Abuse of Power in Modern Day Society 

Antigone, a play by Sophocles includes many controversial topics. Even though this play was written numerous years ago the controversial topics are still evident in today’s society. One of the controversial topics that is discussed in Antigone that is still evident in today’s society is the abuse of power from leaders. This can be seen in today’s society through the president, police, and many other people who have powerful roles in the workplace or even life. The abuse of power from people with powerful roles is evident in today’s modern day society.

In Antigone, Sophocles has a character, Creon, who abuses his power, as king. Creon wants things to be his way or the highway, meaning that everything has to go just how he wants it to or bad things may happen. This can be seen in today’s modern day society from someone who has a position almost like a king, the president, Trump. In the play Creon is having a conversation with a guard. Creon says “Stop, before you say something to really anger me and show yourself old and foolish… I will say an oath before you: unless you find the culprit of this tomb and bring him before these eyes of mine, Death alone will not protect you: you’ll all be hanged alive to demonstrate your insolent crime” (Sophocles, lines 288-319). Creon is mad because someone buried Polyneices despite saying that he shouldn’t be buried, because he is a traitor. He then takes his anger out on a guard and threatens his life.

Creon abuses his power by threatening the guard’s life, because someone went against his orders. In “Trump’s declassification order is an obvious abuse of presidential power” it talks about how trump uses his powerful position in the wrong ways. Trump has also abused his power by threatening someone to get his way. Not a deadly threat but nevertheless a threat. He threatened Mr.Ohr, “Mr.Ohr interacted with Christopher Steele, a former British spy, during the 2016 campaign who created allegations against Trump. Which brought concerns to the FBI. Trump threatened to revoke Mr.Ohr’s servility clearance and appears determined to publicly humiliate him” (Board). This is an abuse of Trump’s power because Mr.Ohr had information on Trump that he didn’t want to get out. So Trump used his presidential power and said he would embarrass Ohr publicly and take away his security access. Both Creon, from Antigone, and Trump abuse the power they get from their position, threatening someone who doesn’t have as much power as them. Leaders abusing their power is seen in Antigone and modern day society. Threatening someone’s life isn’t the only time Creon is seen abusing his power. Creon can also be seen abusing his power when he’s talking to Tiresias.

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