Who is the unyielding king in Sophocles' Antigone?

• A. Oedipus
• B. Creon
• C. Tiresias
• D. Haemon

Answer: (B)

Creon is the unyielding king in Sophocles' Antigone. He rules Thebes and confronts any challenge to his authority with an unwavering insistence on enforcing the letter of the law. The central conflict arises when Antigone decides to bury her brother Polyneices, arguing that divine law requires burial for the dead, even if the state bans it. Creon doubles down on his edict, declaring Polyneices a traitor and punishing anyone who defies him, regardless of family ties or moral arguments. He resists pleas from his son Haemon and from the seer Teiresias, insisting that order and loyalty to the city come first. This stubborn stance—valuing human law and municipal order over personal relationships or divine duties—drives the play toward its tragic consequences, showing how inflexible leadership can lead to ruin. Oedipus is from a different play and is not the king in this story, which helps explain why Creon stands out as the unyielding ruler here.