Antigone

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A Critical Analysis of Antigone by Sophocles Sophocles’ background influenced him to write the drama, Antigone. One important influence on the drama was the author’s education and career. According to Roger D. Dawe’s “Sophocles (497/496 B.C. – 406/405 B.C.),” Sophocles lived through the majority of the fifth century. He earned a musical education, and studied critically the Greek mythology in such areas as how society viewed women, and what the acceptable “views of the gods were” (351-52). All seven of the 123 of Sophocles’ plays that have survived, including Antigone, reflect Greek mythology. Similarly, Dawe includes that due to Sophocles Antigone, he became a general in the Athenian military, alongside the great Athenian general Pericles …show more content…

Sophocles formulates a believable plot through the protagonist’s social conflict. The conflict in Antigone focuses on Antigone’s social struggle with, Creon, her uncle, the king of Thebes. Antigone has a desire to respect her brother’s life in burying his corpse, but Creon’s desire in not to respect their city’s traitor with any sort of burial has a major consequence – death – for anyone willing to disobey. According to an overview of the drama, Antigone argues with Ismene that leaving their brother’s corpse unburied is not only inhumane, but it is a major sin to the gods (Krstovic, ed. par. 3). This meeting is the first example of how the conflict develops the theme of spiritual law superseding man’s law. Secondly, in Antigone and Creon’s first meeting together, Antigone mocks Creon’s edict: “I did not believe your proclamation had such power to enable one who will someday die to override God’s ordinances, unwritten and secure” (496-503). Here Antigone claims that God’s ordinances are higher than mans. “Antigone’s Motives: A Suggested Interpretation,” asserts that Antigone’s action to justify her rebellion, uses the laws that Creon lives by (Levy 142). Thirdly, while talking to Creon, Antigone claims that a religious burial, for both of her brothers, Polyneices, and Eteocles, is demanded by the god of death: “The gods of death demands these rites to both” (570). …show more content…

The protagonist is convincingly characterized because she constantly stays true to what she believes is right. In the beginning of the play, Antigone meets with her sister, Ismene, outside of the palace at Thebes. Here they grieve over their family’s loss and Antigone pleads with Ismene to join her in rebelling against Creon’s edict, not to bury their brother: “Here is this hand. Will you help it to lift the dead man?” (49). Although Ismene decides not to help her, she pursues to bury her brother’s corpse. Also, we see Antigone staying true to the love of her family as Antigone tries to spare Ismene’s life before Creon sends Antigone away to be in a cave until death. By Antigone claiming that Ismene had no part in the burial of Polyneices, she is trying to save her sister. Lastly, In “Antigone’s Motives: A Suggested Interpretation,” Levy asserts that before Antigone is led away to her damnation, she makes known of her loyalty to the gods, and here repeats her family identity which has been the reason for her actions from the very beginning (143): “O my father’s city, Theban land, O gods that sired my race, I am led away, I have no more stay” (987-89). This behavior reflects the theme of family and spiritual law superseding man’s law. From the very beginning Antigone, explains her grief over her family’s loss, and that it

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