Antigone: Learning From Other's Mistakes Essay

Learning from Others Mistakes

Learning from one's own mistakes and the errors of others can be a useful tool in avoiding the consequences of poor judgement in one's life. In Sophocles play, Antigone, Kreon could have used this tool, but chose not to with disastrous results. Kreon took over the throne after Oedipus was banished. While ruling, Kreon is faced with an issue of burying two bodies, both are his nephews. Both died in war, but one, Eteocles, died for Kreons kingdom and the other, Polynices, for the enemy. Kreon chose to leave Polynices to rot and bury Polynices (41). The gods did not approve of this and Kreon knew this from the same prophet Oedipus chose to ignore.

There are many similarities between Kreon and Oedipus. They both became rulers without being in line to take the thrown and when they became rulers they became power struck. When they had their power their families took the back seat and were not important in the lives of Kreon and Oedipus. Kreon and Oedipus blamed the prophet for taking bribes or conspiracy. Oedipus struggles happened before Kreons and Kreon was with Oedipus at the time Oedipus began to start his down fall, which leads to the question. Why did Kreon not learn from Oedipus mistakes?

Kreon chose to ignore family in the midst of ruling a kingdom just as Oedipus did. When Kreon was faced with the decision of what to do with the bodies he ignored what the gods and family wanted. They wanted both bodies to be buried, even though one was for the enemy. Kreon states, An enemy is not a friend, even in death (54). This is referring to Polynices being dead and Kreon states this while arguing with Antigone about burying Polynices. Antigone makes the argument that the gods want the body to be buried and they do not care whether it is for good or bad, they believe everybody deserves a proper burial. Kreon disagrees with this saying, But good and bad should not share them equally (54). He disagrees with Antigone and the gods because he believes only the good should be buried.

Kreon is told by the prophet Tirisias that the gods do not approve of him not burying Polynices body (75-76). This does not sit well with Kreon. He did not like what the prophet had to say. Kreon told the prophet, Even your prophetic skill is used against me (76). At the time Kreon did not like that the prophet was also going against his decision not to bury the body. Kreon thinks the prophet has been taking bribes from people like Antigone to persuade him to bury the body (77). This feeling does not last long with Kreon. Kreon is told that if he does not obey the gods his own son will die (64). This is what changes Kreons mind, but it is too late.

Like Oedipus, Kreons decisions led to many severe consequences. Kreon finally made the decision to free Antigone and bury Polynices, but he was too late. A messenger came to inform Kreon of Antigone hanging herself to prove a point (81). The point she was getting across was the one she said to her sister earlier in the play stating, Yes bury my own brotherand yours tooif youre not willing. I will not be caught in treachery (35). She was determined to bury her brother and honor the gods to the point where she did not care if she died as well.

Kreon loses his son as well. Haimon, Kreons son, was supposed to marry Anitgone (60). Haimon did everything in his power to change his fathers mind to let Antigone live. So spit that girl away just like an enemy, and let her marry someone else, in Hades house (61). This was said by Kreon to his son while they were arguing over Antigone. Kreon was too stubborn to listen to his own son at first, but changed his mind later when it was too late. After Antigone killed herself, Haimon took it upon himself to show his father up and he too committed suicide (82).

The consequence ball kept on rolling further when Kreons wife learned of Haimons death. Eurydice, Kreons wife, overheard the messenger talking to Kreon about something evil that had happened in the house, but she did not know that the evil was her sons death (81). After hearing the news of her son she left and went into the palace with her maids. She said nothing when she left and this left Kreon and the messenger suspicious. The messenger left to check things out and came back saying, Your wife is deadin truth the mother of this corpseunhappy woman, killed just now by fresh-struck blows (86). Kreon was deeply hurt by this and realized the terrible things his actions have brought upon him.

Kreon clearly could not handle the pressure of being a ruler. The pressure was too much for him. He thought he could make decisions against what the gods wanted. Just like Oedipus, Kreon realizes that his head was not in the right place. He realizes his losses when he states, ah, wretched I am! I cannot look toward either one. Nowhere can I lean for support (88). The chorus sums up where Kreon went wrong by stating,

Sound thought is by far the foremost rule of happiness; when we deal with the gods we should never act with irreverence. Mighty words of boastful men are paid for with mighty blows which teach sound thinking at last in old age (89).