People of power such as kings are often forced to chose between family and law. In the play Antigone by Sophocles, King Creon has to make such a decision. He issues the edict to outlaw the burial of his traitor nephew, Poleneices. In reaction, his niece Antigone disobeys the law and burys her brother out of loyalty to her family. Creon is now faced with the decision to uphold the law or pardon his family. Despite Creon’s right decision to uphold the law, his family perishes at their own hand. Creon’s decision to punish Antigone is a right decision and is one that any good leader would make. He is not an evil man but one who is looking out for the state. While Creon is also looking for the respect of his countrymen, all those who disobey the law must pay the price.
King Creon’s major decision throughout this play is to punish Antigone for her misdoings. Creon’s philosophy of government helps elaborate his reasons for his punishment of Antigone the most. Creon “. . . [has] nothing but contempt for the kind of Governor who is afraid, for whatsoever reason, to follow the course he knows best. . . .” (196).
In other words law must be held over all, and also over what course a person chooses for his/her state. Since Antigone does not uphold the law, Creon knows that the best thing is to punish her. By not upholding the law against Antigone, Creon would be going against his precedents. To Creon “the man who sets private friendship above the public welfare. . . .” (197) is useless. If Antigone is excused and put over the public welfare Creon is made a hypocrite. Another factor is that “no Ruler can expect complete loyalty from his subjects until he has been tested in office” (196).
The Essay on Bury Polyneices Creon Antigone Family
... consider Antigone or Ismenes' religious beliefs or feelings when he made his decision. Thus we can see that the values Creon was upholding were ... responsibility as there were not males left in the family. In the beginning, Creon upheld family values by ruling Thebes for his two young ... a life of misery, wishing only to die. Antigone felt Creon was defying the laws of the gods by not allowing Polyneices ...
Creon’s test is whether or not to hold the law against Antigone. If he does not he is failing his test and would not be accepted by his State. This would lead to chaos amongst his people. To have complete order all laws have to apply to all people. If Antigone is excused from a law, havoc is bound to break out all over the state because people would see the state’s laws as biased. Creon is trying to live up to what he thinks is right and what he only knows. All he knows are his own expectations of what a good king or good ruler should be.
Creon’s decision to punish Antigone leads to fatal consequences, which do not affect the validity to punish her in the first place. The most critical part of the consequences of Creon’s actions is Haimon’s suicide. Haimon is Creon’s son who is in love with Antigone and feels she should have mercy. Mercy to Antigone is wrong because she disobeyed the law that she had full knowledge of. Antigone choses her own path and knows what she would encounter. When her sister Ismene asks Antigone if she has knowledge of Creon’s edict she replies yes. Haimon is not the only one Creon looses, but he also looses his wife, Euridice, and Antigone all to suicide. Eurydice commits suicide after knowing her son has committed suicide. Creon is left alone, but is left with the full confidence of his country and their submission to his laws.
Creon’s decision is right to put, Antigone in a vault, and one which can be supported. The character flaws of Creon are what affect his decision negatively. The character flaws in part cause the consequences to be so horrible. One of his character flaws is rashness, which is shown by Creon not seeing past the decree or edict itself. This causes him to not see beyond the sentencing of Antigone alone. Creon although is not made evil by this but only short sighted. In Creon’s opinion, to become a strong leader an even stronger base is needed. When he enforces laws on all of his subjcts the base of his kingdom is built. Since Creon is a new king, he needs to illustrate to his country how serious he is about the enforcing his laws. Punishing Antgone is a critical element to his plan. If Creon does not uphold the law against Antigone, people would see him as a weak leader and would disobey the law. Creon does not punish Antigone because he is evil, but that she brought it upon herself. Antigone says that “Creon is not strong enough to stand in [her] way” (191).
The Essay on Antigone Laws Of The State
One commentator has argued in 'Antigone' that Antigone's 'view of what is right is as twisted as that of Creon.' Although I do not believe that either Antigone's or Creon's view is 'twisted,' I do believe that their fate is a direct result of their extreme pride and stubbornness. In 'Antigone,' Sophocles examines the conflict between the requirements of human and divine law that is centered on the ...
This shows Antigone is in total competence of the unlawfulness of her decision, and feels the law does not apply to her by challenging the king. She “. . . [is] not afraid of the danger; if it means death it will not be the worst of deaths” (193).
This illustrates that Antigone knows what the consequences will be. Creon does not kill Antigone by placing her in a vault with food. Antigone herself chose to cut her life short because of sadness. Another thing which makes Creon’s decision right is the factor of anarchy. “Anarchy……is why cities tumble and great houses rain down”(218).
Anarchy is what Creon is dodging by sentencing Antigone. Creon’s decision is a just and fair decision that correspondes with the law.
Creon encounters many situations throughout the play and makes the right decision, especially the ones which refer to Antigone’s fate. He is only upholding the law to all, trying to create a strong state, and Antigone knows what would happen if she disobeys. Antigone brings on her own fate in all respect. If Creon does not punish her, his credibility, as a king would be lessened. Often in the test of law or family great empires rise while families die. Creon chooses the path of an empire and does it in a fair and just way which corresponds with his personal convictions.
