reon. Antigone voices this opinion to her sister, "It is against you and me he has made this order, yes against me." . With both the will of god and the rights of her citizenship as her defense, she goes to die by the order of Creon. Even as Antigone is taken away, she remains certain her decision is the right one. Her last words are, "Go I, his prisoner, because I honoured those things in which honour truly belongs." Creon's actions, although seemingly savage and unjust, can easily be justified within the culture of the Greek city-state. In this society, freedom and leisure time were enjoyed with the assumption that when the time came, every able bodied man would be willing to fight for his people. Indeed, political leaders and local authority figures were usually heroes of war. A policy Creon wholeheartedly endorses, "Alive or dead, the faithful servant of his country shall be rewarded." But Creon seems to take his loyalty a step further, perhaps to set the standard for the remainder of his term in office. It is in one of his first orations as king that he says, "As God is my witnessno man who is his countries enemy shall call me a friend." . It is clear that he aims to establish himself as a true patriot of the state. In this fiery speech Creon also foreshadows the tragic end, "I have always held the viewthat a kingunwilling to seek advice, is damned." , advice he would have done well to take himself. In trying to impress his citizens it seems Creon's judgment becomes clouded and he construes the Greek ideal of loyalty into a liscence to do whatever he wants and disregard the will of the people, who are who he is supposed to serve in this "ideal" society.The tragic ending of "Antigone" seems to make it pretty clear which side of the argument Sophocles is taking up. The play ends with Creon riddled with guilt, ready to die. "I am nothing. I have no life. Lead me awaymy hands have done amiss, my head is bowed" , he say...
