Differences Between Creon And Antigone

Both Creon and Antigone Display Heteronomous Moral reasoning Heteronomous reasoning is apparent in both Creon and Antigone in the beginning of the tragedy. Though the set of laws they are following is different, both Creon and Antigone treat the law as an external force. They uphold their laws with little regard to the negative consequences to themselves and other individuals. For Antigone her absolute law emanates from the gods. For Creon it is the head of state. He believes that “the man the city places in authority, his orders must be obeyed, large and small, write and wrong” (Sophocles 48-50). Once his law has been set down it is an entity of its own. Its interpretation would be literal and its punishment absolute.

Though some may argue

These two characters are Antigone’s sister Ismene and her cousin\fiancé Haemon. Ismene displays autonomy because she assess the situation. She weighs the risks of breaking Creon’s law for both herself and her sister. She asks Antigone “ What’s the risk?”(Sophocles 51). Her asking of this question wasn’t cowardice, but rather the ability to consider the positive and negative consequences of the action (Kirkpatrick 402). She does so because she is not only looking out for her own welfare but the welfare of her sister. She says she is “so afraid for [Antigone]” (96). Ismene acknowledges that the law was arbitrary and unjustified. She agrees with Antigone and believes that if Antigone breaks the law she is justified. For Ismene her reluctance is based on the possible outcomes to her sister. In Ismene’s mind her sister's life is more valuable than making a statement against the law of Creon. She recognizes that how her uncle upholds the law and feels that it would be wrong to encourage her sister in an endeavor that could cost her and her sister’s life. In doing so Ismene is displaying internalization and autonomy, because she is considering the consequences to her sister and comes to the conclusion that it is a greater injustice for Antigone to die arbitrarily when for her brother. Ismene when Antigone cannot be dissuaded from her quest cautions her to be

Haemon knows his father is not being reasonable. Though he disagrees with him he tells him that he is loyal and that his advice is sound (Sophocles 710-712). He however only does this to get his father to lower his guard so he can be persuaded. Haemon tells his father that “only the gods endow a man with reason” (764). He tries to persuade his father by making him away that the other people of the kingdom disagree with his law and his severity. Haemon is thinking using the concept that the law is made for the welfare of the people. He also lists motivations for Antigone’s actions. The case he makes to his father is based on autonomous morality. Creon does not heed his advice, but rather dismisses Haemon as a boy who doesn’t know anything and doesn’t have any authority. He is still reasoning in his heteronomous