Creon exiled Oedipus from Thebes after Oedipus killed his father and married his mother. Creon also declared that Polyneices would not receive a proper burial
because he committed treason against his own city
.
What are Creon’s motivations?
In Antigone, Creon is motivated primarily by
a desire to maintain control of Thebes
.
What is Creon’s motivation for forbidding Polyneices burial?
After their death, Creon, brother of Jocasta, ascended to the throne of Thebes and he decreed that
Polyneices’ corpse was not to be buried or even mourned because he betrayed his own country
. Leaving someone unburied was considered as the ultimate disgrace.
What does Creon believe about the burial of Polyneices?
So his immediate reaction to the news of Polyneices’ burial is to
assume that one of the sentries has been bribed
. In Creon’s fevered imagination, that’s the only rational explanation for why someone would go against his wishes. In Antigone, Creon believes that one of the sentries has buried the body of Polyneices.
What is revealed about Creon’s values and motivations?
Creon’s motivation is
to uphold the state above all else
. The rule of law supersedes all other considerations. Polyneices, though a member of his family, broke the law when he rebelled.
What are Antigone’s reasons for rejecting Creon’s order?
Antigone’s
strong belief in standing up for family and her religious beliefs
are the two factors that influenced her decision to break Creon’s law and bury her brother.
What is the most wonderful of all the world’s wonders?
Man
is the most wonderful of all the world’s wonders. Of all the winds, man has made himself secure against all except one.
Should Polyneices be buried?
While it is true that Polyneices was a betrayer who went to war with his own country,
it does not necessarily follow that he does not deserve to be buried
. … Even though Creon is a king of Thebes, he has no right to deny Polyneices’ burial because it is up to God to decide the rest of Polyneices’ way.
Why does Creon finally want to free Antigone and allow her to bury Polyneices?
Creon believes that
if Antigone is allowed to starve to death
, he and the state are not really killing her, and the gods will not be angry with him. … They think Creon is being too harsh, and that he should allow Antigone to bury her brother.
Why does Antigone argue that Polyneices deserves to be buried properly?
Antigone believes that Polyneices should be buried because he is her brother, and Creon believes he should not be buried because he is a traitor. Why does Antigone believe that Polyneices deserves a proper burial?
Because he fought just as bravely as Eteocles and he is her brother
.
Who does Creon initially blame for the burial of Polyneices?
The sentry tells the Chorus that
Antigone
is the culprit in the illegal burial of Polynices and calls for Creon. When Creon enters, the sentry tells him that after he and the other sentries dug up the rotting body, a sudden dust storm blinded them.
Who tells Creon that someone has buried the body of Polyneices?
Teiresias, the blind seer
, enters and tells Creon about sinister omens recently seen, and about other signs indicating that the gods are angry with Thebes. Teiresias advises Creon to change his mind about burying Polynices (998-1033).
What was the original punishment planned for the person who was found to have buried Polyneices?
When Creon came to power, he decreed that since Polyneices was technically a traitor for fighting against Thebes, his body should rot in the street without a proper burial. If anyone was to bury the body, the punishment would be
death
.
What is Creon’s personality?
Creon is powerfully built, but
a weary and wrinkled man suffering the burdens of rule
. A practical man, he firmly distances himself from the tragic aspirations of Oedipus and his line. As he tells Antigone, his only interest is in political and social order.
What are Creon’s beliefs and values?
Creon is king and what he says goes. He’s given a very specific order, and he expects it to be obeyed without question: Polyneices’s body must be left to rot out in the open, and woe betide anyone who tries to bury it. Creon, like Antigone, also believes that
he’s faithfully carrying out the will of the gods
.
What are Creon’s strengths and weaknesses?
On the basis of scene 1, how would you characterize Creon’s strengths and weaknesses as a leader. I would characterize his strengths of setting rules, proving himself powerful, and attempting to have his people trust him, but his weaknesses are that
he is acting like a dictator and is controlling the people of Thebes
.
