Do Sophocles Plays Support the Idea of Democracy - Essay Example

All democratic acts are regarded as tyranny against the state and thus, punishable. The first instance is made in reference to the burial of the two brothers of Antigone. Eteocles who was not honorable by Greek standards was given a respectful burial but Polyneices, who was considered an honorable man was denied the right to a respectful burial (Butler, 2000). The play begins at this instance when Antigone is pleading with her sister Ismene to help her bury their brother regardless of Creon’s orders. Ismene refused to help as she is afraid of the law as declared by Creon. She confesses to her sister that, “I yield to those who have authority” (line 67). She states that the divine law that allows her to give a befitting burial and respect the dead was being taken away from her and she strongly decided to respect the law of the gods as they were conflicting with those of Creon. In lines 453-55, she says,

“Nor could I think that a decree of yours
A man—could override the laws of Heaven
Unwritten and unchanging.”
Even though Antigone is aware that being disobeying Creon’s orders will cost her life, she cannot risk disobeying the gods. She says that she is not afraid of Creon’s wrath than she is of “the gods’ tribunal” (458).

There is no democracy in Antigone as the whole state is in an uproar over the wicked reign of Creon asking. He has become very unpopular and people are just tired of him, even his son, Haemon who he has always considered very obedient has resorted to mocking him. Creon is not even moved when Teiresias approaches him to tell him what people in town are saying about him. Creon believes that the state is more supreme than all the people in Thebes and as a ruler, he makes the decisions for the benefit of the state as his will sovereign. In lines 188-190, he says,

“It is the city that protects us all,
She bears us through the storm; only when she
Rides safe and sound can we make loyal friends.”

Democracy means that the rule doesn’t discriminate between genders but in Antigone, women are not given a chance before men (Ruthann, 2007). When Antigone's brothers died, Creon took the crown because he was a male relative that was closest to the two brothers. The two brothers were supposed to jointly rule Thebes as they had promised their father Oedipus but ended up killing each other leaving the crown. It is clear that Eteocles and Polyneices were undemocratic as they could have agreed to share power instead of fighting for the throne.

Furthermore, they would have proposed some vote as it is proper in democratic rule and the winner would have taken the throne. Moreover, if there was democracy in Antigone, there would have been no need to pass the crone to Creon as Antigone would have become the Queen as the immediate family to the dead brothers. This is especially since she had proven to be a more democratic, loyal, and more reasonable person than Creon, and she would have been a better ruler. However, there lacks of democracy in Antigone as Creon explicitly states that, “[w]hile I live a woman shall not rule!”(60).

Due to a lack of democracy, Antigone and his brothers end up dead as well as his son Haemon. At the end of the play, Creon realizes that he needs people to help him lead in a democratic way. He acknowledges his son’s advice that there is no one-man state as there will be no people to listen to him or to rule. If no o e agrees to listen or agree on something with him as a ruler, then his decisions and rule make him just a man as opposed to a leader of a republic. Read More