In the play Antigone by Sophocles the king Creon, after just coming into power due to death of the previous king, has some trouble getting people to follow his laws. Creon bases his laws on his personal ethics and traditions. Everyone has different ethics, because Creon uses his as a basis for his law people are very critical of them.
             Creon bases his laws on his own ethics and refuses to take the advice of the state, as he believes that he, as ruler is superior. When he is talking to the Leader of the chorus about Polynices' burial he states "These are my principles. Never at my hands will the traitor be honored above the patriot" (p. 68 lines 232-33). While saying this he is blatantly stating that his principals guide him. He first defines his principals then he says that he will never go against them, and that he will not tolerate anyone else going against him, either. For others to honor a traitor, in Creon's eyes, would be traitorous in it's own rite because he is not now being honored as a king should. Creon would view a traitor honored as an attack on his absolute power. Creon shows that he thinks he is the definitive power when he is talking to Haemon, telling him that he will not be allowed to marry Antigone. When Haemon objects Creon defends himself by saying
             Show me the man who rules his household well: I'll show you someone fit to rule the state...But whoever steps out of line, violates the laws or presumes to hand out orders to his superiors, he'll win no praise from me. But that man the city places in authority, his orders must be obeyed, large and small, right and wrong (p.94 lines 739-51).
             Creon seems to believe that being a good head of his family will make him a better king, so he tries to do his family well by weeding out the bad seeds. Though later in the play one sees that he has done a good job at heading neither his s
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