Conflict Between Antigone And Creon

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In the drama Antigone, the conflict between Creon and Antigone has demonstrated the theme of blood versus nation, and the text supports Antigone more. Antigone mentions a story of a Greek princess who wants to bury her brother that has betrayed the country, and another of her brother has died while protecting the country in the same battle. However, the new king promulgated a law that forbids his subjects to bury him, and he would kill one who buries him. Conflicts appeared when Antigone considers that she should bury her brother since they own ties of blood, and that the kings recognizes X as a betrayer; both of them had their standpoint:
ANTIGONE:
There is no guilt in reverence for the dead.
CREON:
But Eteocles––was he not your brother too?
ANTIGONE:
My brother too.
CREON:
And you insult his memory?
ANTIGONE: [Softly.]
The dead man would not say that I insult it.
CREON:
He would: for you honor a traitor as much as him.
ANTIGONE:
His own brother, traitor or not, and equal in blood.
CREON:
He made war on his country. Eteocles defended it.
ANTIGONE:
Nevertheless, there are honors due all the dead.
CREON:
But not the same for the wicked as for the just. (406-414) …show more content…

For Antigone, the blood relationship between she and Polyneices appears more important than the honor of the country, but for Creon, even if Polyneices is a royal member, he will not pardon his betrayal. When the Creon finds out that Antigone has buried her brother, he ordered his men to kill her. Even though the king seems to have convictive reasons to execute death penalty on Antigone, the text actually gives more supporting to Antigone. If he treat his subjects in clemency, then the execution would seem more reasonable, but tyrant King Creon kills whoever resists him, which Sophocles

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