Motivation is a universal characteristic. It doesn't matter how good or bad the outcome might be, people's actions are always determined by these motivations. It is reasonable and just according to this person's viewpoint, even if others disagree. The actions of Creon in Antigone seem unfair and cruel; he ignores his advisors and chorus and seems to directly oppose Antigone's own goal throughout the play, only to realize too late that he is wrong. However, what about his motivations and why he opposes Antigone's impromptu burial of Polynices with such a vehement attitude while allowing Eteocles to be buried with honor since they are both blood relatives? Initially, it seems Creon might not want the slain attackers to be buried properly and the ones who defended the city to be honored, but what if Creon is afraid of what Oedipus' fate might hold for his family? In light of Antigone and his son's engagement, Creon …show more content…
Because he fears Oedipus' curse could harm him and his family, he makes decisions based on this fear while trying to rationalize them. After "Oedipus the King" and Oedipus at Colonus, "Antigone" was the second of three Theban plays written by Sophocles; however, in order of appearance, it came last after Oedipus Rex and Oedipus at Colonus. Before Antigone, the story follows Oedipus, who was prophesied to kill his father and marry his mother, according to Cliffsnotes.com. To prevent this from happening, his parents pierced his feet and left him to die on a mountain. Fortunately, a shepherd took pity on him and gave him to a neighboring shepherd in Corinth. Because of this, Oedipus never knew his true parents. As an adult, he finally solved the Sphinx's riddle and became King of Thebes after marrying the widowed queen Jocasta and having four children. After
Creon is in a position of great power, influence and responsibility. The extent of his power is quite clear when he sentenced Antigone to death for disobeying his order. Antigone's reasons for burying her brother were simply the fact that she was demonstrating her love, honor, and loyalty to her family. However, the reason Creon is furious is that he feels insulted that Antigone openly and publicly disobeyed him. He was also inflamed that she was his niece and his son Haemon fiancé. It is known that in ancient times when a man's authority is threatened, especially by a woman, his ego is irreparably damaged.
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.
Furthermore, Creon is loyal to the state because he follows its laws. When he finds out that his niece, Antigone, is the one who disobeyed his authority and buried Polynices, he follows the law and orders to have her stoned even though she is part of his family and was soon to be married to his son, Haemon. Although it could be argued that Creon did go against his decree and changed his heart later in the play, he was too late because Antigone hangs herself and the consequences of his loyalty to the law had already taken effect.
for although Polynices was Antigone's brother, he was planning to destroy Thebes if he was victorious in overtaking it. Further evidencing this idea, Polynices also killed Antigone's other brother Eteocles who was faithful to Thebes until his death defending it. Being that this is the case, why would Creon agree to a burial of a traitor who with a foreign army invaded his homeland, killing his own brother, and would have sold his fellow countrymen into slavery? Antigone response to this is that she wants to bury her brother because that is th...
Creon’s actions were movtivated by his attempts to rally the people behind his grand, extravant displays of power. An example of this was in his condemning of Antigone to death by imprisonment. Antigone openly flouted Thebes’ laws, making Creon’s worst fear almost a reality. Creon believed that without taking action he would be seen as a fradulent, powerless ruler. The people would want another Oedipus, a hero, not a lawmaker. He feared that tolerating lawlessness would show that : “[He, Creon] is not the man, not now: she is the man if this victory goes to her and she goes free” (83). This
Attitude is everything. In Antigone by Sophocles, one of the characters makes the remark, “Think all men make mistakes, but a good man yields when he knows his course is wrong, and repairs the evil. The only crime is pride” (line 34-36 scene 5). Pride is being shown in many ways throughout the play. Sophocles emphasizes different ironies to bring out Antigone’s arrogance. Creon’s intelligence, but also to show his irresponsibility and foolishness.
Antigone and her family have suffered many things. It all began with her father, Oedipus. Oedipus has a very confused life. He ends up killing his father, the king of Thebes, while he believes his father is someone else. He ends up as the king of Thebes and married to his mother, Jocasta.
Antigone is a tragic play written by Sophocles in about 441b.c. The play is a continuation of the curse put upon the household of Oedipus Rex. Sophocles actually wrote this play before he wrote Oedipus, but it follows Oedipus in chronological order. The story of Antigone begins after the departure of Oedipus, the king of Thebes, into self-exile. Oedipus’ two sons, Eteocles and Polyneices, were left to rule over Thebes. An argument over rights to power forces Polynices to leave Thebes. Some time passes and Polynices returns with the army from Argos and attempts to overthrow his brother. The two brothers fight and kill one another and the war ends. Creon, the uncle of the two brothers becomes the new king of Thebes. Because Polynices proved to be an enemy of the state, Creon chose to leave his body unburied. In the Greek culture, the denial of Funeral rights was a fate reserved for the worst criminals (). This is the point where the dialogue of the play actually begins. Antigone, sister to Polynices and Eteocles, disobeys Creon and properly buries the body of Polynices. When Creon hears what Antigone has done he has her placed in a cave and essentially buried alive. This enrages Creon’s son, Haimon, who turns his own sword upon himself. When Eurydice, Creon wife her the news she to kills herself. Creon is left at the end to mourn the death of two nephews, a niece, a son, and a wife. This play more than an issue of right verses wrong or fate verses free will; it is a collision between the rightful demands of the family and the laws of the state (). Creon being in the position of ruler chooses to follow the demands of the state. There is much debate as to which ch...
In “Antigone” written by Sophocles, Creon is the tragic hero. Creon is the tragic hero because of his error in judgement, stubborn way of ruling Thebes, his change, and all the tragedy brought on by his actions. Although Creon changed only when a
The play “Antigone” by Sophocles, details the death of Oedipus’ two sons, Polyneices and Eteocles in a fight for the crown of Thebes. Creon, now the leader of Thebes learns of the battle and decides to give Eteocles a proper burial while Polyneices is forbidden to be buried believing he is a traitor to his city. Antigone, sister of Polyneices and Eteocles, believes her uncle is wrong and begins to challenge his rule resulting in punishment and deaths throughout the play. Creon’s impulsive actions in this play lead to the death of his family, which weighs on his conscience. In the beginning Creon brings along great ideas but is unable to fulfil them when the time comes leading to him ultimately failing at his job of being the King of Thebes
Creon in the play of Antigone by Sophocles plays a major role within the play. Antigone also plays an important role, as these two character’s conflicting views led to utter disaster, which highlights Creon as a tragic figure. Within the play Creon attempted to establish decisions for the common good; however, his decisions resulted in tragedy.
In Sophocles’ Ancient Greek tragedy Antigone, Creon, as the ruler of the city of Thebes, fails to care for others, and ultimately brings about his own downfall. Creon has great power as the head of the great city of Thebes, but although Creon has power, he does not act responsibly. He does not care for Antigone, and ignores her explanations for why she buried Polynices. He does not care for his own son, Haemon, in his pleas for Antigone, his fiancée. Finally, he does not listen to the prophet Tiresias until after Tiresias has left, with Tiresias tells him not to kill Antigone and to allow Polyneices to be buried. In the end, Tiresias get through to Creon, but Creon gives in too late, and Antigone, Haemon, and Creon’s wife, Eurydice, all commit
Sophocles wrote the play, Oedipus the King. Oedipus the King was written around 420 BC, has been noted as the most powerful expression of Greek tragic drama (Hyesso). Oedipus, who was a stranger to Thebes, became king of the city after the murder of the city’s king, Laius, about fifteen or sixteen years before the start of the play. He was offered the throne because he was successful in saving the city from the Sphinx, an event referred to repeatedly in the text of the play. He did so by solving a riddle in which killed the Sphinx. He married Laius’ widow, Jocasta, and had four children with her. When Oedipus was born, there was a prophecy that said Oedipus was destined to kill his father and marry his mother. In order to prevent this, his parents pierced and bind Oedipus’s ankles and abandoned him in the mountain. They believe that Oedipus’s fate was in the God’s hands. When Oedipus grew up, he heard about this prophecy, and decided to flea town in order to avoid the possible outcome. What he did not know was that the parents who raised him, had ...
Character Evolution: From Power to Tragedy In Sophocles' tragedy Antigone, Sophocles explores the importance of listening to others as well as the importance of having the ability to compromise. In the beginning of the play, Creon is an aspiring leader wanting to protect Thebes. Through his interactions with the Chorus, Creon’s personality changes from the original good intentioned leader to a stubborn ruler with close minded ideas; refusing to listen to the advice of others. However, at the end of the play he learns to embrace the advice of others at the cost of his entire family dying. Creon’s character is a good-willed aspiring leader, through his interactions with the Chorus and Haemon.
“...never let some woman triumph over us. Better to fall from power, if fall we must, at the hands of a man —never be rated inferior to a woman, never.” This quote spoken by Creon, in Sophocles’ Greek tragedy Antigone, adequately represents the opinion on women during the time in which Antigone would have been alive. Women were viewed as lower than men and were expected to be docile and passive. They were expected to never object to a man’s words, no matter if those words were to be unfair or unjust. Despite this, Antigone refuses to follow one of the most fundamental teachings of her culture by burying her brother even though the king, Creon, explicitly forbids the action, since her brother is a traitor. She rebelliously does what she feels is right, which cannot be said for her sister, Ismene. Ismene represents what a woman of her time was viewed as: weak and submissive to men’s