Leadership In Sophocles Antigone

Leader In the beginning lines of Sophocles’s Antigone, Antigone pulls her sister outside the gates “where no one else can hear” when she declares that she will defy Kreon’s orders to not bury Polyneikes (l. 25). She illustrates an innate knowledge of the power that her words carry and the danger that is inherent in the possibility of her bold statements being overheard or repeated. Similarly, in Shakespeare’s King Lear, Cordelia expresses a similar knowledge when her father, King Lear, asks her to profess her love and she refuses because she loves him “according to [her] bond, no more nor less” (1.1.102). Cordelia responds to Lear with silence because she understands that the spoken word carries power, which can significantly influence the

Remember? How else would you have single handedly “divided/In three our kingdom…To shake all cares and business from [your age]” without having a power similar to Kreon (1.1. 39-42)? You may not have called your words edicts as Kreon does, but you speak and a thousand must follow. Your words divided a kingdom, much like the way Kreon’s words created laws for one. You and Kreon, illustrate the power of the spoken word when originating from a leader, whose voice reaches many listeners with little effort.

King Lear Oh yes…I do forget myself sometimes...

Leader

Don’t worry about it King Lear! It happens to the best of us. Anyway, the concept that the power of the spoken word can be dependent on ones’ orientation within society is very compelling when talking to two kings. I definitely see how the power of the spoken word can be a significant tool to leaders, whose voices reach many people quickly and authoritatively.

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Leader

Since we have been talking about the power of the spoken word and how leaders in particular, gain significant influence because of the number of people they can reach at one time, do you all believe that those with more power then have more responsibility to be aware of the implications of their