... view of him a positive one as he took leadership. Machiavelli in chapter two claims that the hereditary prince shall be loved more, unless extenuating circumstances cause him to be hated by his mew subjects (7), which is the case with Creon. To improve the image of his city, himself, and what is left of his nephews names, Creon claims Polyneices and the Argos army the enemies of Thebes, and glorified Etocles, giving the polis something to cling onto. Machiavelli also states that the subjects of a hereditary leader will be more 'well disposed' towards him (7), which is not the case with Creon. His mislead actions throughout the play cause him to cry out in the end "what a miserable wretch I am...on whom can I lean? Everything I touch turns against me..." (Sophocles 58) Creon's decision making was for the good of the state, but in the end ...

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