Antigone Essay
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
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 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. . Since Antigone does not uphold the law, Creon knows that the best thing
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Approximate Word count = 994
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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