Principle Of Creon In Sophocles 'Antigone'

Chapter 3: Principle of Creon

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At first glance Creon’s edict may be like simply cruel and seems to be unjust but he has his own view for the edict. He forbids the burial of Polyneices and throws away the corpse to dogs and birds; threatens the guard to torture if he fails to find out the culprit; quickly announces two sisters death without justifying. These are seems to be cruel but if we look into his deed entirely we will come to know why he does those? Is he really cruel and wrong?

Creon is the new king of Thebes and edicts that no one can bury the corpse of Polyneices and if someone buried the corpse, he will be punished to death. Antigone informs Ismene about the edict.

Creon has given funeral honours to one,

And not to the other; nothing

But Polyneices, just as unhappy fallen – the order

Says he is not to be buried, not to be mourned;

To be left unburied, unwept, a feast of flesh

For keen-eyed carrion birds. The noble Creon! (Antigone)

Creon’s devotion is to the city not to the family. It is a strong argument for punishing Polyneices. Polyneices brings massacre to Thebes, killed the king and other soldiers of Thebes. If he permits the burial, it may be disloyalty to the city. Creon says to Antigone “An enemy can’t be a friend, even when he is dead” (Antigone). It is a hint that Creon believes one should be devoted to the city more than family.

The most important of Creon’s argument is the political crises of Thebes. This crisis arises by the struggle for power between Polyneices and his own brother Etocles. Creon describes the political condition to the Chorus when he announces his edict.

My councilors: now that the gods have brought our city

Safe through a storm of trouble to tranquility,

I have called you especially out of all my

He detects that they were devoted to King Laius’s rule than King Oedipus’s rule and most recently Oedipus’s children’s rule. He also indicates that internal family strife almost destroyed Thebes. The Theban political community was united but now it has been divided. Two brothers have warred on each other for power. It is dangerous that the Chorus has divided and a group shows loyalty to Etocles and other group shows loyalty to Polyneices. Thebes was united add devoted to the family as long as the family of Laius was united. But the conflict of the family breaks down the unity. According to Creon, the family is not truly natural community to preserve the loyalty of Thebans as the members kills his own father, kills his own brother for political