Antigone Research Paper

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Recommended: Conflicts between antigone and creon

Although Creon views Antigone as a criminal for most of the play, Antigone’s heroic actions towards her family made Creon change his mind which ultimately makes Antigone a martyr and Creon a tragic hero. Antigone wants justice for her brother who was killed in the war and left without a proper burial. Antigone will do anything in her power; even die, to make sure her brother is buried according to the god’s law. Family is very important to Antigone but not even family can stop her from making her decision to defy Creon’s law.
Antigone demonstrates her strength as both a character and a female heroine throughout the entire play. In the beginning of the play, Antigone and her sister, Ismene, are arguing about whether or not to defy Creon’s law. Antigone believes in the god’s law, which requires a proper burial, however, Ismene fears Creon so she wants to follow his law. Creon’s law requires no one to touch or bury Polyneices, if someone does, they will be killed. Ismene is trying to convince Antigone that they should just follow Creon’s law because she is scared and Ismene does not want them to get executed. Ismene tells Antigone angrily, “Our own death would be if we should go against Creon/And do what he has forbidden!” Antigone replies, “You may do as you like, /Since apparently the laws of the gods mean nothing to you.”(462) Antigone believes the god’s law is more important than Creon. Antigone will even go against her own sister to make sure her brother receives a proper burial. Antigone keeps the consistency of being strong throughout the entire play.
After the sentry informs Creon that Antigone was the one trying to bury Polyneices, he wants Antigone arrested. Creon also wants to arrest Ismene and accuse her equally as h...

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...o die for what she believed in. Haimon was so mad, he tried to stab his father but he missed. Being so embarrassed he missed to stab his father and mad that his father killed his fiancé; he decided to turn the sword around and kill himself. After experiencing and seeing all this, Creon finally has a change of heart. His last lines represent how he is feeling and how much he regrets what he has done. Creon sadly says, “Lead me away. I have been rash and foolish. I have killed my son and my wife. I look for comfort; my comfort lies here dead. Whatever my hands have touched has come to nothing. Fate has brought all my pride to a thought of dust.”(486) Creon realizes what he has done. Even though Creon wants to die because everyone he loves is dead, he still has to rule the land of Thebes and be King. In the end of this play, Creon comes out on top and is still living.

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