Throughout the play, Antigone, Creon and Antigone have opposing viewpoints about who is the supreme power in Thebes: Creon, the king, or the gods. I believe that both of them think that the gods’ will is important; however, Antigone believes that the gods’ are the most important and Creon waivers a bit on his views.
Antigone holds the gods’ laws higher than Creon’s laws. When Creon decrees that no one can bury Eteocles because he attacked the city of Thebes, Antigone follows the gods’ laws. She breaks Creon’s law and vows to give Eteocles a proper burial even though the consequence is death. She accepts that this is her fate before she ever breaks Creon’s law. She feels that pleasing the gods is the most important thing in life.
Creon believes that the laws of the gods are important. However, he does not understand why the gods would ever want Eteocles buried because he attacked their city of Thebes. Therefore, he decrees that Eteocles is never allowed to be buried. He thinks it is what the gods would want. In this way, Creon also believes that the gods are the supreme power; however, Creon has a different interpretation of what the gods want than Antigone does.
Creon begins by honoring what he believes to be the wishes of the gods. Later in the play, after Antigone has broken Creon’s law, he rants about the importance of his position as king. He says that the city is his and that his laws are to be obeyed, whether they are right or wrong. Once his authority is questioned, he changes from honoring the gods to honoring only himself. Another important factor that cause Creon to put Antigone to death is that Antigone is a woman, and men ruled over women at this point in time. It is not until Creon’s actions have killed Antigone, his own son, Haemon, and his wife, Eurydice, that he realizes his actions were wrong and that the gods, not himself, are the ultimate power and he vows to always obey the gods.
In the end of the play, Creon discovers that Antigone had been right all along and that his actions were the cause of death for those he loved the most. He learns that his word is not always right, and is not always the best for the city of Thebes (400).
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Attagirl, I like what you said about Crean forgetting to honor the gods in his desire to honor only himself. Sort of like he knows what is important but forgets when he feels threatened by Antigone's disobedience? And the terrible consequences serve to remind him of what he always knew? I think that's a good way to look at the play.
ReplyDelete