The story of Antigone contains many underlying themes of ethics- following them and what is really ethical. Creon, the king in the play Antigone by Sophocles, is truly an example of how complex ethics are and how complex humans are. At one quick evaluation, one might rule him as the most unethical character in the play and an example of a completely unethical person in general. However, it's more complex than that. Although he is considerably the most unethical in the play compared to other characters such as Antigone who put her family first, but I believe that Creon was somewhat ethical as well considering his point of view.
Working our way backwards, we can see that, by the end of the play, Creon made the “most ethical” choice by the standards …show more content…
Throughout the whole play, Creon is enforcing his idea that Polyneices shouldn't be buried because it was treasonous and the law stated that people who committed treason shouldn't get a proper burial. Nevertheless, he is enforcing the age old law of the time. Page 4 of Paul and Elder talks about how human ethics are ingrained- who's to say following the law no matter what is ingrained into Creon’s mind? Yet we also question if it's egocentric thinking to help himself (Paul and Elder, page 7). Creon says what he does is to help upkeep the idea of a king. But Creon discusses how he thinks people are controlled by money, too. In Scene one, he states, “CREON: No! no! I have long noted malcontents Who wagged their heads, and kicked against the yoke, Disliking these my orders, and my rule. 'Tis they, I warrant, who suborned my guards By bribes. Of evils current upon earth The worst is money.” By calling out people’s obsession and misuse of money, an unethical ideal, he is showing how he does have a concept on ethics even through his selfishness. Yet the reason they're doing things for money is due to his unethical idea that he wanted enforced, disrespecting his family by refusing to bury his nephew. It really highlights his complexity involving
Working our way backwards, we can see that, by the end of the play, Creon made the “most ethical” choice by the standards …show more content…
Throughout the whole play, Creon is enforcing his idea that Polyneices shouldn't be buried because it was treasonous and the law stated that people who committed treason shouldn't get a proper burial. Nevertheless, he is enforcing the age old law of the time. Page 4 of Paul and Elder talks about how human ethics are ingrained- who's to say following the law no matter what is ingrained into Creon’s mind? Yet we also question if it's egocentric thinking to help himself (Paul and Elder, page 7). Creon says what he does is to help upkeep the idea of a king. But Creon discusses how he thinks people are controlled by money, too. In Scene one, he states, “CREON: No! no! I have long noted malcontents Who wagged their heads, and kicked against the yoke, Disliking these my orders, and my rule. 'Tis they, I warrant, who suborned my guards By bribes. Of evils current upon earth The worst is money.” By calling out people’s obsession and misuse of money, an unethical ideal, he is showing how he does have a concept on ethics even through his selfishness. Yet the reason they're doing things for money is due to his unethical idea that he wanted enforced, disrespecting his family by refusing to bury his nephew. It really highlights his complexity involving