Responsibility In Antigone Analysis

Thus, since it is impractical to use a rigid moral system, both Weber and Sophocles discuss the importance of responsibility and consequences in decision making. This conception of responsibility and consequences is significant because it differs from a utilitarian quest for “the greater good”. When considering one’s responsibilities, it is inadvisable to cause pain to the individuals that a political leader is responsible for, regardless of the total pleasure it may lead to. In the case of Antigone, Creon’s decision leads to a tragic outcome because he does not take into account the consequences of his actions. His resolve to obstinately stick to his decision is his ultimate downfall. As such, when determining culpability, Creon is responsible for the deaths of Antigone, Haemon, and his wife. Despite the fact that Creon made a decision that was in accordance with the law and the legitimacy of the throne, he failed to realize that he had a responsibility towards his family, namely his son and his wife, in addition to the people who he governed. Sophocles also depicts that Creon had a responsibility to bend to the will of God, which trumped his responsibility towards the law. In the play, Antigone informs Creon that the laws of God “ were, and shall be, Operative for ever, beyond man utterly” (Sophocles). After the tragic deaths of his wife and son, Creon is informed by the Chorus that there is “No wisdom but in submission to the gods” (Sophocles). Creon had a responsibility