More often than not, many different people manage to gain a substantial amount of power

ultimately leading to their own corruption. Antigone is a tale of how a king with the name of

Creon uses his power in corrupt ways, but when a woman named Antigone tries to disobey him,

his own niece, he sentences her to be executed. But when a well-known psychic tell him his

actions will lead to his death, he tries to change his ways, but when he tried to correct his doings

the psychic’s for telling came true. The story has been written as a play and made into a film,

both are extraordinarily similar while being exceptionally different at the same time. But both

show how the absolute power of being king can lead one to lose their compassion and,

eventually, their to care for another person. It goes to show how a man can be controlled by his

own might.

The power of being king corrupted Creon, he terrorizes the life of anyone who tries to

bury Polyneicês. As stated by Creon“No one shall bury him, no one mourns for him, . . . the

penalty ––Stoning to death I the public [square]”(Antigone 24). Creon threatens the lives of

those who oppose his decree, showing his abuses of power.

Creon not only sentences the life of the one who disobeys him to death, but he sentences

his own son’s fiancé to death. In the text, Ismene states”But your own son’s bride!”, then Creon

exclaims “There are places enough for him to push his plow. I want no wicked women for my

sons!”(Antigone 444-446). Once he gains his power, Creon no longer cares for what is morally

right, but only for what he wants.

 Creon is so blinded by power that he doesn’t even second guess himself until his life is

threatened. In lines 842-843 Teiresias states “The time is not far off when you shall pay back

Corpse for corpse, flesh of your own flesh”, then in lines 874-877 Creon states “I will go.

Bring axes, servants come with me to the tomb. I buried her, I will set her free”. Creon would

have no remorse for the fact he sentenced a woman to death for burying her brother and giving

him a proper burial, which is highly worshiped in their society.

Absolute power may not always corrupt absolutely, but it greatly destroyed Creon’s

morality. The story of Antigone is a tale of how a king with the name of Creon uses his power in

corrupt ways and slowly loses his morality. Creon threatens the life anyone who disobeys him,

he threatens the life of his son’s fiancé and doesn’t see how what he’s doing in wrong until his

life is threatened.