Antigone As A Corrupt Leader

Creon, King of Thebes in Antigone, may be best known to the reader as a tyrant who refuses to recognize the familial bond that Antigone has with her fallen brother. The reader is able to truly see how much of a tyrant he is by his most obvious character flaw, his pride. Though Creon may be the strict ruler that Thebes needs after they have just recently started to overcome a state of

Her blatant disrespect and sarcasm toward Creon shows how she really feels toward him. Antigone does not respect Creon as the king of Thebes. This gets further proved when Antigone says, “It wasn’t Zeus, not in the least, who made this proclamation–not to me” (Sophocles Antigone, 499-500). This is a very telling moment for the reader, Antigone is saying she did not listen to Creon’s decree not only because she does not respect him, but also she will only listen to the gods rules. This moment tells Creon that Antigone will never respect him as a ruler. Antigone is very stubborn, and when she is very passionate she will speak her mind, “And if my present actions strike you as foolish, let's just say I’ve been accused of folly by a fool” (Sophocles Antigone, 523-5). In these few lines she is talking to Creon about how she does not regret burying her brother. She tells Creon, the person who holds her fate in his hands, that he is a fool. Antigone’s hubris finally comes back to ruin her, “We took his orders, went and searched, and there in the deepest, dark recesses of the tomb we found her… hanged by the neck in a fine linen noose” (Sophocles Antigone, 1344-7). The ‘her’ the messenger is speaking of is Antigone. Antigone is so prideful and spiteful her last act on Earth was a smug reminder to Creon that if she was going to die it would be on her own terms, by her own hand. Antigone is one character that perfectly showcases how hubris can lead to ultimate demise.

Saint Augustine once said, “It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels” (Saint Augustine). In the human brain, one’s pride can quickly switch to arrogance. It was King Creon’s own pride, in Antigone, that lead to his downfall. Thinking he was superior to those surrounding him, he ignored advice and criticism. He never let himself feel that humility and was blinded of the fact that he was nothing but correct. It was the citizens under his ruling that were thinking incorrectly. Antigone begins once King Creon takes power of the kingdom of Thebes, replacing Polyneices and Eteocles. He stretches his rights as ruler by declaring Polyneices a traitor and denies him the right to a proper funeral. Out of rebellion,

Even though Antigone exhibits a blamable pride and a hunger for glory, her disobedience is less serious than those of Creon. It is evident that Antigone’s actions are driven by a love for her brother, and a desire to please the gods. While Creon’s actions are

Antigone's tragedy was a story that is unbearable, and horrific when it is fully understood in the sense of the magnitude of all of the factors that came together to form a fragile, problematic situation. The joint murder of her brothers that was committed against each other, they turned against each other, driven by the lust for power and control. An opinion about how and why the conflict began, is that megalomania was an overwhelming aspect of the provocateur. Creon’s choice between honoring one brother and leaving the other to decompose shamefully with no honor at all. The way these enabling events led to the formation of a partially self-detrimental plan by Antigone, who was appalled that a decision such as that could've even been considered, much less imposed. For her to deal with the turn of events in such a quick succession can be seen as cruel and unbearable, which is one of the aspects

Antigone however is more prideful than Creon and unlike Creon, Antigone’s pride directly cause her down fall. “Your edict, King, was strong, but all your strength is weakness itself against the immortal unrecorded laws of God. They are not merely now; they were, and shall be, operative forever, beyond man utterly.” (Page 823, scene 2, lines 60-64) This quote describes Antigone’s hubris. Antigone believes that she knows what the will of the gods is and that she’s following it. She thinks Creon as “just a man” who believes that he can and is surpassing the gods. Antigone however “knows” that Creon is under the gods. Antigone also believes that if her action (of burying Polyneices) “means death, it will not be the worst of deaths- death without honor.” (Page 817, Prologue, lines 80 and 81) Antigone is almost “obsessed” with getting an honorable death as she thinks that dying by trying to bury Polyneices is

The play Antigone, written by Sophocles, is a tragedy about Antigone, who defies the king’s order of her brother’s burial after. She shows her strength by using morality and the laws from the gods, not Creon. He is the new king, who became hungry for power and was being obstinate to everyone that wanted to just do what is open-minded. However, characters like Haemon, acts as a foil character to him and wants to do what’s right and just, brings out Creon’s tragic flaws of stubborness, and advances the plot with his conflicts relating to the king.

The brave Burmese politician Aung San Suu Kyi once said, “It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it.” (Brainyquotes.com) Aung San Suu Kyi statement explains Creon, the king of Thebes in Sophocles’ play Antigone to the furthest extent. Creon’s constant paranoia about the safety of his enfant regime is his fatal flaw. Antigone depicts the dangers of power and the importance of family, and illustrates Creon’s rule over the city of Thebes. Creon takes power over the city after their previous ruler died in battle. Thebes is riven by the tragedy of their previous king’s death and Creon needed to make sure that the people were loyal to his regime. One decree that he made was that the previous king’s

Dignity or Corruption? Pride can either lead people or corrupt them. Sometimes pride even leads people’s decisions for the worst. Within Antigone by Sophocles pride gets in the way of the law of the gods.

Antigone and Creon adhere to different value systems, Antigone’s religiously rooted values versus Creon’s politically centered life. Creon displayed the very legalist perspective of classical leaders, the belief that following through with civil law and enforcing strict punishments would maintain a prosperous society. Polynices, the unburied brother of Antigone, fought against Thebes which made him undeserving of a grave. Creon, being closed minded towards anarchists, lashed out before he could foresee the end result. ”Anarchy!- show me a greater crime in all the earth!” (751-52). After watching the fall of Oedipus’ power, Creon endorses and insists upon strict laws to prevent anyone like Antigone to speak out against him. Antigone’s actions

A person of authority is almost always responsible for making decisions, which influence those which he has power over. This seems to be the case in “Antigone,” as Creon, king of Thebes, is in charge of choosing what is right not only for himself, but

In the story there was a lot of conflicts and many differences, Antigone believed in family honor and divinity of the gods. She believed that anybody that dies in their family should be buried or their whole family would be cursed by the gods. Meanwhile in the story, Creon only believes in himself, and upholding the good for the city. He also believes that he is well above the gods, and that they are a threat to his ruling. Not only did Antigone believe in honoring

Caley 1William CaleyBarnes Dramatic Literature12 January 2018Antigone vs. CreonIn the play “Antigone”, Antigone and Creon can be thought of as a tragic hero. Antigone can be thought of as a tragic hero because she always thought of others before herself. She allowed herself to die because she buried her brother. They both did things they wanted to do and they didn't let anyone stop them. The first thing Creon did in Antigone was declare a harsh law. He declared that Polyneices body will not be buried and left out to rot and anyone who buries it will be stoned to death. First, Creon is the tragic hero in the play “Antigone” because he is a leader and has good reason for his laws and punishments. By the end of

In the drama Antigone, Sophocles considers the source of authority and power in society. When King Creon makes a law that forbids the burial of Antigone's brother, Polynices, she ignores the king’s authority, risks her life, and buries her brother out of loyalty to the gods. The situation leads to a conflict among the people of Thebes, Antigone, and Haemon. They must decide where their loyalty lies, and whose authority should take precedence, that of the king or that of the gods. While a number of views about the role of authority and power are expressed through characters such as Creon, Antigone, and Haemon, the drama seems to support the view that authority does not rest only with one person.

Tyranny and immorality are key notions presented in Antigone when referring to justice. In this play, Creon is presented to be a tyrannical and irrational ruler, while Antigone rejects this system and ultimate dies because of it. Creon views leadership in a selfish, immoral manner. When speaking to his son about his rule, he states, “The state is his who rules it, so ‘tis held”