Corrupting nature of power essay

Corrupting Nature of Power

It is in the nature of human beings to exploit power whenever it is obtained. The most obvious reason is to fulfill the greed for material items and selfish gains. Sophocles, an ancient Greek playwright, demonstrates this flaw in human nature and its consequences through the character Creon in his plays, “Antigone” and “Oedipus the King”. In the first play, “Oedipus the King,” Creon acts with knowledge and understanding; however, when he is crowned the king of Thebes in “Antigone,” he falls into the darkness of corruption. This change in Creon illustrates the destructive force of power even on those who vowed to resist it. Creon’s corruption is evident through his new attitude toward the gods and his extremely unjust persecution of Antigone.

Before Creon was crowned king, he revered the gods with the utmost respect, consulting them first to restore peace to Thebes. The foremost news that Creon informs Oedipus is, “…this is what the god has said,/The Prince Apollo openly enjoins on us/to sever from the body politic/a monstrous growth that battens there”(8). Creon demonstrates his admiration of the gods by telling Oedipus the gods’ opinion first, when he could have easily explained his own. Creon’s outlook of the gods alters immediately when he becomes king however. The primary indication of Creon’s corruption is his decision to leave Polyneices unburied and unable to be judged by the gods in Hades. The gods that were once worshipped and praised by Creon are now disrespected. Creon’s insolence and stubbornness is shown when he says, “Not even if Zeus’s eagles come, and fly away/ with carrion morsels to their master’s throne. /Even such a threat of such a taint/ will not will this body burial.”(237). Creon is saying that no matter what the gods do or say will change his mind about the burial of Polyneices.

When Tiresias arrives to give a prophecy to Creon, he welcomes him with open arms; however the instant Creon dislikes what he hears, he rebukes and mocks Tiresias. His ignorance is portrayed when he says, “As prophets do - a money-grubbing race.” (238). Creon accuses Tiresias, whom he once came to for aid, of selling his prophecies. In “Oedipus the King”, Creon goes to Tiresias to help Oedipus, but when he is the one being criticized, he does not listen. He does not acknowledge the fact that Tiresias had been right about Oedipus’s fate and does not heed his warnings until it is too late. Enraged by the extensive amount of impiety, the gods punish Creon with a gruesome fate, but not before Creon makes a second monumental mistake.

The second of Creon’s two epic mistakes is his decision to lock Antigone in a cell to die. Antigone makes her defense when she says, “Naturally! Since Zeus never promulgated such a law, /Nor will you find that Justice, /Mistress of the world below, /publishes such laws to humankind.”(210). She is saying that the gods make the laws, not Creon, and Polyneices should be buried because that is what the gods want. However, Creon is ignorant and too prideful of himself to listen. During his dispute with Antigone, Creon uses exceedingly racist terms toward women. He becomes so corrupted with pride that he degrades women to a level lower than that of slaves when he says, “One who has no more authority than a common slave/can ill afford to put on airs.”(211). He is basically saying that women have as much authority in society as a slave. After Creon made two very questionable decisions, his fate is in the gods’ hands and it begins to unfold.

In ancient Greece, it is believed that the gods have absolute control over the human world, giving justice to those who live a righteous life and punishing those who lived wrongly. Corruption leads Creon to receive punishment. After gaining the throne of Thebes, his mind becomes filled with ignorance and insolence. Disrespecting the gods’ judgment by not burying Polyneices and ignoring the prophecies of their prophet were the result of his corruption. Also, he exploited his power by persecuting Antigone. His laws were only passed to satisfy his own selfishness. Creon is too arrogant to distinguish his flaws because of the blindness of power and the hunger of greed. Enraged, the gods punish Creon with a gruesome fate. Antigone, Haemon, and Eurydice all commit suicide. Having been a puppet of his crown, Creon ended up being overwhelmed by power just like those before him.