Theme Of Justice In Antigone

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A Dilemma Regarding Justice
The play, “Antigone,” by Sophocles, illustrates a handful of characters that suffer from personal dilemmas pertaining to their own specific understandings of justice. The king of Thebes, Creon, bears the most misery throughout his predicament, in which he is faced with his own morals as a ruler and a father. He grows to find that the consequences that are formed from his decisions are irreversible and predestined. Stubborn and proud, Creon argues in defense of his values and choices, yet he is ultimately left alone with the guilt of indirectly causing the deaths of Antigone, Haemon, and the Queen.
The character of Creon is introduced to readers as a cold and egotistical leader holding an abundance of pride for …show more content…
He begins his argument wisely by bending his knee to Creon and acting as an obedient son. But he swiftly grows defiant and brazen, as he too begins to question Creon’s actions and warn him against their consequences. Creon takes Haemon’s disobedience personally rather than as a political suggestion and the two end their debate on poor terms, with Haemon threatening his father with the foreshadowing of both Antigone’s death as well as his own. Teiresias, the blind prophet, is the last of Creon’s visitors, and is the ultimate cause of the ruler’s sudden change of mind towards Antigone’s fate. The mystic offers the advice of the gods, which Creon has respected and used in the past. He is therefore distressed once Teiresias claims that his destiny will bring both agony and pain. Once again, the King takes the warning as a personal attack, and accuses the old man of purposefully lying. His antagonizing nature is balanced by that of Teiresias, who forces Creon to acknowledge the impact of the visions upon Thebes. After making his case, advising his sovereign to free Antigone, and leaving, Creon is left in a panicked state. He is fearful and confused, “ To yield is hard, and yet resistance means being crushed by ruin.” Though Creon’s logic is strong and holds a great weight upon him, he is emotionally drawn to Tieiresias’ words. With the guidance of the Choral Leader,
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