ wretched daughter, how the stone / Clung fast about her, ivy-close; and they say / The rain falls endlessly / And sifting soft snow; her tears are never done” (Sophocles 994). Niobe, queen of Thebes, was turned to stone for her belief
Again letting his untrusting self get in the way he hurt an old friend by accusing him of seeking money in exchange for his wisdom. Creon often let his untrusting nature get the better of him, and this caused him to make choices that would weaken relationships between some of his closest allies. To conclude, in the play Antigone Creon, the ruler of Thebes, had his core values impact his choices which led to his entire family's fatalities. Creon's hatred for traitors played a bug role in these choices. Also impacting Creon's choices greatly was his valuing his beloved city more than he valued his
In the short story titled “Antigone,” the author portrays Creon as a tragic hero by displaying flaws in Creon's character shown throughout the story. Creon’s character contains many flaws which lead to many problems. His decisions end up deciding the fates of his son, his wife, and Antigone. Creon finally realizes that what he has done is sinful to the gods. He has put his own pride over the appreciation of the gods.
Sophocles’ play Antigone dramatizes the conflict between competing, but perhaps equally legitimate, forms of authority and power. One side is embodied by Creon, the king of Thebes, who believes that adherence to the laws of the state is paramount, even if they are in contrast with the wishes of the gods. Opposing Creon is Antigone, who advocates for divine justice and proper family roles. Tiresias, the prophet, convinces Creon that by failing to properly bury Polynices and for imprisoning Antigone, he has angered the gods and cursed his family. Tiresias’ role in society is the reason that only he has the authority to dissent against Creon and sway his opinion when he would disregard everyone else’s.
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.
In Sophocles's epic play Antigone, Creon is a leader who is too prideful and his hubris is the reason of his downfall. Creon’s fatal flaw is his hubris. Creon’s downfall includes the loss of his family and losing the trust from the people of Thebes. Pride will always be a problem.
1. In the play Antigone why is Ismene’s idea of justice (justice is obeying the laws of the land made by the king) wrong? Ismene’s idea of justice is very wrong.
Leaders are powerful people who prove their ability to assist others. Throughout the years, humanity attempts to have an upright, yet rigorous, rule. Great leaders have induced goals that represent the needs of both the leader and their people. In Antigone, a play written by Sophocles, the examination of the legitimacy of Creon’s rule, shows that Creon is not an effective leader through his inability to listen to his people, his rule through fear, and incapacity to support his family or people.
How would you feel if you were locked away to rot by one of your own family members because you did something they didn’t approve of? In Sophocles play, Antigone, this is just the case for the niece of Creon, King of Thebes. After getting word that her “own two brothers [...] slaughtered one another and brought about their common doom” (Sophocles 318), Antigone is distraught. What makes her infuriated is when she learns that her uncle, Creon, has decided that one of her brothers, Eteocles, will receive a proper burial and be honored while the other brother, Polyneices, will receive no burial and be remembered as a traitor. Soon after, Antigone takes action and performs a secret burial and ritual on her dead brothers corpse, but she is also
Why do people do things? Why are laws created, laws broken, and crimes committed? Behind every action is a motive. In Sophocles’ work of art Antigone, there are many possible motives for the character’s actions. Creon forbids Polyneices burial, sentences Antigone to death, locks Antigone in a stone chamber, and decides to free Antigone because his motives are to be a liked by the Greek Gods and the people of Thebes.