had disobeyed them because of a decree made by a mortal king. The loss of a brother is greater to Antigone then the lose of any other kind. She says, "For had I lost a son, or lost a husband, Never would I have ventured such an act against the city's will. And wherefore so? My husband dead, I might have found another; Another son from him if I had lost A son. But since my mother and father have both gone to the grave, there can be none Henceforth that I can ever call my brother". To Antigone this is another reason to honor her brother; as she honors her brother she is honoring her mother and father as well. Creon, being a new king, wants to prove his abilities as king. He is being harsh, so the people of Thebes don't take him for an easy king and other problems arise. Creon feels that if someone dishonors the city in which he rules they must be punished. If Polyneices is not punished then Creon's power may be taken for granted by the people of Thebes. They would think of him as a weak king who can be dishonored without fear of punishment. Creon wants to be respected and feared as a king because this will give him more power. He does not want to be a bad king, using his power for evil things, but a strong king. However in order to be a strong king, one must be strict and firm in one's decisions. That is the kind of king that Creon is. Creon is a strong king because Thebes is important to him. He wants to be respected. He also wants Thebes to be a great city. Antigone and Creon have different ideas of what is right and what is wrong. However one cannot say who is right and who is wrong, that would be a matter of opinion. Both Antigone and Creon have their reasons for their actions. Antigone has the laws of heaven as well as her family in mind; on the other hand, Creon's concern is his city and its greatness. In “An Enemy of the people” by Henrik Ibsen, Doctor Stockman loses the respect of the community as well. In this sto...
