Aeneas And Antigone Research Paper

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Aeneas and Antigone are two important characters in ancient Greek literature, for they both present the desire of free will. Aeneas, the protagonist in the Aeneid, is often conflicted with the idea of having a fate. Because he wants to be able to make his own decisions, Aeneas tries to go against his pietas of sailing to Italy to help find a new city. A clear example of this is when he stayed in Carthage as Dido’s lover. By spending his time with Dido and/or helping her expand Carthage, Aeneas is ignoring his pietas (Aeneid. IV. 129-172).

Antigone, a young women in Sophocles’ Antigone, wants to bury both of her brothers. However, her king uncle probits anyone of burying Polyneices because he is seen as a traitor. Under her uncle’s command,

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