You can easily link the events within Antigone to the Stanford prison experiment and the idea that people will assume roles because of their dispositions and/or their situations. This applies especially to Creon because before Oedipus left and his nephews died, he stated that he didn’t want the role of king, only the rights a king had. But as soon as he had to become king, he took to the role very quickly. He became a serious threat. He was quick to anger and couldn’t be reasoned with. When he found out someone had covered the body of Polyneices, he threatened to kill the sentry that had brought the message, even though he did nothing. When Antigone was brought to him, he didn’t hesitate in sentencing her to death. He sentenced his own niece to death for disobeying him. When Haimon tries to change his mind, imploring him to consider how his actions may hurt him since he is supposed to marry Antigone, Creon replies: “Let her find her husband in Hell! Of all the people in this city, only she had contempt for my law and …show more content…
This is especially true in the way Ismene reacts to the laws Creon puts in place. Under Creons authority, she refused to help even her sister bury her own brother. She was so obedient to Creon she wouldn’t even help her own family. Even when Antigone tries to tell her about how they were family and her brother deserved a proper burial, Ismene said: “They mean a great deal to me; but I have no strength. To break laws that were made for the public good.” She is so obedient to Creon she even goes as far as to claim the laws set in place are for “public good.” This can be linked to how during the experiments mentioned in The Perils of Obedience the testers would sometimes do everything asked of them, no questions. This is similar with Antigone. Even if she does know in her heart that it’s wrong, she lets what is happening happen. That is where Antigone can be connected to The Perils of