TOTAL POWER

In ancient times, there are few Kings who actually understood Democracy. Instead, most of the Kings are obsessed with total power, which the King decided everything. Unfortunately, the Greeks happened to be a lot more democratic than other countries, where total power is in a weak position to the citizens. In the play Antigone, King Creon is being described with that characteristic. He changed the laws for his country, which contradict with the God’s, and it irritated Antigone. In Ceron’s laws, he stated that no one is allowed to give Antigone’s brother a burial. Creon said: "Polyneices, I say, is to have no burial: no man is to touch him or or say the least prayer for him; he shall lie on the plain, unburied; and the birds and the scavenging dogs can do with him whatever they like"(Antigone Scene 1. 39-42). Regardless of the new law, Antigone did what she thinks is right. She risked her life to burry her brother and did not think at all that she is wrong. To Creon, he is mad and also afraid of Antigone; mad because of her behavior and scared because of her courage. As a result, he decided to kill her. Creon said: “...take her to the vault and leave her alone there. and of she lives or dies, that's her affair, not ours: our hands are clean”(Antigone Scene 4. 55-57). Due to Creon‘s pride and arrogance, he doesn’t’ care that has he offended the Gods or not. Obviously, for Antigone, he did. What Creon has become when he was at the king’s throne, was the biggest fear of all commoners. The Thebes citizens wanted democracy, and not being controlled by one. Eventually, at the end of the play, Creon has realized what he had done to his family, and suffered from the consequences.