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Authority and power in government
An essay on sophocles- antigone
An essay on sophocles- antigone
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Power is apparent in every society all across the world whether it be the teacher in your classroom or the head of your country. Many political figureheads abuse their power by through their authority and social status. A fictional example of an abuser with high political authority would be King Creon from “Antigone”, a play written by Sophocles. A modern example would be the dictator Kim Jong Un of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
King Creon is an abuser of power because he can make any law he wants, no matter the need of his people. In Antigone, Creon forms an Edict that anyone who buries his nephew, after he had died in battle, shall be given the death penalty. While his brother was given a military burial service. This lack of
The hubris resonating throughout the play, ‘Antigone’ is seen in the characters of Creon and Antigone. Their pride causes them to act impulsively, resulting in their individual downfalls. In his opening speech, Creon makes his motives clear, that “no man who is his country’s enemy shall call himself my friend.” This part of his declaration was kept to the letter, as he refused burial for his nephew, Polynices. However, when the situation arises where it is crucial that Creon takes advice, he neglects the part of the speech where he says “a king... unwilling to seek advice is damned.” This results in Creon’s tragic undoing.
Many great rulers have been tempted by the authority of absolute power. In Antigone, by Sophocles, Creon, the Theban king, will do anything in order to earn this absolute power. Creon’s prideful attitude, disregard of the authority of the gods, and failure to listen cause him to fail as a statesman, demonstrating the nature of kingship in Sophocles’s Antigone.
The King of Thebes, arrogance lead tragic endings for his loved ones such as his wife and son. Creon believed that since he was the king, he had the right to make decisions without bothering to discuss it with others, and that he could rule alone, because he was greater than everyone else. King Creon had made a law to not bury Polyneices, if anyone were to br...
Creon first abused his power when he decided to go against the God’s law that every human deserved to be buried after death not depending on what that certain per...
Creon abused his power by thinking that he can change or brake the laws of the Gods and not allowing other people to brake his laws. He did not want to burry Polyneices' body, but one of the God's law is that every human deserves to be buried after death not depending what that certain person did in his lifetime. Creon caused fear among his people by making a public announcement that nobody is allowed to burry Polyneices. He said that the state of Thebes consists of only him, and that there are no other laws then his.
Creon states, “Whoever places a friend above the good of his own country, he is nothing.” Therefore, he does not allow the burial of Antigone’s brother because he did not place the good of his country first. He was a traitor. Creon makes this law for the good of his country. The following statements that Creon makes exemplify this: “I could never make that man a friend of mine who menaces our country”, “never will the traitor be honored a...
In the play Antigone, Creon, king of Thebes faces a harsh conflict with himself, involving the values of family and religion verse the civic responsibility he must maintain for the city of Thebes that comes with being the new king. In theory no decision Creon makes is going to be the rite one. Although both Antigone and Creon have justified reasons for believing in there own laws only one can be upheld by the play and how Sophocles interoperates the play himself. Creon must decide whether to punish Antigone, a princess, daughter of king Oedipus, or fail at enforcing his own law and look weak in front of the citizens of Thebes as their new leader. The law stated that anybody who touched the corpse of Polyneices, a prince, and son of Oedipus would be stoned in the town square.
Power. It is defined as the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events. Throughout time, certain individuals have acquired power in their society as a way to govern and keep order among their community. Power is not a new concept; it was used in the past by many emperors, kings, and queens, and is still being used by presidents, prime ministers, and dictators. Although, it has been used to further progress societies into what the world is like today, not all power has been used for the best of mankind. But what goes awry to make power turn corrupt? In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, it is illustrated how power can turn corrupt, when authoritative figures, who possess power, abuse it for their personal gain, rather than for the common good of the society.
This is the Crux of the theme, the conflict between the law of King Creon, and the law of the gods. In fact, according to Greek belief, Creon would have been ordained by the gods to be king, and thus, should not his law be their law as well? This is the hurdle that Antigone has to face; should she abide by the law of Creon and leave her brother to rot, under penalty of death? Or should she disregard Creon's edict, follow the law of the gods and bury her brother? Creon is a brother to Jocasta, and thus next in line to become king after Etocles is killed in battle. The king is believed to be the chosen of the gods and to rule in their stead. Why then would the king attempt to punish Polyneices after death and so blatantly violate the rules of the gods? However, Creon is the king, and the penalty for disobeying this law of his is very real and very brutal, death.
A specific strength of Creon, the major adult character in Antigone, is his ability to make his opinions known to the entire kingdom. One example of this is the major decision that is the focus of the entire story. After Antigone’s brother, Polyneices, died in battle against his own kingdom, Creon told the citizens of the land that no one was to bury the traitor. The king felt that the strict edict was necessary because Polyneices “broke his exile to come back with fire and sword against his native city. (193)” Creon knew that a traitor to the kingdom should not be honored with the same ceremony given to one who fought for his own kingdom.
Whether the setting is the twenty-first century or the years prior to the common era, rulers in any society are known to be holders of power who perform justified actions that are beneficial to the state and its citizens. While trying to do what is right, even the fairest leaders are at risk of abusing their supremacy and causing harm. Sophocles explains that power does not affect the man who holds it; instead, the man who holds power and authority has the chance to affect the lives of others. He does not clarify whether this supremacy has a positive or negative effect on others, mostly because this part is up for interpretation. Some leaders bring their nations to success and victory, while others take a turn for the worst, gain hubris, and lead their country to its downfall.
All people have power, some people are just more powerful than others. Having power is the ability to create change. Examples of power being used wrongly is during the French revolution, and the residential school crisis. During the French revolution, two examples were shown of people abusing their power. King Louie XVI raised taxes so that he could buy things that he and his wife Marie Antoinette wanted, and took away rights from the third estate. In the residential schools crisis, the teachers, priests and nuns had power over the students and abused the students in different ways. Superior people take away the rights from those who are below them, but they end up corrupt.
In Sophocles’s Antigone, Antigone recognizes her arrogance as she faces the effects of hubris before she irrationally commits suicide. Antigone’s overconfidence causes her to fatally act out in order to convince Creon that she has the power of choice over her own future. Earlier, after breaking the law declared by Creon, Antigone assumes she will be exonerated for preserving familial loyalties; however, she is proven incorrect as the King condemns her to death. While at first, she dismisses the idea of being killed for her actions, later she begins to accept her fate and even welcome it: “Look upon me, friends, and pity me / Turning back at the night’s edge to say / Good-by to the sun that shines for me no longer”
Sophocles, following the Greek standard of tragedy, casts Creon as the tragic hero plagued by his own pride, inflexibility and power. Creon believes his authority to be twofold, both as the king and as the head of his family. He claims that the throne is the source of all power, saying ?whoever is chosen to govern should be obeyed ? must be obeyed, in all things, great and small, just and unjust? (Sophocles 217), and he demands the utmost allegiance from his son, bidding him to ?subordinate everything else?to [his] father?s will? (Sophocles 216). Creon is filled with hubris, and he rejects any solution that might compromise his image. For instance, when the guards escort Antigone to the palace, he demands of the Choragos, ?Who is the man...
Unfair.Stubborn.Inhuman. Are all characteristics of an inadequate leader. Power has a negative effect on people will act out of character if they are told to do something from someone of authority and the person in charge can manipulate people to get them to do things for him.