Essay on Antigone
...morals are wrong. Everyone is unwilling to speak out or stand up to Creon because they all fear him and are afraid they might loose their life going against his words. Antigone is not afraid of Creon or the consequences that face her if she goes against his ruling. Creon knows that Antigone will not back down and she shows him that she is not afraid of the consequences. He wants to prove himself that he is the law even though the Gods advised him that he would lose everything important to him. Creon is in a position of the highest power, influence, and responsibility. The amount of his power is quite clear when he sentences Antigone to death for disobeying his order. Antigone's reasons for burying her brother were simply the fact that she was showing love, honor, and loyalty toward her family. However, the reason Creon is angry is because he feels insulted that Antigone publicly disobeyed him. He was also angry that she was his niece and his son Haimons fiancé. It is known that in ancient times when a man's authority is in jeopardy, especially by a woman, his ego and reputation are in danger. Since Creon is a new king, he wants to prove his abilities as king. He is being tough so the people of Thebes would not take him for granted and so other problems will not arise. This is clear when he says to his son Haimon "Do you want me to show myself weak before the people? Or to break my sworn word" (25). Creon feels that if someone disobeys the city in which he rules they should be punished. If Polyneices is not punished then Creon's power may be taken for granted by the people of Thebes. They would view him as a weak king without fear of punishment. Creon wants to be respected and feared as a king because this will give him more power. His pain and loss could have all been avoided if he had done what Teiresias advised him to do, but instead he put his pride first. His words to Teiresias were "If your birds-if the great eagles of God himself should carry him stinking bit by bit to heaven, I would not yield. I am not afraid of pollution: No man can defile the gods" (4...