¶ … play Antigone by Sophocles, Creon brings disaster upon his family because he lacks experience and does not yet know how to rule wisely. Creon becomes King of Thebes at the beginning of the play because Oedipus' two sons, who were supposed to share the throne by ruling alternate years, had a falling out. Eteocles refused to turn the throne over to his brother Polyneices. Polyneices attacked the city attempting to right this wrong. During the ensuing war, both brothers were killed by each other in battle. Creon, as their uncle and Oedipus' brother, took the throne.

But such a situation with two co-kings who ended up warring with each other left Creon with a dilemma. The people of Thebes were still uneasy, and he suspected that not everyone was ready to accept him as king. This made Creon very suspicious. He concluded that he must demonstrate his strength of will no matter how difficult it might be to maintain, setting the story up for multiple tragedies. Because of Creon's suspicions, not knowing who he could and could not trust, he let rigidity win out over reason.

One of Creon's first decrees was that since Polyneices attacked the city, he was a traitor, and not deserving of burial. His niece Antigone, brother of both the slain men, was horrified by this, believing it to go against the laws of the gods. She buried her brother, incurring the wrath of Creon, who did not think he could afford to be seen as bested by a woman and maintain his position of power. He sentenced Antigone to death for defying his order, even though she was engaged to Creon's son Haemon. By the time Creon realizes his mistake, Antigone has died,...

He knows that Thebes has been through a terrible and divisive ordeal. He believes that as King, he must be strong and resolute, unbending, and that any sign of weakness from him is likely to throw the city back into turmoil. At line 162 he says, "...the gods who heaved and tossed the city on high seas have set its affairs straight again."
He goes on to say that the people do not know him, and he has to demonstrate the kind of ruler he is. He must realize that his ruling about Polyneices is questionable, because he places guards around it, and says aloud that someone might be bribed to bury him. He wants to appear strong; but he is suspicious and does not know whom to trust.

Creon is the antagonist in the play, and Sophocles gives Creon a protagonist who will inevitably cause him to dig in his heels and become even more stubborn in his niece Antigone.

As Lines (1999) says, "Antigone stands noblest and most heroic among all the characters, defiant of man's rule and insisting on God's justice." Antigone realizes that the gods have decreed that the bodies of all people should be buried, even the bodies of one's enemies. Driven by the dual desire to show respect to her brother and honor the gods' commandments, she defies her uncle. When arrested, she is arrogant rather than penitent, and lectures him.

This only hardens Creon's resolve.…