Реферат: Antigone And Power Essay Research Paper Power

that he would listen to any advice they gave him because that was what a good

ruler should do. However, this was not how he reacted when Kreon heard that

somebody buried Polyneices? body. While he was talking to the senate, a sentry

came in and told Kreon that Polyneices? body had been buried.

??…somebody up and buried the corpse and went off: sprinkled dust over it

and did the ceremonies you?re supposed to?? (310-312). Kreon got very

angry and threatened to kill the sentry if he didn?t find the culprit who had

buried the body. Kreon thought that all of the sentries were bribed into not

telling him who was the culprit (372-391). Koryphaios suggested that the gods

might have had buried the body: ??My lord, we have been considering whether

a god might not have done this?? (350-351). Just like a dictator, as if he

knew the actions of the gods, he declared that it was impossible for the gods to

honor (bury) criminals (363-364). He defied what Koryphaios had said and just

declared that the gods would never bury Polyneices, and he got his way. Before,

Kreon had said that a good ruler like himself would listen to people, but Kreon

did not do that. He went against what he had said. This showed that Kreon was

very hypocritical, and he always only declared what he thought was right. Some

time passed, and the sentry came in the palace with Antigone, who had buried

Polyneices out of sheer respect. Kreon asked her if she really went against the

decree, and Antigone denied nothing. ?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) Antigone said that the choice of burying Polyneices or

not was not in the hands of humans. When a person died, the gods expected the

body to be buried so that they could take it to the underworld. A dead body was

the property of the gods. Burial was a tradition the gods had set for the

people, and it was to be be continued. Kreon acted selfishly, abused his power,