Antigone and State

As we progress into Starship Troopers, I have a couple of final points about Antigone that I'd like to make, most related to matters of citizenship, lawfulness, and state.

Two things I found highly perplexing and telling of the culture of Thebes in times of Antigone:

1) The state is the citizens.

a. On page 56, Ismene, following Antigone's impassioned speech about burying Polyneikes, says:

I don't dishonor them! But to defy the citizens is beyond what I can do.

Thus, Ismene equates defying the laws of citizens, or of the state, to the citizens themselves. She refuses to defy and counter her fellow city people and bury Polyneikes - even though Kreon was the only one to enact the ordinance.

b. The chorus themselves blame Polyneikes, on page 58, for having disturbed public peace:

He had risen and flown to our land, he had come against us (...)

Thus, although Polyneikes only tries to remove Eteokles from the throne, lawfully as decreed by his father Oedipus, he nevertheless goes against "us." In going against the state, or a state representative, he by extension contends the public of Thebes - the state is the citizens.

2) State law separates moral right from moral wrong.

a. Eteokles died in battle for the city, and, although he committed a wrong of failing to abdicate from the throne - he is honored; while Polyneikes, the rightful assailant, is condemned by Kreon (62).

That Eteokles, greatest in glory with his spear, who died in battle for this city, we will bury, we will perform all pure and proper rites ... but his brother by blood... an exile who came back... this man!: for him it has been proclaimed throughout the city that no one is permitted to honor him (...)

So, Kreon himself decides what is a sin and good deed, and this is extended all throughout the state.

Also, Polyneikes actions are viewed as a "shatter[ing] [of] laws and customs (66)," an utmost deplorable thing. Then, the Chorus states (70):

But outside any city is he who dares to consort with what is wrong: let him who might do such things not be the companion at my hearth nor have the same thoughts as I!

The Chorus itself scolds Polyneikes and expels him from its community, all for committing an accepted societal wrong, offending them by offending the city's government.

b. And, a final line (83):

The city must be obeyed in everything - in small things, and what's just, and the opposite. There is no greater evil than lack of rule.

Now, that is a rather telling line and a sweeping summary to my post. To find a strand of such similar ideology in the modern world, we'd probably have to look to dictatorial and totalitarian states. In all, frightful, repressive regimes with abysmal conditions for human life.

But these Theban Greeks (besides Antigone et family) seem pretty contented and comfortable.

How come?