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Battle of argument between antigone and creon in sophocles antigone
Conflict between creon and antigone in sophocles and anouilh seminar
Battle of argument between antigone and creon in sophocles antigone
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Antigone and Creon
In the story of Antigone, which was written by Sophocles, the main characters of the story were Antigone and her uncle Creon. Despite that they were relatives, there were some conflicts between them. The story ended by the death of Antigone, haiemon her Fiancé and his mother, while Creon stayed alone after he had lost his son and wife. From the story no doubt there are some similarities and differences between Creon and Antigone.
Antigone can be described as a woman who valued her family, valued her self respect and expect a great deal out of life. On the other side, Antigone's uncle Creon can be described as a practical man who valued his state over the individuals. Also, he valued his duty as a leader. First, both Antigone and Creon were strong willed and inflexible people. They refused to change their decisions. For example, Antigone refused to listen to her sister although she had told Antigone that they were women and they can't do anything about it "Remember we are women, we're not born to contend with men." Another similarity was that Antigone and Creon sealed each others fate. That's when Antigone decided to bury her brother although she knew that anyone who disobeys the laws will be killed. They were so independent. For example, Antigone was independent when she decided to bury her brother's body by her own after her sister Ismene refused to participate with her. Moreover, Creon was independent because he refused to accept anyone's opinions except his own. To illustrate, when his son haiemon came to talk to him and he refused to listen "Stop- before you make me choke with anger- the gods! You, you're senile, must you be insane?"(W). He also claimed that the Terisesais has been corrupted by money like other prophets.
There were some differences between Antigone and Creon. For instance, Antigone's action was more heroic than her uncle's action because, she defied the power of the state out of love for her brother and faith in her conscience" I was born to join in love, not hate that is my nature" and she spoke out against the king in this manner. She was first a woman and second she knew that her fate could be sealed if she didn't try to
apologize for her crimes. On the other hand, Creon decided to exile Antigone and put her in a small isolated room out side the city.
King, being calm and using negotiation and logic, and Antigone being demanding and defiant. Antigone has some flaws about her, but she also has some good traits about her. One is being willing to do anything for her family. She represents a strong woman in a male dominant society as King represented a determined man in a society full of racists. She was willing to risk her life to give her brother a proper burial because that is what she believed in. In the same, King was willing to go to jail to stand up for what he believed in. However, if Antigone had followed King's steps of civil disobedience, there might not have been so much
Eventually both Creon and Antigone are destroyed by the gods (and by each other) through their own actions. Antigone is a powerful character, strong-willed, determined and at times self-righteous. She is contrasted by her sister Ismene, who is weak and powerless. Though Antigone is a powerful character, she has no real political power and is dominated by one man, Creon. Creon is both the ruler of the state as well as the patriarch of her family.
Antigone, in its simplest form, is a battle of wills. Creon is defending what he believes to be the right decision, and Antigone is doing the same. If either character practiced moderation in their views, their endeavor may have ended differently. It is important to think about why Creon and Antigone feel so strongly about their views, because they both have valid explanations. Despite these explanations having merit, they are useless when their owners will not budge on them. The eventual downfalls of both Creon and Antigone can be traced back to their blatant disregard for compromise throughout the
In the Greek play Antigone writer Sophocles illustrates the clash between the story’s main character Antigone and her powerful uncle, Creon. King Creon of Thebes is an ignorant and oppressive ruler. In the text, there is a prevailing theme of rules and order in which Antigone’s standards of divine justice conflict with Creon’s will as the king. Antigone was not wrong in disobeying Creon, because he was evil and tyrannical. The authors of “Antigone: Kinship, Justice, and the Polis,” and “Assumptions and the Creation of Meaning: Reading Sophocles’ Antigone.” agree with the notion that Antigone performs the role of woman and warrior at once. She does not only what a kinswoman would, but also what a warrior would do.
Antigone, as a character, is extremely strong-willed and loyal to her faith. Creon is similarly loyal, but rather to his homeland, the city of Thebes, instead of the gods. Both characters are dedicated to a fault, a certain stubbornness that effectively blinds them from the repercussions of their actions. Preceding the story, Antigone has been left to deal with the burden of her parents’ and both her brothers’ deaths. Merely a young child, intense grief is to be expected; however, Antigone’s emotional state is portrayed as frivolous when it leads her to directly disobey Creon’s orders. She buries her brother Polynices because of her obedience to family and to the gods, claiming to follow “the gods’ unfailing, unwritten laws” (Sophocles 456-457). CONTINUE
Creon is an antagonist in Antigone he is the bad guy and he opposes certain things like the right to burial. An example of his actions is can be seen here: “Polynices, who returned from exile with hopes of burning his native land and ancestral gods from top to bottom, wishing to feast on kindred blood and lead the rest into slavery, it has been decreed that in this city he shall be neither buried nor mourned by anyone, but everyone must leave him unburied, a feast for birds and dogs, an outrage to see” (Sophocles 200-209). Even though he is known for doing bad things he is still considered superior to everyone of Thebes. Antigone was known as the niece of Creon but she did not express herself as a famous and important person. Creon is proud of his position as king and he takes pride in his city and his decisions. “Do you realize you speak these lies to your king?” (Sophocles 1065). Creon shows his dominance in this quote. Antigone, however, is only recognized for being the niece of the former king and committing a crime against her own family member.
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.
Creon and Antigone, main characters in the Greek tragedy Antigone by Sophocles share some of the same characteristics that make up a tragic hero, but to varying degrees. Antigone, daughter of her mother/grandmother, Jocasta, and father, Oedipus is head strong, proud, and stubborn. She had three siblings, Ismene her sister, and two brothers Eteocles and Polyneices who found there deaths at the end of each others sword in battle over which would become king of Thebes. Antigone's pride fullness and loyalty is revealed when Polyneices is denied proper burial by her uncle and king Creon. The two buttheads in the political for Creon and personal for Antigone situation and bring about the downfall of the royal family.
The main source of conflict between Antigone and Creon is the issue of the burial of Antigone’s dead brother. Both of her brothers were killed in battle, however one brother fought against their home city and was considered a traitor. Creon issued a law that whoever tries to bury this man will be put to death. Antigone is very upset because her one brother is graced with all the rites of a hero while the other is disgraced.
Antigone thought at first that her actions were justified and righteous when it came to the question of morals and ethics. Creon was not at all different, believing that his way was the "right" way, or the way the "Gods" would have chosen. Both realized the mistake they made, and regretted it later, when it was too late.
There are certain qualities that a character must posses in order to qualify as a tragic hero. Ideally, the subject is to be a person of high rank, so that they may have much to lose. (Most frequently a monarch is used.) Granted, Antigone is a member of the royal bloodline. But we must not forget that she is the daughter of incest, hardly a glamorous position to start with. In Oedipus Rex, Antigone was indirectly disgraced, while Creon was socially elevated by inheriting kingship from Oedipus. Also, Creon’s being king comparatively trumps Antigone’s lesser status of orphaned princess. While this in itself objectively proves nothing, it does at a minimum make Creon the more likely choice of protagonist.
Antigone, a tragedy written by Sophocles, portrays the views and ideas of two different sides. On one side, there is Antigone, a realist, who puts her family above all else. On the other side is the King of Thebes, Creon, an idealist, who feels obliged to put his people and nation first in a way which he sees necessary. Both characters believe their side is the correct view. One will do all he can to convince the people his words and actions are correct, while the other will act in silence and try to honor her family the only way she can.
In the play, Sophocles examines the nature of Antigone and Creon who have two different views about life, and use those views against one another. Antigone who is depicted as the hero represents the value of family. According to Richard Braun, translator of Sophocles Antigone, Antigone’s public heroism is domestically motivated: “never does [Antigone] give a political explanation of her deed; on the contrary, from the start [Antigone] assumes it is her hereditary duty to bury Polynices, and it is from inherited courage that [Antigone] expects to gain the strength required for the task” (8). Essentially, it is Antigone’s strong perception of family values that drive the instinct to disobey Creon’s orders and to willingly challenge the King’s authority to dictate her role in society.
..., this sense of arrogance angers Creon to a point beyond belief. Antigone’s refusal to cooperate causes Creon to go mad with irritation and frustration. Wanting to show his sense of power, he refuses to back down in fear of losing his position. His stubbornness grows stronger as Antigone continues to disobey his commands. Antigone’s strong and steady foundation helps her show defiance. She is able to overcome the opinions of the people and commit to helping her brother regardless of the after effects. She ignores what everyone says and does only as she wants. She is powerful, both physically and mentally, and is successful in her tasks. Antigone matures into a commendable and respectable character in which she depicts her rebelliousness and bravery, pride and tolerance, and sense of moral righteousness to demonstrate fundamental character development in the play.
character of Antigone and Creon. I will attempt to encapsulate the basic logic behind the