Would you consider a judge a murderer for sentencing a criminal to death? Would you love a man who killed your family? Would you attack the only person dedicated to protecting you? These are the questions that today face the jury, as they decide whether or not they will stand by Creon, the king of our city, and his actions on that fateful day. We all remember what happened on that day. One week ago, Creon set forth the law that no person could bury Polyneices, in an attempt to preserve the honor of the Thebans who fell in combat. However, Creon ordered the entombment of Antigone when she broke this law, resulting in her decision to hang herself. Thus, we are here today to determine whether Creon is innocent of the crimes with which he has been charged. The
…show more content…
In short, the responsibility of a king is to work for the good of his own people. His “Thebes-first” mentality was applied into the afterlife, as he valued the burial and honor of Thebans over their enemies. Here, he is clearly working for the good of the Thebans. Because he followed his responsibility to his people and defended the city and its interests above all else, Creon and his actions were morally justified. In this case, Creon was defending the Thebans’ afterlives, as it is in the best interest of Thebes to see its own soldiers honored after death. The prosecution’s charge that Creon did not have the moral authority to execute Antigone is patently false, because the law itself was morally justified, as I have just explained. By breaking the law, Antigone left Creon no choice but to punish her. Creon’s innocence lies in the fact that he is not a murderer’s, but a man who fulfilled his moral responsibility to his people. Thus, I urge the jury to vote for his acquittal. Furthermore, besides defending the dead, Creon also defended the living. Creon’s stated goal was to allow the city to “[ride] safe and sound...and thus will [he] maintain/ Our city’s greatness” (9),
In short, the responsibility of a king is to work for the good of his own people. His “Thebes-first” mentality was applied into the afterlife, as he valued the burial and honor of Thebans over their enemies. Here, he is clearly working for the good of the Thebans. Because he followed his responsibility to his people and defended the city and its interests above all else, Creon and his actions were morally justified. In this case, Creon was defending the Thebans’ afterlives, as it is in the best interest of Thebes to see its own soldiers honored after death. The prosecution’s charge that Creon did not have the moral authority to execute Antigone is patently false, because the law itself was morally justified, as I have just explained. By breaking the law, Antigone left Creon no choice but to punish her. Creon’s innocence lies in the fact that he is not a murderer’s, but a man who fulfilled his moral responsibility to his people. Thus, I urge the jury to vote for his acquittal. Furthermore, besides defending the dead, Creon also defended the living. Creon’s stated goal was to allow the city to “[ride] safe and sound...and thus will [he] maintain/ Our city’s greatness” (9),