Antigone and Creon are characters who assume parallel perspectives. There is a sharp contrast between the two and in almost all instances—they do not seem to be in harmony. Oedipus was Antigone’s father. There arises great tension after his departure on who would be the next king. Antigone’s brothers, Eteocles, and Polyneices had agreed to share the leadership roles in the throne. Creon is Antigone’s father (Schakel, and Jack 1105). The two are brought out as very different characters with conflicting ideologies on religious law and the law of men. They also differ on issues of family loyalty and citizenship.
Creon has risen as the new king of Thebes. He argues that he has successfully succeeded to the complete authority of throne after Eteocles and Polyneices killed each other (Schakel, and Jack 1110). Being a strict king, he would not condone anyone who disobeys the laws of the land. To him, that would mean an insult to the people of Thebes. He holds his ideologies so strongly that everyone has to abide by the laws. As a new king, he wants to show that he is capable as a king and most suited for the position. He wants to preserve the laws of Thebes and to achieve this; all the laws must be adhered to strictly. In Creon’s view, failing to punish lawbreakers would promote treason. He believes that if the people of Thebes feared him as their king that would give him more power. He wants to be a strong king and not a bad king and to him, a strong king must show regard to the laws. He must also be firm and strong in his decisions and should not waver when matters of lawbreaking are brought to him (Schakel, and Jack 1104). Ismenes believes that going against the king’s decree would have dire consequences, which would certainly be dangerous. She warns her sister against burying her brother and asserts that they must obey the laws (Schakel, and Jack 1119).
Antigone engages in courageous undertakings that shock many. This is despite the regrettable consequences that characterized such moves. In essence, she is willing to take the pain and suffering in the course of pursing her beliefs. She is bold in her decision and is ready to suffer the consequences associated with it. Nothing can stop her. Creon then accuses Antigone of treason because she had disobeyed his order. Creon wins and he has Antigone buried alive in a tomb. He regrets his decision to have Antigone buried alive. Choragon tells the king to free Antigone (Schakel, and Jack 1115). The king does not succeed in this step of reconciliation. When he goes to the tomb, he finds that she had hanged herself. A lot of drama follows. Creon’s son, Haemon, loved Antigone very much. Upon receiving information concerning her death, he kills himself. Creon’s wife also kills herself because of her son’s death. Everything that Creon did turn back to him, as he regrets his decisions.
Creon is brought out as a character that values the laws of the people more than the laws of God. To him, the laws of the people are the undergirding principles of his leadership. He has to ensure that are obeyed strictly and that no man goes against them. Creon even swears by the name of God, which affirms her believe on God’s authority (Schakel, and Jack 1120). This, however, does not make him value God. When faced with the challenge of Antigone that has a firm belief in God, he makes decisions that are against God. Creon believes that the laws of the land are much more important than the laws of God. He would go against all odds to protect the laws of the land. Antigone pleads with the king to reverse his decree, but the king does not listen. She tells the king that the judgment was strict. She also tells the king that she does not think that a man’s decision should challenge Heaven’s laws. She believes that God is supreme and that his laws remain binding above all others. The king, however, does not have the same sentiments. Creon has made the decision, and that is final. The challenge by Antigone leads to her eventual death (Schakel, and Jack 1125).
Antigone shows great regard and value to her family. She believes that no matter what position one occupy it should not be a chance to oppress the family. When her brothers die when fighting for the throne, she believes that they deserve a decent burial. She believes that honoring her brother by giving him a decent burial also translates into honor to her parents. Creon, however, does not value his family. To him, loyalty to Thebes meant more to him than family. Despite being Antigone’s uncle, he does not treat her as his niece. Her burying of her brother against the king’s decree is viewed as treason. The two characters are a contradiction to each other despite being united by blood. The situation explains how believing in the rule of land shaped the characters’ actions. Creon values the need of remaining loyal to the law, thus he acknowledges and completely vows his loyalty to the rules set to govern the society. Following this loyalty, he is willing to sacrifice his family in preference of exercising the Law.
Creon values citizenship more than family membership. Creon’s position and action highlight that he follows the Law blindly without questioning their implication. In this context, he is often seen engaging in practices that in overall are bringing sadness to the society. Most of the rules implemented by Creon fail to enhance the community’s welfare. In other words, the country’s law does not account for the citizen’s interest. Antigone challenges this conservative perspective as she finds it exploitative. She feels the need of abandoning and ignoring rules that seem impractical when addressing the prevailing situations. Antigone believes that life matters more than the laws and that family is stronger than citizenship. This is in contrast to Creon’s assumption that emphasizes citizenship. Her care for her brother shows how much she valued him and what family meant to her. In every situation, she brings out the message that the family ties are the most valuable.
Antigone and Creon reveal two antagonistic characters. Antigone believes that God should be respected above human laws. She also believes that family ties are very important and that they are more important that citizenship. Creon believes that the law should be applied impartially. Furthermore, there are situations when the laws of men may override the laws of God. The divergent results to the conflicts witnessed in this community. It is apparent that Creon maintained a conservative perspective while Antigone promoted the idea of embracing liberal reasoning in solving issues.
Works Cited
Schakel, Peter J, and Jack Ridl. Approaching Literature: Reading + Thinking + Writing. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martins, 2012. Print.
