I believe the director's purpose was to persuade the audience to consider the following argument: Man is given only a limited number of chances to change his unrighteous/stubborn behavior into something more righteous, just and humble. If man refuses to submit to these chances, thereby procrastinating his repentance until the end, he not only causes unnecessary suffering upon others, but also upon himself. This theme is illustrated through Creon in four ways.
Creon is given many chances throughout the film to change from stubborn tyrant to humble citizenone who is equal and open-minded with everyone else. His first opportunity to change occurs through the exchange of words he has with his son, Haemon. Haemon attempts to persuade his father to free Antigone by stimulating his mind to reason. He graciously tells his father that he respects him, and that he will submit to his will if it be just. However, Haemon does not believe his father's will is just, and attempts to open his mind to other truths that exist outside his narrow perspectivenamely, the truth of what Antigone did for her brother was noble and laudable. Haemon also gives a metaphor to what will happen to his father if he does not submit to humility: "Pliant trees survive even the fiercest storms. But rigid trees will break and collapse in the slightest wind." Even hearing the Chorus say that the words of his son are worth giving attention to, Creon is too dogmatic at this point. It's going to take a lot more to change his heart.
His second opportunity to change is given to him through Antigone's last testimony before she is sentenced to dwell forever in the cave. Feeling that death is about to overtake her, she cries out to Creon, asking him what she has done wrongwhat law she has broken. She admits that if her action is wrong, she will repent of her sins. But she also admits and prophesies that if her accuser is wrong, that the same death and curse placed upon her will also come upon him. This is a foreshadow of what was yet to take place to Creon, a man who continued to act as the rigid tree his son earlier warned him about (kind of like an Abinadi moment). Still, Creon is set in his ways and refuses to renounce his unrighteous judgments.
His third opportunity to change seems to be the most effective in softening his heart. Knowing that the prophet has never been wrong about any foretold prediction, the blind prophet foretells the terrible fate that lies at Creon's discretion if he does not change. These words carry heavy weight into Creon's heart, causing him to now consider freeing Antigone and burying Polynices.
The fourth opportunity comes from the Chorus. Upon contemplating the prophet's words, Creon announces, "Tell me what I must do and I will do it." The Chorus reproaches the king and tells him that he must free Antigone and bury Polynices in order for the curse to be removed. However, by the time he acts on this advicewhich was the advice he was given all alongit is too late. Antigone, Haemon, and his wife all end up killing themselves as a result of Creon's procrastination. He now finds himself in a world of pain, having finally learned to comply with obedience through the things in which he suffered, but was now too late to do anything about. The last scene where Creon is escorted outside the walls of the kingdom produced a haunting image for me in what will happen to those who procrastinate the day of their repentance. Those who do so will, in a like manner, be escorted outside the celestial gates by the sentinels that guard themkeeping the impure and unholy out.
Creon is given many chances throughout the film to change from stubborn tyrant to humble citizenone who is equal and open-minded with everyone else. His first opportunity to change occurs through the exchange of words he has with his son, Haemon. Haemon attempts to persuade his father to free Antigone by stimulating his mind to reason. He graciously tells his father that he respects him, and that he will submit to his will if it be just. However, Haemon does not believe his father's will is just, and attempts to open his mind to other truths that exist outside his narrow perspectivenamely, the truth of what Antigone did for her brother was noble and laudable. Haemon also gives a metaphor to what will happen to his father if he does not submit to humility: "Pliant trees survive even the fiercest storms. But rigid trees will break and collapse in the slightest wind." Even hearing the Chorus say that the words of his son are worth giving attention to, Creon is too dogmatic at this point. It's going to take a lot more to change his heart.
His second opportunity to change is given to him through Antigone's last testimony before she is sentenced to dwell forever in the cave. Feeling that death is about to overtake her, she cries out to Creon, asking him what she has done wrongwhat law she has broken. She admits that if her action is wrong, she will repent of her sins. But she also admits and prophesies that if her accuser is wrong, that the same death and curse placed upon her will also come upon him. This is a foreshadow of what was yet to take place to Creon, a man who continued to act as the rigid tree his son earlier warned him about (kind of like an Abinadi moment). Still, Creon is set in his ways and refuses to renounce his unrighteous judgments.
His third opportunity to change seems to be the most effective in softening his heart. Knowing that the prophet has never been wrong about any foretold prediction, the blind prophet foretells the terrible fate that lies at Creon's discretion if he does not change. These words carry heavy weight into Creon's heart, causing him to now consider freeing Antigone and burying Polynices.
The fourth opportunity comes from the Chorus. Upon contemplating the prophet's words, Creon announces, "Tell me what I must do and I will do it." The Chorus reproaches the king and tells him that he must free Antigone and bury Polynices in order for the curse to be removed. However, by the time he acts on this advicewhich was the advice he was given all alongit is too late. Antigone, Haemon, and his wife all end up killing themselves as a result of Creon's procrastination. He now finds himself in a world of pain, having finally learned to comply with obedience through the things in which he suffered, but was now too late to do anything about. The last scene where Creon is escorted outside the walls of the kingdom produced a haunting image for me in what will happen to those who procrastinate the day of their repentance. Those who do so will, in a like manner, be escorted outside the celestial gates by the sentinels that guard themkeeping the impure and unholy out.