Both Creon of Sophocles’ Antigone and Achilles of Homer’s The Iliad end up allowing the body of their enemy a proper burial. During the time following the death of Hector, Achilles is in a position very similar to that which Creon deals with in Antigone. Both men show similar flaws, and face similar struggles. The difference between the two men is only subtly discernible until the telling moment when each man is faced with pressure to change his stance on the fate of the fallen warrior. Each man’s initial reaction is quite telling of his character, and the motives behind each man’s decision (although the motives are debatable) also help to expose his true nature. In the end, there seems to be a quality within each man which lies above the flaws, failures or triumphs. By suggesting such a quality, Sophocles and Homer glorify or debase characters such as Creon and Achilles.
Rage, anger and revenge are exhibited by both Achilles and Creon. Achilles shows his rage in Book I of The Iliad when he speaks out against Agamemnon and refuses to fight, as well as in Book XXII when he avenges the death of Patroclus by the slaughter of Hector. Book XXIV, however, is the book in which Achilles situation most closely parallels that of Priam. To most objectively compare their characters, it is important that the situations we see them responding to are as similar as possible. In Antigone, the battle is over and all that remains are the remains of those fallen in battle. We have very little knowledge of how Creon behaved during the battle, and therefore should not overemphasize the detailed account of Achilles actions during battle that is supplied in earlier books of The Iliad. Creon initially exposes his rage and vengeance with the decree that Eteocles will be buried and Polynices will not. Creon says this of Polynices “No, he must be left unburied, his corpse/ carrion for birds and dogs to tear/ an obscenity for the citizens to behold!” (231). A similar rage can be found in Achilles treatment of the body of Hector. Not only did Achilles deny the body a proper burial, but he dragged the dead body around tied to his chariot (XXIV-18). Later examples of rage are more plentiful in Creon’s case, as he rages against those who question the wisdom of his decision to let Polynices rot. Creon’s strongest rage is his rage against Antigone for attempti...
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...ditional motive revealed when Achilles feels pity for Priam, and thinks of his own father. After weeping with Priam, Achilles say to him “Poor man, how much you’ve borne--pain to break the spirit!” (XXIV-605). Following this is the aforementioned treatment of Priam, the regard for his life, and the allowance of time for Hector’s burial. It seems as though Achilles cares for the pains of Priam, and accepts the ransom out of pity. Creon had no pity on Polynices or Antigone, and merely gave in when he was forced to do so for his well being and the well being of his family.
Achilles and Creon share flaws such as rage, vengeance, defiance of the gods’ will. In Achilles, however, there is a change. When Achilles feels pity for Priam, he seems to have learned pity, flexibility, and given up his rage. It takes the suicide of his son and wife for Creon to see the error in his ways, and without these tragic events, it is doubtful that Creon would have realized anything of the sort. Behind the rage and vengeance of Achilles, Homer has been revealed a compassionate being. Creon, on the other hand, seems to have only more pride, rage and anguish beneath his flaws.
Throughout the story of Antigone, particularly the end, Creon proposes the bad-boy in control personality. He acts as the ruler he is and puts his power to work. He fears nothing unless his family is involved. He has no mercy when it comes to the law. Additionally, he is greatly affected by the environment he creates around himself.
In the awe-inspiring play of Antigone, Sophocles introduces two remarkable characters, Antigone and Creon. A conflict between these two obstinate characters leads to fatal consequences for themselves and their kindred. The firm stances of Creon and Antigone stem from two great imperatives: his loyalty to the state and her dedication to her family, her religion but most of all her conscience. The identity of the tragic hero of this play is still heavily debated. This tragedy could have been prevented if it had not been for Creon's pitiful mistakes.
First, Creon is a tyrant. His rule will not be remembered for many reasons, one being that he desecrates family honor. When a son or father dies in battle, they are carried home to be properly buried by their families. Eteocles, Antigone’s other dead brother, is a patriot and is buried because he fights for Thebes. However, Polynices is not buried because he rebels against Thebes. Creon leaves Polynices’ body out to be attacked by dogs and vultures. This angers the people of Thebes because family honor is very important to them. Therefore, the people of Thebes will not remember Creon because of his offensive deeds performed while he is on the throne.
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 was seen in a different context in Oedipus compared to his character in Antigone.
The strengths and weaknesses of the Athenian character traits laid out in the “Funeral Oration” are exemplified by the character of Creon in Sophocles’ Antigone, and suggest that Athenians held certain concerns in the Golden Age of their empire.
But Achilles even goes to the length of allowing Priam the time to properly bury his dead son showing that his rage has been subdued by compassion “If thou indeed art willing that I accomplish for goodly Hector his burial, then in doing on this wise, O Achilles, wilt thou do according to my wish… For nine days ' space will we wail for him in our halls, and on the tenth will we make his funeral, and the folk shall feast, and on the eleventh will we heap a barrow over him, and on the twelfth will we do battle, if so be we must.” Then spake to him in answer swift-footed, goodly Achilles:“Thus shall this also be aged Priam, even as thou wouldest have it; for I will hold back the battle for such time as thou dost bid.” (book
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.
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.
The Iliad of Homer, by I. A. Richards, happens in the Bronze Age where the war amongst Greek and Trojan is going on. In this exposition, I will discuss investigating between Achilles and Hector discussing the distinctions and similarities between the two legends of the story The Illiad. Achilles is responsible for the Greek armed forces, while Hector summons the Trojan equipped drive. They are grouped awesome pride and radiance to obviously speak to every side as legends to the point they picked up everybody 's respects. Regardless of the qualities they have, there are more variations than they are indistinct. While deeply analyzing the differences on Achilles and Hector, I have concluded that they differ by the amount of respect they receive, values and family life.
The characters in the play Antigone all suffer a downfall of some sort. The major characters suffer the most, though. In this short essay, I will document on how the two main characters, Creon and Antigone, both inevitably become tragic heroes.
When the title of a play is a character's name, it is normally assumed that the character is the protagonist of the play. In Sophocles' Antigone, most people probably believe Antigone to be the tragic heroine, even after they have finished watching the play. It may be argued, however, that Creon, not Antigone, is the tragic character. When we examine the nature and concept of the Greek Tragedy and what it means to be a tragic character, it becomes clear that Creon is indeed the tragic hero of the play Antigone.
Brad Moore, a famous athlete once said, “Pride would be a lot easier to swallow if it didn’t taste so bad.” In Sophocles’ well known Greek tragedy, Antigone, the main character undergoes immense character development. Antigone transforms from being stubborn and underestimated to courageous and open-minded. In reality, it is Antigone’s insular persistence that leads to her ultimate decline in the play as well as others around her. After the death of her two brothers, Eteocles and Polynices, Creon becomes the new ruler of Thebes. With this, he grants Eteocles an honorable funeral service for his brave fighting. Claiming that Polynices was a traitor, he shows complete refusal to grant Polynices a respectable and worthy service. Clearly disagreeing with Creon’s inexcusable demands, Antigone declares she will bury Polynices herself so that his soul can be at peace. Entirely aware of the consequences and dangers of this action, which include death, she goes forward vowing her love for her family. Antigone shows strength and determination towards her brother. However, her growing sense of pride leads to her downfall as she sacrifices everything for her family. Antigone develops into an admirable character in which she portrays her defiance and courage, pride and open mindedness, and sense of moral righteousness to show vital character growth as the play progresses.
In this essay, I will compare the characteristics of Achilles and Hector using the information provided by Homer in his version of The Iliad. I will be explaining how they are similar and different to one another, plus their reasons for fighting in the brutal battles that take place in the story. Achilles and Hector are similar in some ways but very different in others. They are both the greatest warriors of their respective armies, Achilles for the Achaeans and Hector for the Trojans. However, their personality traits are very dissimilar. The comparison of Achilles and Hector shows similar traits between them but Homer describes Achilles as the superior warrior in The Iliad.
From the initial callousness and stubborn temper of Achilles in the first books of the Iliad to the eventual ‘humanization' of Achilles in his interaction with the grieving father of Hector, whom Achilles himself slew, the Iliad can be seen to chronicle the maturation of the Greek hero during the terrible battles of the Trojan War. Achilles is a hero in the epic sense, complete with flaws and bad qualities that round out the character, but with passions and convictions that any reader can relate to. Throughout the course of the Iliad, Homer creates the character of Achilles to be that kind of hero in every sense of the word. As the novel begins, we first meet with Achilles in his interaction with the great king, Agamemnon. It may be said that Achilles shows himself to be a horribly hard-headed individual, and this is obviously true. But, in this encounter with the powerful king, Achilles also shows some of his more respectable qualities; such as courage, honor, and a sense of justice.