Creon and Pericles
Compare the leadership qualities of Pericles and CreonIn the ancient Greek period, it's hard to tell that whether a man has a good leadership or not just based on his triumphant on wars since there are many political and social factors which roughly influence their states and personal lives. So that's the point that I want to call Pericles and Creon the good leaders even thought their cities were both defeated by foreigners. Certainly, their strategies and behavioral solutions might have some weakness, but in general they all possess the characteristics and qualities that a leader should have in the circumstances of facing the powerful external forces. That was the 431- B.C period as Pericles leading his country to defend themselves against the Spartan invaders. And Pericles rewards all his respect and renown into the Funeral Oration which is part of the Athenian custom to pronounce the first soldier who had fallen in this war. As part of the political and military purpose, the oration was born appropriately to resuscitate the Athenians' morale which has considerably felt down by the fear of war. Pericles is very wise to care of people's feeling and praise the Athenians' spirit with honors in the situation they really wan
And all of them are to support for our realization that Creon is merely a tyrant who favors the authoritarian form of government. (*) In contrast, Creon was standing in a very different situation from that of Pericles. So the Theban, particularly Antigone and his son Heamon, have their reason to feel hatred toward him. Pericles is merely an imperialist whose greatest ambition is to develop Athens not only with her physical beauty but also her moral and intellectual beauty that was shown by the generosity and versatility he attributes to the Athenian in his speech. However, "all this ease in our private relations does not make us lawless as citizens ". Even his rational justice and fair-minded behaviors attracts too much an enmity from others, but as his important role as a king he could lead his city into proper success or at least save it as "the ship at sea in storm". He was facing the most detrimental threat- a civil war of the internal loyal forces which once days could dreadfully break his city Thebes into pieces. Footnotes(*) The idea came from Pericles & Antigone Lecture By George Gross . His speech is very well- prepared with considerations which show that "He was the man who led the city with moderation and kept it safe, and in his time it became very great" (Cawkwell 6). Actually, love and laws are very contradictory since severe laws would harm love which indeed in turn could reduce the severity laws. Therefore, after the civil war has just been settled, it's his crucial actions to ruthlessly tighten the laws with punishments and fines to defend himself and the city from the subsequent revolts. He, in the speech, emphasizes that the "love of honor that never grows old" and again "renown which never grows old" as a designation to whom offering their lives for sake of their city. He expected Theban in general would feel disgusted toward Polyneices and approve the un-burial, but he doesn't know that his people- especially Antigone - were following the rule of the traditional gods who are different from his imaginary gods relating to the city laws. He gave his citizens generous freedom and equal justice or chances of opportunities. However, suppose Creon can't solve the conflicts, but he is not wise in actions to relieve the consequences of those.
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