Power Of Creon In Sophocles Antigone

As the king of Thebes, Creon has the ability to do anything especially enforcing any law or commanding others what he wants, and ruling other people’s lives. Sophocles uses Creon to communicate that “excessive power or ruling” can be a harm or cause evil tendencies, instead of being beneficial by his actions towards his family and citizens. The power of Creon causes him to make an unjust law followed up by a harsh punishment, threatening the one who buries Polyneices with a death penalty. Antigone thinks that Polyneices deserves a proper burial. She asks “will you come?”(Sophocles, 31) to Ismene to come join her to the proper burial because “he is [her] brother, and he is [Ismene’s] brother, too (Sophocles, 32). However, it makes Ismene “think of the danger [and] what Creon will do! (Sophocles, 33) This made Ismene think twice and doubt her actions towards Creon, even though her family member was to suffer.

Bringing up his anger, he was thinking that the sister of the same blood would do the same. He commands to go get Ismene as well, he thinks that they should be penalized the same way (death) because the misunderstood reputation against Ismene because of Antigone’s attitude and tone, wanting him to kill Ismene as well as maltreating his own innocent citizen of his city.

Creon is blinded by the excessive power generating harm to himself and his other family members. He tries to kill Antigone in front of Haemon wanting to cause pain and suffering to Haemon because Haemon was giving his opinion to Creon that he should consider and look at what problems he’s been causing, wanting to “let her die before his eyes, with her bridegroom beside her!”

(Sophocles, 621-622) The excessive authority even rules over him, wanting “death to come quickly” (Sophocles, 1028) also asking ”Are there no swords here? Has no one a blow for