Many high school students read the play Antigone and find it difficult to understand because the characters, scenes, and settings are not relatable to their daily lifestyles. The play is often written in lengthy paragraphs with complex language; therefore, it is difficult to understand the plot. If Antigone were written in modern-day language, it would be much easier for teenagers to understand the play. As Kyle Brenton mentions in Acts of War, “Each generation reinvents the myth to fit its own circumstances.” Therefore, if Antigone were written in a high school setting with the characters recreated as high school students, the play would be more relatable for students because it is set in a familiar setting to their generation. To display the contemporary style of rewriting Antigone, three scenes from the original play will be described using high school characters, settings, and situations. The three scenes being discussed are: the scene with Antigone trying to convince Ismene to bury Polyneices, when Creon blames the sentry for the burial of Polyneices, and when the messenger tells Creon the fates of his son, wife, and niece.
At the very beginning of the play Antigone is trying to convince Ismene to help her bury their dead brother Polyneices. Polyneices is not allowed to have a proper burial in Thebes, but Antigone wants to bury him, although it is not prohibited and she could get in trouble. This scene is not relatable to high school aged students because they do not often have to deal with physically burying someone. If the characters were re created as high school students, the setting was staged in a high school, and the situation was recreated to become a more normal high school scenario, the young audience wo...
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... of awe on their faces, and principal Creon would have a look of anger on his face because all his teachers are more concerned with the student and parent gossip than what they are teaching in their next class. Since this scene is fairly normal and relatable, it would be easy for high school students to understand.
Since Antigone is written in lengthy paragraphs with complex language, many high school students find it difficult to understand. Recreating Antigone with a high school characters, themes, and settings would make it more interesting and understandable for students.
Antigone remains a static character at stage five throughout the story. Faced with people who do not agree with her decision, Antigone stands tall with what is morally right to her. Kohlberg’s Theory is not only universal but also helps readers understand a character morally. Choosing whether or not to bury her brother, Polyneices, or to follow the law given by Creon, does not derail her moral
In Antigone, translated by Elizabeth Wyckoff, the struggle between Creon and Antigone’s wills lead to their eventual downfalls. Croen believes that his decision to not have a proper burial for Polyneices is defended by the Gods, among other things. However, Antigone believes that her decision to bury Polyneices is also justified. A compromise is unable to be reached because of their inelastic viewpoints, not necessarily the views themselves. These extreme views are shaped by Antigone and Creon’s personalities, families, and social statuses. The rigidity of their viewpoints leads us to wonder about the principles that these characters hold, and why they hold them.
The crux of the play, the causal factor to all the following events is how the new King Creon deals with the dead traitor Polynices, brother of Antigone. The decree not to bury the corpse must be considered from the viewpoint of a 5th Century Athenian, watching this play. The Antigone was written during a time of great strife for the city of Athens and they were in the middle of their conflict with the Spartans. At a time such as this , concern for the city was foremost in a citizen's mind. Creon's decree not to bury him at this stage then is right. Essentially not burying a body, any body, is an offence to the gods, and the persons spirit will not be able to go down to the underworld and cross the River Styx and Archeron. However, the Greeks believed that for some the sentence was deserved. The sentence of non-burial is appropriate in this case, as the Greeks believed that "those convicted of sa...
This play makes one reconsider what make people righteous and what make them temporarily lose judgment. I find it very interesting because no matter how old this play is, the concept is real and initially got through to the audience. It taught me that sometimes one must break the rules to do the right thing. Antigone does this by challenging Creon’s orders and organizing a proper burial for her brother Polyneices. Sometimes one must follow the rules to do what is right. Creon allowed his pride to get ahead of his priorities. He did not follow the wishes of the gods and was therefore penalized. Just like in this play, life is confusing and full of choices. We must find the light of truth and justice amongst the chaos in life.
In Jean Anouilh’s version of Antigone as a reader can see conflict at its highest. In the beginning of the book starts off with the two brothers, Eteocles and Polynices at each other’s necks for the kingdom. As soon as they kill each other off their Uncle steps in and has to choice between his family and his duties as king. Three powerful themes from Antigone include family, betrayal, and tragedy.
The opening events of the play Antigone, written by Sophocles, quickly establish the central conflict between Antigone and Creon. Creon has decreed that the traitor Polynices, who tried to burn down the temple of gods in Thebes, must not be given proper burial. Antigone is the only one who will speak against this decree and insists on the sacredness of family and a symbolic burial for her brother. Whereas Antigone sees no validity in a law that disregards the duty family members owe one another, Creon's point of view is exactly opposite. He has no use for anyone who places private ties above the common good, as he proclaims firmly to the Chorus and the audience as he revels in his victory over Polynices. He sees Polynices as an enemy to the state because he attacked his brother. Creon's first speech, which is dominated by words such as "authority” and "law”, shows the extent to which Creon fixates on government and law as the supreme authority. Between Antigone and Creon there can be no compromise—they both find absolute validity in the respective loyalties they uphold.
He uses civil disobedience and moral righteousness as a motif with Antigone and Ismene; specifically how the two sisters have different opinions towards the dead of their brothers. Antigone is prepared to take full responsibility and be punished for burying Polyneices, for the sake of doing the right thing for the family, on the other hand, Ismene judges her and strongly disagrees because the law says its wrong. The symbolism of the tomb that Creon chooses to bury Antigone alive in is that the tomb was first made for her brother; my understanding is that this represents close ties to the family and the natural order of death since family is nearby. Finally, several themes are present in this play such as natural law, loyalty, freedom, and also civil disobedience. Creon thinks he is the one that makes all the decisions regarding the law, but Antigone does not follow his laws. Instead she does what is morally right, which is what natural law is. However, most people during the era of this play are obedient and willing to follow the laws of the king, but for some like Antigone, family is more important. Family loyalty is a major theme in the play mainly because she chooses family over, the king and commits suicide to display devotion to her beliefs and family. Last, civil disobedience is a main point due to the fact that laws were formed for citizens to obey no matter if the subject was right or wrong
There are many similarities and differences between Antigone by Sophocles and Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The adults in both of the books have the difficult job of controlling the actions of the younger characters. Their decisions have a crucial effect on the outcome of the books, for the younger characters that they guide are the main figures in their stories. Antigone’s King Creon and Romeo and Juliet’s Prince Escalus and Lord Capulet share but also have unique strengths, weaknesses, leadership qualities, and crisis-managing techniques.
In the awe-inspiring play of Antigone, Sophocles introduces two remarkable characters, Antigone and Creon. A conflict between these two obstinate characters leads to fatal consequences for themselves and their kindred. The firm stances of Creon and Antigone stem from two great imperatives: his loyalty to the state and her dedication to her family, her religion but most of all her conscience. The identity of the tragic hero of this play is still heavily debated. This tragedy could have been prevented if it had not been for Creon's pitiful mistakes.
Sophocles’ background influenced him to write Antigone. One important influence on the drama was the author’s life in the “golden era” of Athens during fifth century BCE. In that time, Athens was experiencing much change in all facets, and drama was a major factor in Athenian culture. In his essay “Sophocles,” Ed Downey reports that Sophocles was born at the beginning of the “golden era” in Athens and lived a long life influenced by “the artistic and cultural achievements in the ancient Greek world”. Sophocles was a wealthy and highly educated, “happy man.” As a young man, Sophocles began his playwright career, eventually becoming one of the greatest writers in history although only seven of his works are still intact (1). Similarly, the setting
The characters in the play Antigone all suffer a downfall of some sort. The major characters suffer the most, though. In this short essay, I will document on how the two main characters, Creon and Antigone, both inevitably become tragic heroes.
“Antigone” is a great Greek tragedy by Sophocles. The story is about a young woman who has brother by breaking king’s decree, and now she is punished for obeying God’s law. In the classic model of dramatic structure, two characters move the action of the play from introduction to climax to resolution with their conflict. One of these characters is the protagonist, and the other is the antagonist. The protagonist is a “good guy” and the antagonist is the “bad guy”. In Sophocles’ play Antigone , the lines between protagonist and antagonist are blurred. In the Greek tradition , the title character is the protagonist, but in this play the supposed antagonist, Creon also displays characteristics of protagonist.
The play “Antigone” by Sophocles displays many qualities that make it a great tragedy. A tragedy is defined as a dramatic or literary work in which the principal character engages in a morally significant struggle ending in ruin or profound disappointment. In creating his tragedy “Antigone”, Sophocles uses many techniques to create the feelings of fear and pity in his readers. This in turn creates an excellent tragedy.
Sophocles. "Antigone." The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces. Ed. Knox and Mack. New York: Norton, 1995.
In the play Creon goes against the Gods by making it illegal to bury Polyneices, Antigone’s brother because he is deemed a traitor. The burying of a dead body is seen as a necessity by all of Greece as it is an unspoken law of the Gods. Antigone goes to bury her brother so his afterlife will be better. She does it in spite of the law that Creon has made. “It is the dead, not the living, who make the longest demands” (192) She tries to explain to her sister, Ismene, that they must bury Polyneices, but even that close relationship has trouble because of the law. Ismene is unwilling to suffer the consequences of the law, to save her brother’s soul “Forgive me but I am helpless: I must yield to those in authority” (192) Even the two sisters who have just lost both of their brothers have different views on the matter. One will not stray from the law and what is deemed right by their king, while the other will accept any punishment, even death just to do what she believes is right.