Theban King Creon thinks that kingship means rule by and for the monarch alone. A king's subjects indeed are subject to the king's decisions, opinions and views. No one can have any influence on or input into the royal decisionmaking process. So the King thinks that kingship means strict, punitive rule over the people. A king's subjects must lead their lives in fear and respect of the monarch and his laws. The two givens in the life of the city are the severity of the law and the sureness of punishment. And the King thinks that kingship means neverending vengeance against enemies and neverending vigilance against challenges and threats. A king's subjects face the denial of all rights, privileges and honors in life and death if they dare to disagree, disappoint or disrespect the monarchy. The enmities and hatreds of a lifetime carry on in the mistreatment of the dead and of all succeeding generations.