Creon who is the new ruler of Thebes has a sole responsibility of the welfare of the state and its people. Law and order is a main issue in relation to the welfare of the state. Only a strong state can maintain the law and order and for that, authority of the state has to be Supreme. Therefore Creon has a moral duty to maintain the authority of the State over its citizens.
After the death of Oedipus the throne of the Thebes was taken over by Creon with the help of Eteocles, who is one of the two sons of Oedipus. Polyneices, another son of Oedipus charged an attack on the Thebes to capture the city. He was confronted by his brother Eteocles who was defending the Thebes, the fight resulted into the death of both the brothers. Creon passed a decree that Eteocles who defended the city be buried with all state honours and rituals. While Polyneices, who was the aggressor be left unburied and unmourned to rot in open and be fed on by the birds and dogs. Laws of Athens did not allow a proper burial to traitors and temple robbers on the Attic …show more content…
She loved her bother Polyneices, but she feared of the laws of the heaven more than that. Her father Oedipus had met a tragic fate by defying the laws of the heaven. She knew what curses one could face, if acted against the edicts of the gods. Antigone warned to her sister Ismene that by not helping her in the burial of Polyneices she was not only inviting the hate of their dead brother but also dishonouring the sacred laws of the heaven. She claims she cares more about the dead ones than the living because she has spent rest of her time in afterlife with the dead ones. Here also it shows that she is more concerned about the displeasure of the heavenly souls than her living