Theme Of Leadership In Antigone

For most people family is the most important thing in their life. But what if you had to choose between honoring your family and obeying the law? What would you do? In the play Antigone by Sophocles, a woman named Antigone is faced with a very difficult decision. If she decides to honor her dead brother she may be persecuted and put to death but if she leaves her brother’s body to decay without performing a ritual he will have a terrible afterlife. Antigone decides that family always comes first and perform the forbidden ritual on her brother. She is eventually prosecuted for her actions and later on kills herself. Personally, I agree with Antigone. To a certain extent, family should come first. In my opinion, family is almost always more important than authority. But, according to the play, it depends. Based on the results of everyone's actions I think that the play believes family is more important than authority. Creon punishes Antigone for choosing family over authority and as a result the members of his family all die.

For instance, Antigone had many chances to obey the law or her own familial bonds. Antigone chooses to obey family, and bury Polynices even though burying breaks Creon's law. Antigone pleads to Ismene to help, when she says no, Antigone responds, “But as for me/ I will bury the brother I love” (Prologue. 192). Antigone is willing to break Creon's authority as a family means much more to her, this presents her as selfless. Along with breaking the law, Antigone also risks execution for that crime. Once Antigone learns of her punishment after Creon discovers her, she decides if burying her brother was worth it. After Creon warns Antigone again she says, “This death of mine/ is of no importance; but if I had left my brother/ lying in death unburied, I should have suffered. / Now I do not” (Scene II. 208). Antigone shows the courage that even death won't scare her from her goals. Antigone chooses family, even in the face of the capital punishment. Sophocles show Antigone as a lion-hearted being by denouncing Creon’s will and burying her brother. Through Antigone’s actions, Sophocles show how he favors family over authority.

In Antigone, Sophocles characterizes Creon as a prideful and stubborn individual, who strives to gain power over others, especially the gods. Despite his own son threatening to commit suicide, Creon does not recognize his hubris as his fatal flaw until the very end. One significant power struggle in the play Antigone, is the conflict between Creon and his son, Haimon, who is engaged to Antigone. Creon uses his permanent place as ruler, to decide that Polyneices should not be properly buried, because he is a traitor to their kingdom. Not only is he gravely wrong, he is not swayed by anyone’s opinion, even his own son’s.

Creon stated that a leader must be involved with his people and seek advice during his leadership. I think that he is right in believing so. Creon made a speech to the Theban Elders on pages 130-131 in The Theban Plays by Sophocles. In this speech he says that a leader must be honest and involved with his country or state. Another thing he says in this speech is that a leader without council is sure to fail. All these points that he makes are valid. There are only a few leaders today who follow this advice.

As Susan B. Anthony once said, “I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do, because I notice it always coincides with their own desires.” Sophocles presents Creon as a leader who thinks he knows what the gods want, but is making decisions for the good of himself. He disguises himself as a strong and trusting leader, but later reveals his real self to the citizens of Thebes. In “Antigone,” Sophocles uses the conflict between leaders and their people to expose the danger of trusting a strong leader.

The character that has taught me most about how to be an effective leader is Creon, king of Thebes, from the play Antigone. Unfortunately, it wasn’t because of his outstanding and effective leadership qualities that offered me insight, but rather it was the skills in which he lacked as a leader. Such as, compassion, understanding, communication, and humility, just to name a few. His character helped me identify and think more in-depth about the most important attributes an effective leader should own.

The different characteristics of different people can cause certain people to be negatively affected because of the actions they take. This is shown in Antigone, which is a tragedy about how pride can get the best of you and if law or moral code is more important. Sophocles showed the reader that not all the decisions made by people by his or her conscience because in hindsight it is not the most intelligent resolution. When Creon does not take the advice of Haimon or Tiresias he obstinately refused because he believed his thoughts were always correct. In like manner, Creon had no real reason to make the law against burying Polynices because no one in the country wanted it but him. Furthermore, King Creon did not go through with his law because Antigone wanted to die and his felt that if she died feeling that way, it would not feel that he would be pleased that his law worked. No matter who assumes major leadership, the abuse of power is inevitable because power always corrupts.

Someone who can recognize their faults would make a good leader.Antigone knew from the start her loyalty to her brother would lead to her death but she was willing to make that sacrifice for justice.Being fully aware of the punishment she proceeded to bury Polyneices.”Our own death would be if we should go against Creon...I shall lie down with him in death” (Antigone, lines 45-57). Antigone saw that her choice

Creon orders the guards to take Antigone away not caring for his son's feelings, since she is his fiancée. Creon feels the law should stand despite the fact that Antigone was his niece or how moral her act was. "Bring her [Antigone] out! Let her die before his eyes..." (Scene 3, 130). This quotes shows that Creon took his position as king seriously to the point where in he was willing to sacrifice the feelings of his own son. He was willing to be the cause of son's destruction just to prove that he is the king and always right. "I will go... I buried her, I will set her free" (scene 5, 102,104). Not only does this quote show leadership but also stubbornness he was risking his relationship with his son to prove that he was the leader of Thebes. Creon says another quote which shows his loyalty to his kingdom, "I call to God to witness that if I saw my country headed for ruin, I should not be afraid to speak out plainly," (Sophocles, scene 1,24-26). It shows his strong sense of leadership which catches up with him in the end causing destruction.

Sophocles symbolizes family over authority by using Antigone and Creon to conflict each other's core beliefs, showing that Antigone is willing to die to honor the love for her family, while Creon is willing to kill to honor and enforce his own authority at any cost. As we see in the story, when Antigone's brothers die, she chooses to bury Polyneices even though she knows this will cost her her life. In the play when Antigone tells her sister what she’s going to do, ismene says, ”But think of the danger! Think what Creon will do! ANTIGONE: Creon is not enough to stand in my way” This shows Antigone represents family for the great lengths she will go to to honor her brother. By contrast, Sophocles paints Creon to symbolize authority through murder of his own bloodline. In the play he plans to kill Antigone for choosing her love for her brother over his rule, and so he plans out her execution although she is family to Creon. The Choragos asks Creon “Do you really intend to steal this girl from your son?,” which then he responds by saying “No; Death will do that for me.” Which shows the reader that Creon is unsympathetic to who Antigone is in relation to him. He disregards the importance of family to uphold his authoritative values. By the end of the play the author has shown us Creon has come to realize his ways have cost him his family, and he regrets his decisions.

The opening events of the play Antigone, written by Sophocles, quickly establish the central conflict between Antigone and Creon. Creon has decreed that the traitor Polynices, who tried to burn down the temple of gods in Thebes, must not be given proper burial. Antigone is the only one who will speak against this decree and insists on the sacredness of family and a symbolic burial for her brother. Whereas Antigone sees no validity in a law that disregards the duty family members owe one another, Creon's point of view is exactly opposite. He has no use for anyone who places private ties above the common good, as he proclaims firmly to the Chorus and the audience as he revels in his victory over Polynices. He sees Polynices as an enemy to

In the beginning of Antigone, Creon and his people firmly believe in the power of his authority and his leadership of the city of Thebes. When Creon argues with his son Haemon, he tells him “that man the city places in authority, his orders must be obeyed,” so much that “whoever places a friend above the good of his own country, he is nothing” (748-750, 203-204). The citizens place Creon in authority, so he urges his people to obey his edicts and orders because their compliance is essential to his position. In his opinion, authority is the most meaningful entity in Greek life, regardless of friendship or family ties. For example, even though Antigone is his son’s fiancée, Creon refuses to absolve her of her crimes because in his eyes, no one should be exempt from the law. The city-state agrees with Creon, illustrated when the chorus sings, “When he weaves in the laws of the

Jack Welch once said, “Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others”. In other words, good leaders put the needs of their citizens as top priority over themselves. At the very beginning of Antigone, Creon placed a precept over the city which prohibited anyone to bury Polynices, the son of Oedipus who brought destruction to Thebes. In a way, his law seemed reasonable but on the other hand, it also commanded what the Greek gods had forbade. Since Creon was violating the law of the gods, Antigone buried her brother despite what the king said, causing her to have an opposing opinion from Creon. In response to Antigone’s behavior, Creon planned to kill her without thorough thought. Good leaders consider different opinions and devote themselves to the needs and protection of their citizens before themselves.

In the drama Antigone, Sophocles considers the source of authority and power in society. When King Creon makes a law that forbids the burial of Antigone's brother, Polynices, she ignores the king’s authority, risks her life, and buries her brother out of loyalty to the gods. The situation leads to a conflict among the people of Thebes, Antigone, and Haemon. They must decide where their loyalty lies, and whose authority should take precedence, that of the king or that of the gods. While a number of views about the role of authority and power are expressed through characters such as Creon, Antigone, and Haemon, the drama seems to support the view that authority does not rest only with one person.

In Creon’s opening speech, Sophocles characterizes Creon as opinionated. Creon is giving a speech about how he’s going to rule, why he’s qualified to rule, explains his values and ties that to why he thinks Polyneices should not have a proper burial and Eteocles should. Creon says, “As I see it, whoever assumes the task the awesome task of setting the city’s course, and refuses to adopt the soundest policies but fearing someone, keeps his lips locked tight, he’s utterly worthless. So I rate him now, I always have. And whoever places a friend above the good of his own country, his own country, he is nothing I have no use for him” (Sophocles 198-205). Sophocles includes the word “above” in Creon’s speech because Creon is all about prioritizing and weighing the things