As king of Thebes, it is an absolute duty to uphold command and peace within his territory. Part of this responsibility is to execute orders and to punish any wrongdoers who chose to defy the orders. In the play, “The Burial at Thebes”, it follows princess Antigone who recently lost both her brothers. While one brother was given a proper burial, Polynices, the second brother, was forbidden to be buried by King Creon. Despite the king’s order were that if anyone were to bury Polynices, they would receive a death sentence, Antigone disregarded the warning and buried him. Although Antigone’s sentence to death were to bring more misfortune in the end with the death of Haemon, Creon’s punishment was to be proven as a necessary policy that was enforced. Creon’s decision to nevertheless sentence Antigone despite the general public’s opinion and advice from his son and Tiresias has made Creon a stern and absolute ruler. …show more content…
One crucial detail to the effectiveness of ruling a kingdom is to cast away his personal gain and instead do what is best for the citizens under his reign. While listing factors of what makes an inadequate ruler, Creon would note that, “equally to blame / Is anyone who puts the personal / Above the overall thing / puts friend or family first” (18). Creon openly criticizes leaders who excuse personal relationships to disregard any command and law. Instead, he declares his confidence that he will not exempt anyone from the law. This inept quality would foreshadow later within the play when it was Creon’s niece who would disobey his