Moral Lessons in Antigone

Creon then shows that he has let the power go to his head by refusing advice of an elder. “Stop- before you make me choke with anger- the gods! You, you’re senile, must you be insane? To prove his final act of power Creon informs his son that the person who buried Polynices is his fiancé Antigone and that he will kill her to make an example of his power to all the people under his rule that he would not be disobeyed.

Antigone, written by the Athenian Sophocles, is about a woman named Antigone who lives in a city named Thebes. The play’s plot is based on her attempt to successfully bury her brother Polynices whom perished in a battle with his brother that also assumed the role of

John Lennon said, “Part of me suspects that I’m a loser, and the other part of me thinks I’m God Almighty.” Hubris, or excessive pride, was one of the biggest themes in Ancient Greek culture. It has what killed heroes, and destroyed villains in mythology and even real life. In the play Antigone, written by Sophocles, I share the battle that Creon has regarding a conflict of personal character, which leads to the deaths of others caused by his tremendously large ego.

Since he values his country, a noble feature, he holds all those against it in contempt. He "would not count any enemy of [his] country as a friend" (line 206). In this case, the enemy is Polyneices who decided to attack Creon’s beloved country. In just retaliation, Creon decided to punish him, as would any ruler punish an aggressor.

Soon enough however, a guard comes running in to tell him that Polynices has indeed been buried. Creon is furious. He immediately accuses the guard of burying him. “You are a born nuisance” (75), he says, “You squandered your life for money” (75). The guard summarizes Creon’s transformation from patient ruler to brash king when he says “Oh it’s terrible when the one who does the judging judges things all wrong” (75). Creon, just like Oedipus, accused the guard of something he didn’t do. He lacked proof and he had little evidence, but he proclaimed him to death anyway.

This quote explains the main conflict of the play. Creon has ordered that Polynices, Antigone’s brother, cannot receive a proper burial because in Creon’s eyes he is a traitor. Polynices fought against his brother to claim the throne of Thebes, the pair ended up killing each other. Tiresias tries to tell Creon that he is wrong to do this because it is angering the gods that he is denying them a body. Tiresias even warns Creon not to be stubborn, “Stubborness/ brands you for stupidity-pride is a crime.” (1137-1138). Pride in Greek tragedies is most often the cause of a characters downfall and Creon is no exception.

As King of Thebes, Creon is forced to make difficult decisions. As a new ruler, he feels it is necessary to prove himself to his citizens, therefore he rules his state with a firm hand. He believes that Polyneices should not be buried because he was a traitor to his country and family. Creon knew this decision would be hard on some

Even if he believes he is right and his son should obey him, he doesn’t show an ounce of sympathy for Haemon, who loves Antigone. Creon details his thoughts on the importance of the rule of law over other loyalties, and his belief that to allow any anarchy or, seemingly, freedom would threaten the state. Creon’s method of executing Antigone is interesting. By entombing a living person, Antigone, and denying burial to a dead person, Polynices, Creon’s laws seem to go against common sense, tradition, and nature itself. Creon does not keep a cool head, as a wise leader should, or look for a way to compromise. He is as stubborn as Antigone, as if this were a street fight, he feels he could never back down.

Creon felt that Polynices was a traitor for fighting against his own town and this would be his punishment for doing so. In order to protect and honor his town Creon felt that it was necessary to not bury Polynices as a way to demonstrate that he would not stand for his town to be disrespected. Creon wanted to have control over every aspect of the town and its people so he believed that by denying burial right to Polynices he was taking control and this power developed into pride. Creons pride and belief that he is doing the right thing for the state is so strong that it blinds his sense of self.Creon lost his sense of wisdom because his loyalty to the state overpowered his mind and essentially his morals. As a Greek it was known that burials were the passageway for the deceased to pass on to the afterlife because it was the law of the Gods and no one dared to break it. However, Creons lack of wisdom, or inability to judge what is right and true made him completely disregard his beliefs.Creon states, “This cannot

Due to his unwavering pride and refusal to see through the eyes of others, Creon falls from his position of immense power and wealth which in the end doesn’t matter because all his loved ones and family are now dead.

The play Antigone by Sophocles is a play like no other. There are three major themes or ideas which have a very important role in the play. The first major theme is fate, on how the play comes about and the turn of events that come about throughout it. Another main theme or idea is the pride the characters have and their unwillingness they have to change their minds once they are set on something. The last major theme is loyalty and the practical problem of conduct involving which is a higher law between the divine laws and those of the humans. It is an issue of which law is the "right" law, and if Creon and Antigone's acts are justifiable or not. The issues that Antigone and Creon have between them

Creon's actions are guided by the ideal that states "man is the measure of all things." The chorus emphasizes this point during the play by stating that "There is nothing beyond (man's) power" (Sophocles page #). Creon believes that the good of man comes before the gods. Setting the example using Polynices' body left unburied is a symbol of Creon's belief. "No man who is his country's enemy shall call himself my friend" (Sophocles page #). 

Antigone is a play about a woman who disobeyed the King's order to not bury her brother. The play was written by the famous Greek tragedian, Sophocles, in 441 B.C. The story took place in the city of Thebes and the time period is not mentioned. The main characters introduced in the play are of Antigone, Ismene, Creon, and Haemon. The primary focus was centered on Antigone and the consequences she faces after breaking the King's orders.

Creon is characterized as an authoritarian tyrannical ruler. He created the law stating that nobody was to bury the body of Polynices because he betrayed the city of Thebes. Creon was right to make his law because Polynices was a turncoat and died on Theban soil. Although his law was harsh, he believed that he was in the right because a villain such as Polynices did not deserve a proper burial. Creon was especially enraged when Antigone disregarded his law because Polynices was her brother, “Oh but I hate it more / when a traitor, caught red-handed, / tries to glorify his crimes (Creon 552-554).”

Uniqueness is a feat all on its own. Oftentimes, many feel as though they will be judged or ostracized from society for being different from others. In Antigone, a play written by Sophocles, the main protagonist encounters opposing forces that try to cease her chances of morally accomplishing an honest and just deed. Antigone, the main protagonist, is left to essentially fend for herself against the woes of society and their beliefs. As Antigone refuses to comply, revelations are made about herself and others that contribute to the morals and ethics of the conflicts made.