Through Antigone’s transformation from unhappy to scared, she exemplifies fearfulness. It is important to always do what you believe is right even if it is against the rules, but it is civil civil disobedience to break the law. Antigone says, “I may no longer see; for me no tears are spent” (Sophocles 33). This illustrates that Antigone is trying to be brave about what is going to happen to her, but she is still scared of what is happening to her. Antigone says, “who's more numerous host already persephone hath counted with the dead” (Sophocles 33). This implies that she is trying to mentally prepare herself because she is going to die and she is fearful of death. Antigone’s development through the play demonstrates that she is scared of her
... do, for all your crown and your trappings, and your guards—all that you can do is to have me killed”( Sophocles190 ).This kind of bravery ultimately proves that Antigone is courageous and willing to stand up to man and do so openly in pride. This kind of courageousness was rare for women of that time. Antigone dies bravely and in loyalty of her brother and because of this she is a model of a strong female protagonist as she clearly did not abide do gender expectations.
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.
Within these lines, Antigone reveals that she holds herself sanctimonious over her king by admitting his punishment is “nothing” compared to the “agony” she will face if she leaves her brother unburied. She also conveys a nonchalant attitude towards the repercussions of her action when she mocks Creon accusing him of being a “fool.” Although Antigone is aware that others such as her sister, Ismene and her fiancée, Haemon—the son of Creon, may suffer because of her act of civil disobedience, she is unwilling to abandon her protest to negotiate in a peaceful manner. This conduct implies that she does not completely comprehend the seriousness of her action or understand the weight of her crime rendering her approach inconsistent with King’s theory.
In complete disregard to Creon’s threatening laws, Antigone knowingly risks capital punishment and seals her fate by choosing to bury Polynices out of respect for Theban tradition. Antigone declares her independence by stating that “[she] will bury him [herself]. And even if [she] die[s] in the act, that death will be a glory,” (85–86). She takes full responsibility for her own actions, and recognizes that her inevitable death may come sooner than planned due to this deed. Antigone’s self-governing demeanor and ability to make her own decisions allows her to establish the course of her future. She self-determines her destiny by not sitting idle and working hard to honor her family. Antigone’s bluntness towards Ismene while trying to convince
Antigone has defied the king's edict. However, the edict says that her brother, Polynices, cannot be given a proper burial. The reason given for this is that Polynices is a traitor. Antigone's uncle, Creon, the king, makes this edict after many events happen. Antigone says herself that she has experienced "no private shame, no public disgrace, nothing" that cannot be experienced (Antigone, p. 658).
Antigone’s two purposes for giving this speech are centered on her two main audiences, Creon and the citizens of Thebes. In reference to Creon, Antigone’s purpose is to convey that even after being caught, she does not fear his power, or her punishment. She desires to show him that she stands by the justness of her actions and the injustice of her conviction. To display this, she refers to her death as unimportant because it is the direct result of what she thinks to be just actions.... ...
After studying the critical excerpts following Antigone, I found two to be beneficial to the understanding Antigone. When first reading this play I found I could relate to Antigone and the way she stood up for what she believes in. Going against any King during this time, and facing death, to act upon what she believed to be right was pure admiration in my eyes. There was one part of the play, however, that I had a little trouble relating to Antigone. Before she is led to the tomb of her death, Creon and Antigone have one final conversation where Antigone is explaining her reasoning for the defiance of her king’s laws. She speaks as if speaking to her dead brother Polyneices saying, “Had I been a mother of children, and my husband been dead and rotten, I would not have taken this weary task upon me against the will of the city” (Sophocles 1587). I believed Antigone to have stood up for the rights of what was right by burying her brother with the sacred ash and water, as any blood relative would in my opinion do for another; however, if this were the case then why would she have not done for her children or her beloved husband what she fought so hard to do for her brother?
Antigone was a selfless person with pride as a strong characteristic of her personality. She possibly had feelings of loneliness and anger from the way society has looked upon her family from their past. It took a strong willed person who has no fear of the repercussions to stand up to a king as she did. To make everything all the worst she stood up to a king who was her Uncle and she being a female back in those time, standing up and speaking out for herself was not heard of.
She is a pious, autonomous individual who likes to take matters into her own hands. When it comes to her plan to give her brother a proper burial, “Creon is not enough to stand in [her] way,” and she is “not afraid of the danger; if it means death, it will not be the worst of deaths – death without honor,” (Antigone 15, 80-81). To Antigone, family and honor are of highest priority, and she will not let anything or anyone prevent her from carrying out her duties. From the beginning of the play until her death, she holds onto these principles. Even the way in which she dies is reflective of this self-ruling ideal; she killed herself before anyone else could, not allowing anyone other than herself to have control over her fate. And because of these principles, her misfortunes were self-inflicted. She knew what misfortunes awaited her if she were to go through with her plan; she knew “the penalty [for burying Polyneices] – stoning to death in the public square,” (Antigone 23-24). She was fully aware that she would get killed for carrying out this act, but she did not allow those consequences to stop her from doing what she believed was honorable. Because Antigone’s misfortunes occurred with her full conscious knowledge and acceptance of her consequences, she is not considered a tragic
A variety of characters are convinced they are living their lives the best way they can in the world as they see it. Virtually every character reaches a point where his or her sense of mortality conflicts with that of another character. Antigone, a mythological play written by Sophocles, revolves around King Creon’s undeterred pursuit of what he believes is right, which brings a series of catastrophes to his royal family. Creon had absolute certainty that Polyneices was a traitor and issues a proclamation that no one is to give him a proper burial, but Antigone disregards this law flagrantly which sends Creon into a fit of fury. He must determine whether and how to punish her. Creon decides to put her into a cave where she is to starve to death, for he believed, with his bigoted mind, that what he was doing was right. The gods showed discontentment with his choice, and relayed through Tiresias, a prophet, that if he does not change his mind and ways, there would be severe consequences. Through King Creon’s actions, this sorrowful story reveals that the proudest men will eventually succumb to despair and suffer costly losses, including deaths.
The Tragedy of Antigone is not called Creon because Antigone is more important than Creon, she is more controversial, and she is more admirable. Antigone played a bigger role than Creon in that she defied the law and started the whole play’s chain of events, eventually leading to nearly everyone’s death.
Antigone shows throughout the play that she is always thinking that she must do what is best for other’s and not just herself. She is willing to do what is needed to follow the law of the gods, even if it is breaking the state law.... ... middle of paper ... ...
Antigone risks her own life to bury her brother, therefore, she goes against Kreon’s edict that Polyneices should be left unburied; she believes Polyneices deserves to reach the afterlife. Antigone tells Ismene, “I will bury him myself. If I die for doing that, good: I will stay with him, my brother; and my crime will be devotion” (Sophocles 23). Antigone is willing to risk her own life by disobeying the king’s authority; She stands up for her religious belief that Polyneices should be buried. Kreon tells Antigone before she takes her own life, “I won’t encourage you. You’ve been condemned” (Sophocles 57). Kreon believes that Antigone’s crime is severe, and righteousness should be used to justify her crime. At this point of the play, Antigone realizes she will be put to death, but she does not regret her act of loyalty. In Antigone’s last speech before she takes her own life, she exclaims, “Land of Thebes, city of my fathers… see what I suffer at my mother’s brother’s hand for an act of loyalty and devotion” (Sophocles 57). Here, Antigone addresses the nation’s leaders and declares that they should notice th...
Antigone uses the concept of death in many ways when unfolding the tragic story of Antigone and her rebellion. The most obvious way is how death is used as a form of capital punishment and justice against state-dubbed criminals and wrongdoers. The play first exhibits this notion when Antigone states, “No passing humor, for the edict says who’er transgresses shall be stoned to death” (Sophocles, p. 3). The head of the state, Creon, uses death as a form of justice for the man or woman who is to disobey his law. Creon also emphasizes this by threatening a guard when he is notified that his edict has been violated. Creon states, “Go, quibble with thy reason. If thou fail’st to find these malefactors, thou shalt own the wages of ill-gotten gains is death” (Sophocles, p. 8). Death is once again used as a threat and form of justice for people sinning against the state laws. However, death is not only used as a form of state justice, it is also portrayed as a factor in personal justification and completion. The notion that people are not whole or justified until they die is emphasized by Antigone when she states, “A sinless sinner, banned awhile on earth, but by the dead commended; and with them I shall abide for ever” (Sophocles, p. 4). Antigone says that through death, human life is justified and made complete, and that death is essentially the final form of justice for any human l...
Antigone’s own excessive pride drives her to her defeat. Her arrogance and strive for self-importance blinds her to the consequences of her actions. Ismene, Antigone’s sister, rejects to take part in the crime leaving Antigone all on her own. Ismeme declares “why rush to extremes? Its madness, madness” (Sophocles 80). Ismene fails to comprehend the logic behind her siste...