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Conflict between creon and antigone in sophocles
Conflict between creon and antigone in sophocles
Antigone Creon
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For entertainment in early times of civilization, people wrote plays. This was because there was not any advanced technology, and there was not a lot to do so the people needed a distraction. For example, a playwright named Sophocles wrote a well know tragic play called, Antigone. The entire work is about the king, Creon, who decides to not bury a traitor named Polyneices, whom has a sister named Antigone. Later in the play, Antigone goes against Creon’s rule, and buries her brother. Creon becomes so enraged he decides to kill Antigone, but his son Haimon is supposed to marry her. Instead of killing her, Creon decides to lock Antigone away. However Antigone commits suicide, and upon finding out, Haimon tries to impale Creon but falls on the …show more content…
For example in his decree, he states, “His brother Polyneices who broke his exile to come back with fire and sword against his native city... whose one idea was to spill the blood of his blood and sell his own people into slavery- Polyneices I say is to have no burial,” (1.1.165-166, 168-170). Creon declares that Polyneices shall not be buried because of his actions against the city. His brother, Eteocles, however was able to get buried because he fought for the city and not against it. If Polyneices had fought with the city he would have the same fate, but in turn Creon wanted revenge, so he would not allow the traitor an honorable burial. Creon had wanted revenge because of Polyneices’ action against the city. In the play he tells Haimon,“I will carry her far away/ Out there in the wilderness, and lock her/ Living in a fault of stone. She shall have food,/ As the custom is, to absolve the state of her death/ And there let her pray to the gods of hell,” (1.3.632-636). After arguing with Haimon about Antigone’s execution, he decides to lock her away. Antigone went against Creon’s decree so he felt very disrespected and wanted to make an example out of her. Other people living in the city would realize that they can defy him as well, which is why Creon has to lock Antigone away. Based on the evidence, it clearly represents Creon’s bias
Furthermore, Creon is loyal to the state because he follows its laws. When he finds out that his niece, Antigone, is the one who disobeyed his authority and buried Polynices, he follows the law and orders to have her stoned even though she is part of his family and was soon to be married to his son, Haemon. Although it could be argued that Creon did go against his decree and changed his heart later in the play, he was too late because Antigone hangs herself and the consequences of his loyalty to the law had already taken effect.
Throughout the story of Antigone, particularly the end, Creon proposes the bad-boy in control personality. He acts as the ruler he is and puts his power to work. He fears nothing unless his family is involved. He has no mercy when it comes to the law. Additionally, he is greatly affected by the environment he creates around himself.
When Creon decided to forbid the burial of Polynices, as he believed Polynices was a traitor to Thebes, Antigone was outraged. This decision, viewed through the eyes of Creon, was just and fair; on the other hand, Antigone viewed his decision as cruel and selfish, which resulted into a major conflict between these two characters. When Antigone disobeyed his proclamation, Creon became infuriated towards this rebellious act. Those small events within the play expressed Creon as a ruler doing what he believes is right; on the other hand, Antigone’s rebellion expressed otherwise. Antigone was soon shown to cause an evil spark within Creon.
A tragedy is when someone drops my chocolate milkshake from Chick-Fil-A in the parking lot, but the Greek definition of a tragedy is,”a play in which the protagonist, usually a man of importance and outstanding personal qualities, falls to disaster through the combination of a personal failing and circumstances with which he cannot deal”(Collins). In Sophocles’ play Antigone, Creon is the most tragic character because of his hubris, hamartia, and he is the primary Antagonist.
The character Antigone has been in conflict against Creon ever since he became the king of Thebes. Antigone would never let Creon's law about burying the body of Polyneices override her moral beliefs and her beliefs in the gods. “Zeus did not announce those laws to me, And justice
He fells that people are already starting to do that at the beginning of his rule and says, “there have been those who have whispered together, stiff-necked anarchists, putting their heads together, scheming against me in the alleys” (i 113-115). His paranoia causes him to feel that people are plotting against him, which causes him to not accept input from other people. Because he is so clear that he does not want rebellion, Creon is very unhappy when Antigone buries Polyneices and feels that this is some form of rebellion. Instead of just accusing Antigone of the illegal burial, Creon blames her for “a double insolence, breaking the given laws and boasting of it” (ii 80-81). Though Antigone never boasted about defying the law, Creon is so self-conscious that he sees the act as much more than it really is. Finally, Creon does realize that he must break away from his ignorant ways. By the time he realizes that he should “not fight with destiny” (v 101) and that “the laws of the Gods are mighty” (v 108), it is too late. He was too oblivious and caught up in his own self-consciousness that he was not able to make the right decision quickly enough. Though Creon did eventually understand his mistakes, it was not enough to save him from the wrath of the
In Antigone, there was a major conflict throughout the play showing the limit of the authoritarian rule. The major conflict occurred between Antigone and Creon, Creon had no intention of burying Polyneices’ body because he was considered a traitor, as for Antigone wants to give a proper burial to her brother. From start to finish, Creon heavily enforced the authoritarian rule in everything. Whilst Antigone fought for what she thought was right minding Creon’s rule. Therefore in the play, the authoritarian rule was shown from Creon, Antigone resist’s Creon’s decree, and how authoritarianism and democracy were shown.
Antigone’s strength allows her to defend her brother’s honor against Creon, who wants to make a statement about traitors. However, both Antigone and King Creon commit faults while trying to protect the things they love. Antigone should not have died for her beliefs as it puts her loved ones and community in danger, and Creon should not have forbidden the burial of Polyneices as it angers the Gods and causes him great suffering in the end.
Antigone’s first words in Antigone, “My own flesh and blood”, strongly indicates that the play’s concern with family relationships. “I admit I did it. I won’t deny that.”(line 500) Antigone is bold in her defiance, believes firmly that she is right, and at times seems eager to die for the cause of burying her brother. “I have longer to please the dead than please the living herein the kingdom down below I'll lie forever.” (line 90) Antigone believes the burial rituals are the unwritten rules of the gods, and must be obeyed regardless of a ruler's political whims.
A specific strength of Creon, the major adult character in Antigone, is his ability to make his opinions known to the entire kingdom. One example of this is the major decision that is the focus of the entire story. After Antigone’s brother, Polyneices, died in battle against his own kingdom, Creon told the citizens of the land that no one was to bury the traitor. The king felt that the strict edict was necessary because Polyneices “broke his exile to come back with fire and sword against his native city. (193)” Creon knew that a traitor to the kingdom should not be honored with the same ceremony given to one who fought for his own kingdom.
In Creon’s train of though, a ruler such as himself must first follow the laws and regulations set in place and ignore all his emotions and the emotions of the public. His inability to trust his emotions along with pride renders him helpless to the consequences that soon follow his actions. After Antigone is killed, Creon thinks that he has made the correct decision; however, that is not the case. The agonizing death of Antigone forced Creon’s son to his own suicide. Eurydice, Creon's wife, is also forced to her suicide by grief when she heard the news of her son's death. At this point, Creon’s entire world has been turned upside down, because of his decision to make the decree that none shall bury Polyneices and carry out Antigone's punishment
What Antigone did goes against Creon and this is where his difficult decision comes in. “Creon represents the regal point of view, while Antigone is just the opposite. The primary conflict arises when Creon declares that no one be allowed to bury the body of Polynices, one of Antigone's brothers who was slain in battle. Antigone, who cares for her brother very much, wants to see him properly laid to rest, so that his spirit can find peace. Unf...
Creon states, “Whoever places a friend above the good of his own country, he is nothing.” Therefore, he does not allow the burial of Antigone’s brother because he did not place the good of his country first. He was a traitor. Creon makes this law for the good of his country. The following statements that Creon makes exemplify this: “I could never make that man a friend of mine who menaces our country”, “never will the traitor be honored a...
Antigone knew that she would face such punishment, although Antigone’s sister, Ismene, did not agree with the choices made by her sister, causing Ismene to take sides with Creon, during the beginning of the play. “Take her and shut her up, as I have ordered, in her tomb’s embrace. Then leave her there all alone, all by yourself-” (pg. 362, lines 991-994). Creon believed that only to change the ways of Antigone and to punish her because of the laws she broke by trapping her in a tomb until she either commits suicide or stays trapped for the rest of her life. Soon after Antigone was placed in the tomb, Creon knew that he made the mistake of ordering the guard to take Antigone to the tomb.
Moreover, she threatens to disown her sister Ismene after she opts not to help her bury Polynices. Another defining instance of her stance on family ties is perceptible when she refuses her sister to be part of the punishment for her deeds. The refusal is traceable in the play when she responded to her sister Ismene, “No, justice will suffer that-not you, you were unwilling. I never brought you in” (Line 605). In contrast, Creon is a reflection of a person who does not respect the importance of the family. For this reason, Sophocles uses the perspective of Creon on family to warn the audience against the vice because of dire consequence. His lack of family appreciation is evident from his decision to not only kill his nieces; Antigone and Ismene,