Essay: Steven Segal and Creon

Steven Seagal once said, “I’ve always tried to avoid politics, because most politicians that I know are quite dirty in terms of human dignity, ethics, and morals.” Unlike Seagal, Creon establishes those political rules without taking into consideration morals, ethics, and dignity.
Sophocles’ Antigone emphasizes the consequences of a ruler’s abuse of power, revealing how power should appropriately be used. Creon’s need for power causes him to disrespect a religious tradition, lose his relationship with his son, and also his family. Creon’s actions show how his obsession with power causes him hardships and eventually leads to his downfall.
Creon’s decree goes against the laws of the gods and the religious beliefs of Greeks He challenges the tradition of burial rites for the dead. He believes that he must make a point with this decree to prove he is a powerful leader. By this, he hopes that the citizens will understand that they must abide by the laws or they will be punished similarly to Polyneices. Not burying the dead is seen as a sign of disrespect, which is why Antigone opposes Creon so strongly. She says, “You’ve made your choice, but I will bury him. I will welcome death in doing it (Sophocles 4).” Antigone is willing to die to make sure her brother is buried so he can may be properly honored. A religious tradition that holds an amplitude of importance is neglected in Creon’s obsession to prove to his people that he is a fit ruler. Being buried is seen as a way of crossing to the underworld, where that person’s soul may be at rest. If Polyneices is not buried, his soul would restlessly wander the earth. Antigone wants to fight for her brother so that he may be at peace in death and not continue to suffer after he’s died.
A consequence of Creon’s abuse of power is the distance he creates between his son and him. Creon ignores any advice he gets from his son as well as the blind man. Before Creon heeds his son’s warning, Haemon tells his father, “Always still, my father. And I am still your son. I am guided by the wisdom of your judgement. No marriage can outweigh the worth of your good government (Sophocles 26).” This ignorance damages his relationship with his son. When Haemon kills himself, he is acting without caring what his father thinks or feels. Because of Creon’s obsession with power, he has lost his relationship with his son, who no longer looks up to him as a role model. Another person who attempts to give Creon consultation is the blind man, Tiresias. The blind man is able to “see more” than Creon can and is a symbol for how Creon’s lust for power blinds him to the consequences of his actions and the emotions of others. Tiresias knows that Creon is overstepping his place as a ruler and that he will suffer because of his actions if he doesn’t stop.
Another consequence of Creon’s lust for power is that he loses his family. His wife is so distraught after their son kills himself, that she also takes her life. Creon is left without a family and finally realizes the effects of his hunger for power. He understands that he has taken things too far, but has no way of reversing his actions or the effect they had on the people around him. He must live with the aftermath of his behavior. When he comes to this realization, he says, “It is my guilt, What remains of me is nothing (Sophocles 57).” He left with nothing but the guilt of his actions and must continue to live with this remorse.
Creon’s need for power causes him to disrespect a religious tradition, lose his relationship with his son, and also his family. In Sophocles’ Antigone, the consequences of a ruler’s abuse of power are reviewed, revealing how power should correctly be used. Creon suffers as a consequence of his lust for power, including losing his family and disrespecting a sacred tradition, which causes his downfall.