Antigone Vs. Creon
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“Morality is always the product of terror; its chains and strait-waistcoats are fashioned by those who dare not trust others, because they dare not trust themselves, to walk in liberty,” writes author Aldous Huxley. In “Antigone” the root of Creons immoral behavior is not an inability to distinguish between what is wrong and what is right, but, rather, a fear or a terror of what may occur if he were to choose the morally right way to operate. “Very well, I am afraid, then. Does that satisfy you? I am afraid that if you insist upon it, I shall have you killed. And I dont want to (46).” Antigone acts in the complete opposite manner to Creon. She, as Creon can, is able to differentiate from right and wrong and is not afraid of the consequences of what acting on her morals may bring. These consequences have almost a reverse effect when compared with Creon; when faced with the consequences, she expects them and is almost too willing to deal with them. “You are mistaken. Quite the contrary. I never doubted for an instant you would have me put to death (41).”
In “Antigone”, the characters of Creon and Antigone stand for two completely different, completely opposite, feelings and belief systems. Creon stands for numbness; a numbness that encompasses what he does, how he copes with what he does, and his morals. “Kings, my girl, have other things to do than to surrender themselves to their private feelings (42).” Creon does not bother himself with what he personally thinks is right or wrong, he detaches himself from his state of being as a person and creates just the entity “Creon the King”. This way he, Creon, never encounters or solves any moral dilemmas for he has “Creon the King” for that. Antigone on the other hand, represents strong ethics, courage, and righteousness: “alive” to Creons numb. “I didnt say “yes”. I can say no to anything I think vile, and I dont have to count the cost. But because you said yes, all that you can do, for all your crown and trappings, and your guards- all that you can do is to have me killed (45).” She is alive to what happens in her surroundings; reacting with every move. Creon is almost on a sort of monarchical autopilot. Antigone responds to events; strictly adhering to her moral code. Her moral code dictates how she reacts to her surroundings, and she does not faД§ade her feelings or attempt to hide her actions. Quite simply, she accepts the consequences of her actions.
Creons judgment is presented as the “right” way to act when it is through doing wrong that this right is accomplished. Creon knows the difference between right and wrong and chooses wrong while Antigone knows the difference as well but chooses right over wrong. In the end Creon is a sort of triumphant hero as he is the only one left standing, and everyone else is dead. The philosophy that Creon uses illustrates that choosing wrong over right and immorality over morality is the way to keep on living. By choosing numbness one realizes that, “Life is nothing more than the happiness you get out of it (51).”
Antigone and Creon though oceans apart ideologically