Antigone
In the story Antigone, the King of Thebes, Creon, showed that too much power will corrupt anyone. As Creon became the one with total control, his character, judgment, and his principals deteriorated. Antigone was written by Sophocles. He did an excellent job of showing how absolute power will corrupt absolutely. Using Creon's utmost authority, Sophocles told of how everything he once stood for had crumbled. Antigone begins by telling of a Theban royal family which is in much turmoil. There are many characters focused upon in Antigone, but only a few are worth mentioning. Antigone starts with Antigone (niece of Creon) and her sister Ismene talking about how their father Oedipus died, and because of his death, the family undertook some very hard times. Their brothers Eteocles and Polynices have just died in a fight against each other; Eteocles, fighting for the city; Polynices, fighting against the city and crowned the supposed 'traitor'. When the two died Eteocles, because he fought for the city, was given full burial rites, while Polynices was given absolutely no burial rites of any kind because he was a traitor. Creon decreed his burial forbidden along with any mourning throughout the city. Because . . .
When Haemon finds Antigone she had already hung herself. She then was brought before her uncle the king. Recent Comments on this Essay No comments yet. It is bothersome that he had the absolute lack of compassion because he said this when he was about to seal the fate of his own niece. He took her to a rocky vault and walled her inside where she was to die for her crime. The laws they have made for men are well marked out. I didn't suppose your decree had strength enough, or you, who are human, to violate the lawful traditions the gods have not written merely, but made infallible. He also said "Not a word of hope-your doom is sealed" (line 1025). Little did he know that his efforts would fall near shy of what was necessary. Haemon was going to marry her, but now his own father wanted her dead. The power that came with his position destroyed him. By this statement he seems to want and take all blame for what has been done, and shows that he had little sense of judgment at the time of the incident. Haemon, therefore, vowed never to return unless his love was released. Creon lost almost completely his sense of judgment when he became an all-powerful ruler over Thebes.
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