Creon presents his speech in a logical step by step explaining every action he took or will be taken. On page 159 were his speech begins, he starts his speech by showing off how his son is so loyal and obedient. He is trying to make a positive impression toward the chorus. I think he is implying that he runs the household efficiently, so why would he have problems running the state if he would run the state has his own household. Creon differentiates his boy, prince, to any other boy in Thebes. “A father whose sons yield no such profits”, is contrasting with Haemon which will be prepared to fight Creons enemies.
Creon quickly and discreetly changed the topic on the present events which is Antigone. He tells his son to get rid of her, “split her out like poison”. His misogynistic advice is for Haemon not to marry her and let her die for her actions against him and the state. This is an explanation to his view and action of the situation. In his speech there are a lot of repetition involving loyalty and untrustworthy. As I was reading his speech over and over I got the impression he was turning the state his own, in other words changing the city from a democracy to a dictatorship.
He continues with what the state will be without him, without law and order. He uses a metaphor of an army standing strong and an army weak, indiscipline, anarchy, and disobedient. It is true that if the regiment “knows nothing, and needs to know nothing, and wins, and saves millions of honest people”, makes you wonder at what cost. Its to good to be true, I think if he is trying to refer to the death of Antigone to the matter, and personally thinking that setting this kind of example will help regain his authority and pride, I think he is making a big mistake because he will only scare the chorus and make them sycophant, which they already are.
He tells the people to listen to him and everything will improve, he makes it look like he will make miracles like gods, therefore increasing his power and capabilities. In those days it was regarded as disloyal to the gods, I think this is ironic because the whole point of Creons speech is about loyalty, and for leaving Polyneice’s body left to rote, which is disloyal, contradicting himself without realizing it.
