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In the story Antigone, the King of Thebes, Creon, showed that too much power will corrupt anyone. As Creon became the one with total control, his character, judgment, and his principals deteriorated. Antigone was written by Sophocles. He did an excellent job of showing how absolute power will corrupt absolutely. Using Creon's utmost authority, Sophocles told of how everything he once stood for had crumbled.
Antigone begins by telling of a Theban royal family which is in much turmoil. There are many characters focused upon in Antigone, but only a few are worth mentioning. Antigone starts with Antigone (niece of Creon) and her sister Ismene talking about how their father Oedipus died, and because of his death, the family undertook some very hard times. Their brothers Eteocles and Polynices have just died in a fight against each other; Eteocles, fighting for the city; Polynices, fighting against the city and crowned the supposed 'traitor'. When the two died Eteocles, because he fought for the city, was given full burial rites, while Polynices was given absolutely no burial rites of any kind because he was a traitor. Creon decreed his burial forbidden along with any mourning throughout the city.
Because of the deaths of Eteocles and Polynices, Creon took his rightful seat in the throne. He insisted that the body of Polynices lay to rot for the entire city to see as a punishment to Polynices and example to all those who dare fight against Thebes. Antigone, being his sister, could not stand to see this happen. She did her best to cover her brothers body, but got caught while doing so. She then was brought before her uncle the king. She denied nothing, and was proud to admit to the crime, stating, 'Yes, because I did not believe that Zeus was the one who proclaimed it; neither did Justice, or the gods of the dead whom Justice lives among.
The laws they have made for men are well marked out. I didn't suppose your decree had strength enough, or you, who are human, to violate the lawful traditions the gods have not written merely, but made infallible. ' (550 - 558). Her stubborn uncle insisted that she pay the price for her crime, a crime which was to be punishable by death. He took her to a rocky vault and walled her inside where she was to die for her crime.
When Creon got back, his son Haemon started to argue about the fate of Antigone. Haemon was going to marry her, but now his own father wanted her dead. Haemon, therefore, vowed never to return unless his love was released. Creon refused to agree to free Antigone, so Haemon storms out, and goes to first bury Polynices, then to find Antigone. Little did he know that his efforts would fall near shy of what was necessary. When Haemon finds Antigone she had already hung herself.
Creon arrives a short while after Haemon finds his love dead only to find a thrusting sword to his chest. But Haemon misses, and resorts to killing himself. Creon's wife Eurydice hears from a messenger that her last living son killed himself and blames it on her husband. She then takes it upon herself to take her own life. Creon, being the all-knowing, arrives and acknowledges that everything is his fault and asks to be taken away. He is brought to the palace, and that is where the play ends, with Creon basically gone mad in his own doing.
Creon's leadership was hurt greatly because of his un honorable character. Creon states that there are other women for his son to love when he states "There are other fields for him to plow." (lines 642 - 643) Creon also believes that no matter what the circumstances, his son should obey his father's request. He tells of this when he says "That's how you ought to feel within your heart, subordinate to your father's will in every way." (lines 713 - 714) Creon took his power a step too far by insisting that everything be done his way, and that is one of the reasons that he fell apart as a leader. Creon also suffered from a lack of rock solid principals. When he said "I am in no mood to trade insults with a seer" (line 1168), he showed that he held himself above others as far as in importance and value. He thought himself to be a higher power and having no time for just ordinary people.
He also said "Not a word of hope-your doom is sealed" (line 1025). It is bothersome that he had the absolute lack of compassion because he said this when he was about to seal the fate of his own niece. To be a good leader, one must have rock solid principals to fall back on when necessary. Creon lost grasp of those principles, and his demise as a leader and a person in general was greatly contributed to as a result. Creon lost almost completely his sense of judgment when he became an all-powerful ruler over Thebes. There are many examples of this throughout the play.
When Creon was talking to Ismene he said "Death would do it for me-break off their marriage" (line 648), this showed that he had not only lost grip of what was important to him, but also to his family. He did not realize how bad he would hurt his family by killing Antigone, nor did he care. His hunger for power overshadowed his ability to have rational thought. He goes on to further prove that point when, at the end of the play, he states "I murdered you, my son, against my will- you too, my wife" (lines 1462 - 1463). By this statement he seems to want and take all blame for what has been done, and shows that he had little sense of judgment at the time of the incident. As a leader Creon was a lost, undefined, wreck of a man.
The power that came with his position destroyed him. He lost control of what was important to his city and his family. As he became blessed with total control his character, principals, and leadership deteriorated. In the play Creon stated "You cannot know a man completely, his character, his principals, sense of judgment, not till he's shown his true colors, ruling the people, making laws (lines 423 - 427). There is no better way to describe the reasons for the crumbling of Creon as a man than that statement. He was unable to stand-up for his own family when faced with adversity, and in the end that is what destroyed his ability to lead his city.
Sophocles made it certain that if one abused his or her power, it would bring adverse results, like what happened to Creon.
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