Compare Antigone And Death Of A Salesman

1462 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Creon character development in Antigone

In the plays Antigone by Sophocles and Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller both protagonists Creon and Willy,are self righteous men who while saying they are doing what is best for others they are really looking out for themselves. In Antigone, Creon tries to get people to hate Antigone's brother and is scaring everyone with threats to not bury him. Antigone defies Creon’s wishes and he sentences her to death. Everyone tries to reason with Creon even bringing in Tiresias to give him a prophecy. Antigone kills herself, Haimon dies and his wife kills herself as well. Creon is a tyrannical ruler who does not have people respect him they only fear him. Willy on the other hand is a poor man whose sons don't support him and is having a lot of mental …show more content…

They both want to coast through life as best as they can. Willy does have a lot of hardships in his life but he still wants people to bend to his will. Creon believes that if not his people at least his family will be on his side. He believes that his familial bond with his son will be stronger than his son’s love of Antigone. “Good. That is the way to behave; subordinate everything else, my son, to your father's will. This is what a man prays for, that he may get Sons attentive and dutiful in his house”(Sophocles 217). Haimon is trying to appeal to his father and Creon thinks he is looking up to him and agreeing. He believes that he can make his father see reason or at least feel sorry for him and spare her, in the end Creon just feels even more betrayed. Willy is trying to get Howard to give him a job in New York so he can stop traveling. He is old and tired and due to his deteriorating mental health it is not safe for him or others either. “WILLY: God knows, Howard. I never asked a favor of any man. But I was with the firm when your father used to carry you in here in his …show more content…

I am Willy Loman, and you are Biff Loman!
BIFF: I am not a leader of men, Willy, and neither are you. You were never anything but a hard-working drummer who landed in the ash can like all the rest of them”(Miller 132). Someone is finally telling Willy how people see him and that he needs to get his head out of the clouds. He has to be told that he lives a humble life and will never be a big name. What pushes him over the edge is that he is being told this by his own son. Willy knows Biff loves him because he tells him the truth about who he is. That is when Willy is finally at peace and makes the decision to kill himself, for his family.
Creon and Willy have always held themselves in high regards, and thought that other people did as well. In reality they knew how they came off but chose to ignore it and pretend that they were loved. Due to them being blind to their true nature, when they needed support they expected people to rush to their side instead of turning their backs on them and betraying them. Creon did not listen to others, he only believed in his own opinions. When people finally started to defy him his bubble popped and he realized no one was ever on his side, unfortunately he did not learn his lesson early enough. Willy was left all alone, he had no one that could help him, and if they could they did not want to. People finally let Creon and Willy know that they are not gods and that not everything can go their way or how they

Show More
Related

  • Antigone Quotes About Creon

    463 Words  | 1 Pages

    In the poem Creon doesn't understand how to use his power for good and uses it to empower himself and help him. In the poem when Creon and his son Haemon are arguing about what is right in regards to Antigone and what she has done with her brothers corpse.(line 776-819 pg.353-354). Creon doesn't understand that by doing this thing to Antigone it is destroying his relationship with his whole family. He would rather lose his family than be wrong about what he is doing. Also Antigone denying the law to do something for her brother that was against the law. (Lines 51-60 pg.318). When Creons people found Antigone they didn't even give her a chance to explain herself and even though she is part of Creons family, his sons soon to be wife. There was no lightening of the law

    Read More

  • Creon's Tragic Insecurity in Sophocles' Antigone

    963 Words  | 2 Pages

    Creon's insecurity blinds his ability to direct order in his country properly. After Antigone buried Polyneices Creon felt he needed to take a strong stand or people would think he would always be lenient toward criminals. However, to achieve this Creon felt he needed to take drastic action against Antigone.  He once even said to his son, Haimon, who was about to marry Antigone, "The woman dies. I suppose she'll plead family ties. Well, let her. If I permit my own family to rebel, how shall I earn the world's obedience?" (19)  This quote shows that Creon feels that to prove himself to the country he needs to earn the "world's obedience".

    Read More

  • The Tragic Downfalls of Creon and Antigone in Sophocles' Antigone

    712 Words  | 2 Pages

    The hubris resonating throughout the play, ‘Antigone’ is seen in the characters of Creon and Antigone. Their pride causes them to act impulsively, resulting in their individual downfalls. In his opening speech, Creon makes his motives clear, that “no man who is his country’s enemy shall call himself my friend.” This part of his declaration was kept to the letter, as he refused burial for his nephew, Polynices. However, when the situation arises where it is crucial that Creon takes advice, he neglects the part of the speech where he says “a king... unwilling to seek advice is damned.” This results in Creon’s tragic undoing.

    Read More

  • Antigone Essay

    1377 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...ho in this modern day situation would be the President or Governor, and makes all of the laws governing business owners, makes his move against Antigone and the others including his own son Haemon. Creon wants to keep everything in order and wants to keep up his positive political image. Finally, Ismene the other sister, she is very compassionate about her brother but does not go as far as Antigone. She stays back just enough to conform to the laws of Creon, because she does not want to get into trouble and possible exiled and put to death just like Antigone. When Ismene finds out that someone is trying to sneak into her restaurant, she does not want to put them off just yet. She waits a little bit longer than gives the final “no”. Ismene will do everything she can to be on the good side of the law.

    Read More

  • Differences And Similarities Between Antigone And Creon

    1306 Words  | 3 Pages

    Family is a symbol of heart and in life, as seen by Creon, deciding to value one's authoritative power over family ties and morals leads to devastation and ultimate loss of what matters the most. In daily life choosing to follow intellect versus compassion in one's judgement is often preferred- especially when it comes to remaining powerful and respected as a king. Creon is approached by his son, Haimon- who is one to follow his heart- and in response to his pleads to not kill Antigone Creon answers: “if I permit my own family to rebel, how shall I earn the world’s obedience?” (PAGE NUMBER) Acting with no sympathy and compassion towards his son and niece- Antigone- he ends up losing both. When power is valued over the heart then usually loss follows because no longer does the person with authority make decisions based on morals and becomes rigid- even heartless. In the case of Creon, and many other people, being rational and he believes that if he listens to his heart than he will be looked at as a weak ruler. As Creon’s fate is revealed and there is a threat for how his actions will impact Thebes in the future, out of selfish doubt he chooses to change his mind and “deny the heart!” in order to “not fight with destiny” (PG NUMBER). Creon appears to have changed his stubborn mind out of sympathy to his family, but truly, it is for his reputation and the

    Read More

  • Antigone

    1762 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the struggle between Creon and Antigone, Sophocles' audience would have recognized a genuine conflict of duties and values. From the Greek point of view, both Creon's and Antigone's positions are flawed, because both oversimplify ethical life by recognizing only one kind of good or duty. By oversimplifying, each ignores the fact that a conflict exists at all, or that deliberation is necessary. Moreover, both Creon and Antigone display the dangerous flaw of pride in the way they justify and carry out their decisions. Antigone admits right from the beginning that she wants to carry out the burial because the action is glorious. Antigone has a savage spirit; she has spent most of her life burying her family members.

    Read More

  • Ancient Greek Tragedies: Passion vs. Prudence

    945 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...s in Oedipus Rex. Creon has gone from being a calm man of reason to acting greatly upon his emotions. During his brawl with Haimon, Creon is described as being “Completely out of control”. As with Oedipus and Antigone, Creon’s actions resulting from emotions only end badly. Antigone, Haimon, and Eurydice end up dead, all committing suicide after the dreadful events caused by Creon. If only Creon had remained as prudent as he was in Oedipus Rex, things may not have ended so badly.

    Read More

  • Willy Pride Quotes

    536 Words  | 2 Pages

    “BIFF [crying, broken]: Will you let me go for Christ’s sake? Will you take that phony dream and burn it before something happens?” By saying this Biff tries to address his family on the giant rift between Willy’s dreams for him and reality. He tries to explain that all he wants is for Willy to let go of those dreams and high standards he has set for him so he can create his own reality rather than fulfill his father's dream. Willy's dreams for Biff were very unrealistic for the reality of his situation,which caused him to fill unsuccessful and push himself away from his father. The reason Willy wanted his children to do so well and had such big dreams for them was because he wasn't able to achieve the dream and had a fear he had failed and so he wanted to force his dream to be fulfilled by his children. Therefore, due to Willy’s wildly unrealistic amount of pride, causing him to make poor decisions, betray his family by having a mistress and finally his unrealistic dreams for his sons, he paved his way towards his failure and his deep fear of isolation and

    Read More

  • Compare Antigone And The Bible

    762 Words  | 2 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Comparing Oedipus and Antigone

    756 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the play Antigone, there are many situations in which loyalty is involved, and in some, conflicts arise. The first example of this is the relationship between Haimon and his father Creon. This unusual relationship between them is incredibly superficial in that Creon is only proud of him because he is kissing up and says what his father wants to hear. It is blatantly obvious during their conversation where Haimon states; “I am your son father. You are my guide. You make things clear for me, and I obey you. No marriage means more to me than you continuing wisdom.” This statement is basically what Creon expects to hear out of his son. His reply of, ”Good. That is the way to behave: subordinate everything else, my son, to your father’s will.” Creon is used to having people do everything he wants them to do. The second example is the relationship between Antigone and her dead brother Polyneices. She is incredibly loyal to him and is willing to risk her life in order to preserve his honor as a warrior and bury her against Creons order. It is evident in her statement of, “But I will bury him; and if I must die, I say that this crime is holy: I shall die down with him in death, and I shall be as dear to him as he to me.” She will do whatever it takes, even if it is death, to bury her violated brother. The third example is the relationship between Haimon and Antigone. Although Haimon was loyal to his father, he later broke away from his grasp and went to the aid of his fiancée Antigone. He felt that he betrayed her by siding with his father when he was obviously wrong and being stubborn. He signifies his loyalty to Antigone with the statement of, “But her death will cause another.” He will openly defy his father in order to stand by her side. There are numerous examples of loyalty in the play Antigone.

    Read More

  • Antigone

    1463 Words  | 3 Pages

    The views of Antigone and Creon are opposed, and they both possess the same stubborn belief in their own righteousness. This ultimately brings them both to their tragic fate. At first we believe that Creon acts from sincere, patriotic and unselfish motives, and that he is acting out of a sincere belief that his decision is best for the state. This is shown in the first episode (lines 163 - 331), where Creon hopes to be a wise and good ruler. Later on we learn that he is too inflexible and narrow to heed criticism or admit fault, and that this causes all the misery in his life. The same is true of Antigone. She appears to be a very compassionate individual in the prologue; however, later on we learn that she is also stubborn and unwilling to bend in her beliefs, which ultimately leads her to her tragic fate.

    Read More

  • Creon's Role in Antigone

    435 Words  | 1 Pages

    Creon highlighted as the tragic figure, initially created decisions he thought was for the welfare and well-being of Thebes; however, Antigone, who rebelled against Creon’s decisions, caused Creon’s rage to cloud his rational way of thinking. When Creon decided to forbid the burial of Polynices, as he believed Polynices was a traitor to Thebes, Antigone was outraged. This decision, viewed through the eyes of Creon, was just and fair; on the other hand, Antigone viewed his decision as cruel and selfish, which resulted into a major conflict between these two characters. When Antigone disobeyed his proclamation, Creon became infuriated towards this rebellious act. Those small events within the play expressed Creon as a ruler doing what he believes is right; on the other hand, Antigone’s rebellion expressed otherwise. Antigone was soon shown to cause an evil spark within Creon. This “spark” caused Creon to intensify his punishments towards Antigone, which in turn caused a chain reaction of events and eventually led to his tragic decline. Being portrayed as a menacing villain throughout the play, Creon began as an honorable man; however, overwhelming events and confrontations caused Creon to evolve in to this monstrous figure.

    Read More

  • Comparing and Contrasting Sophocles' Antigone and Shakespeare's Othello

    963 Words  | 2 Pages

    First, the major characters in both of the plays are suffering through great pain and end up with death. The drama Antigone which is written by Sophocles, tells the story of Antigone. Antigone is a tragic heroine who doesn’t have the power to challenge the authority of the king; she has to obey the rules. However, she shows her strong will and voices her opinions and she is willing to challenge the authorities and the rules. She not only fights for her brother, she also challenges her rights to speak out her thoughts. Yet, her sister Ismene is satisfied to recognize herself as a woman in a male dominated society. Ismene argues, “I, for one, I’ll beg the dead to forgive me- I’m forced, I have no choice- I must obey the ones who stand in power” (832: 80). Ismene's words clearly state her weak and helpless character. Antigone is not happy with her sister’s response, says, “Set your own life in order"(833: 97). Antigone is telling her sister to do her own life, and that she will do what she wants to bury her brother. Antigone preferring the god's laws to man's, disobeys Creon, to bury her brother Polyneices. After her uncle found out what Antigone did, he punished her with death. However, when Creon discovered that what he did was wrong; it was too late. Antigone is already dead, and Creon is punished by Heaven with the suicide of his own wife and son.

    Read More

  • Influence Of Creon In Antigone

    854 Words  | 2 Pages

    Other actions that Creon did was when the sentry told Creon about Polyneices body he got furious that someone has betray him by disobeying his law. This can lead to some pride he has because the power he gain has got into his head, he threaten the sentry to find out who is responsible for burring Polyneices. Once Creon found out that it was his niece that broke his law he sentence her to death. Even his own family was sent to

    Read More

  • Antigone Creon Character Analysis

    693 Words  | 2 Pages

    We’ve all mad poor decisions that we didn't realize was wrong until we lost everything. I feel Creon made bad decisions about not burying Polyneices’ body and condemning Antigone to death. The people around creon began to feel like he was becoming too powerful, even his own wife didn't like the way he was acting. Creon finally realizing that he was doing everything all wrong he has a change of heart and wants to make everything better, But it turns out to be too late. Everyone around him that he loved committed suicide. In the end Creon know that what he did was wrong and that he messed up. “ Then take this foolish man away from here. I killed you my son , without intending to, and you , as well my wife. How useless I am now. I don't know where to look or find support. Everything I touch goes wrong, and on my head fate climbs up with its overwhelming load. - Creon ( lines 1485-

    Read More

More about Compare Antigone And Death Of A Salesman

Open Document