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Antigone by Sophocles analysis
Antigone by Sophocles analysis
Antigone by Sophocles analysis
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In the book, Antigone, written by Sophocles, Antigone, the protagonist, faces a decision that questions her loyalty to her family and King Creon. When she learns that both of her brothers have died in battle, but only Eteocles had received the proper burial, Antigone makes it a mission to give her dead sibling, Polyneices, a proper farewell. Due to Creon’s decree, the citizens of Thebes were forbidden to bury him. Antigone’s confident, honorable, and upstanding yet secretive personality clashes (or come in conflict) with Creon’s rule and edict, that later results in the deaths of multiple protagonists. Throughout the multiple confrontations between Antigone and Creon, direct and indirect, Antigone’s confidence towards the king shows how …show more content…
Antigone was willing to die and sacrifice her life so she could give the proper burial to her late brother Polyneices. By being a martyr, she knew that her life was not as important, so dying would not be such a problem for her. “And if I must die, now before it is my time to die, surely this is no hardship” (page 208). Not only did she accept the punishment that Creon had given her, but also the fact her brother had a proper burial and she has no regrets in doing so. “But if I had left my brother in death unburied, I should have suffered, now I do not” (page 208). This quote partially explains further as to why she did what she did. If she hadn’t buried her brother, her conscience would have been telling her that she did the wrong thing, consequently leading to her suffering. Having taken the dangerous action of burying her brother and going against Creon’s orders and knowing the consequences, she must have accepted the fact that her death would not mean much compared to what she was doing for Polyneices. “This death of mine is of no importance” (page 208). This quote shows her understanding and acceptance of the
Antigone, a story written by Sophocles, is about a young woman, Antigone, choosing whether she will not bury her brother, Polyneices, to not break the law or disobey Creon’s law and bury him; however choosing to bury her brother does not derail her moral development.
She expresses her allegiance to family by giving her beloved brother, Polyneices, a proper burial despite Creon's orders. She ignores his threats to any citizen of Thebes who buries him will be executed for treason. Antigone, daughter of Oedipus, puts her own life on the line to do what she thinks is right for her brother, and honoring him in death. "He is my brother still, and yours; though you would have it otherwise, but Ii shall not abandon him." (193) She feels that everyone deserves a proper burial regardless of circumstance and in support of the Gods wishes. Antigone pays the ultimate high price for her loyalty to her brother Polyneices because it results in her death when she commits suicide after being locked up by Creon, This which sets up a chain reaction forof the suicides of Haemon and Eurydice. Antigone is also loyal to her sister because she wouldn't let Ismene participate in the burial and share any blame or punishment. She says "I will not press you any more. I would not want you as a partner if you asked" (194) . Regardless of Creon's edict, she decides to do what is right according to a much stronger law, her own personal law of family loyalty. When faced with Creon's anger, Antigone does not deny burying Polyneices' body, showing pride in her decision. Antigone realizes that regardless of what a king or a ruler wants, family loyalty comes
Antigone had good reasons for her actions. She did obey the rules of her gods, which were that any dead body must be given a proper burial, with libatations. This would prevent the soul from being lost between worlds forever, along with wine as an offering to the gods (page 518- side note). Nor could Antigone let Creon's edicts go against her morals (lines 392-394). She chooses to share her love, not her hate (line 443). She couldn't bare to see one family member be chosen over the other because of what a king had decided was right, which she contravened. Why condemn somebody who stood up for what they believed in and is now dead for it anyway? Bringing homage to the family was very important to Antigone (line 422-423).
Antigone a play in Sophocles deal with Antigone who defies Creon’s decree given that; Polynices, Antigone’s brother should not be buried but left to rot in the sun and eaten by scavengers. Creon describes Polynices as a traitor and enemy to Thebes unlike Antigone’s other brother Eteocles, a patriot who dies fighting for Thebes. Antigone pursues her belief of divine law: that the dead should have a dignifying burial, therefore buries Polynices with the honor that he deserves. As soon as Creon discovers that Antigone withstood his decree, he appears to be filled with anger and frustration, particularly because Antigone took pride in what she has done, and to make matters worst; she is a woman. Creon demands Antigone’s arrest and execution and
Like her parents, Antigone defies a powerful authority. Unlike her parents though, that authority is not of the gods, but rather of a person who thinks he is a god: Creon, Antigone's uncle, great-uncle, and king. He proclaims that the body of Polyneices, Antigone's brother who fought against Thebes in war, would be left to rot unburied on the field, “He must be left unwept, unsepulchered, a vulture's prize....” (ANTIGONE, Antigone, 192). Antigone, enraged by the injustice done to her family, defies Creon's direct order and buries her brother.
In Sophocles play, Antigone, the reader explores many aspects of a Greek tragedy. In this play, a complex family follows a series of mishaps after hearing from a “seer.” After the family thinks they have overcome the worst, they then endure two brothers fighting over both of their rightful places on the throne. In the end, both of them die, but one, Eteocles, was buried a king, and the other, Polynices was left to be untouched a “traitor.” Their sister, Antigone, feels it is her rightful to disobey her uncle, Creon, who sets a decree that declares Policies was to be left unburied. She called this “the doom reserved for enemies marches on the ones we love the most” (Fagles 1984, 59).
Antigone really brings out the stubbornness in Creon throughout the play which gives the play more meaning.Creon is stubborn when he says “Take her and shut her up as I have ordered, in her tomb’s embrace.”(line 990). This Quote develops Creon as a tragic hero because it shows that he doesn't care what other people think and that he is going to do whatever he wants to do. Creon is does not worry about the hearts of his people what he thinks is right is always right in his eyes. Again Creon is being stubborn in line 600 when he says “No woman’s going to govern me-no, no-not while I’m still
Sophocles’ Antigone centers around the tragic hero and main character, Antigone, who believes in her moral obligation to the gods over her obligation to follow the law. As a result of her moral obligation to the gods, Antigone is willing to risk her life to do what is morally right. Antigone defies Creon’s law and gives her brother, Polyneices, a proper burial. When the messenger tells Creon that Antigone has buried Polyneices, Creon immediately locks her away in an underground jail and Antigone commits suicide. However, not realizing she has already killed herself, Teiresias, Haemon, and the Chorus convince Creon to finally release Antigone. Out of grief and sadness, Haemon and Creon’s wife also kill themselves; therefore, Creon is left alone
Antigone symbolizes a strong, selfless woman who sacrifices herself for a cause. This royal protagonist is loyal and honorable, for she displays family pride. Antigone's conscience did not want her to leave Polyneices (her brother's) body to rot and potentially be scavenged by animals. Hence, she comes to a decision to bury him and knows that if she dies, Antigone states that the crime is holy, which portrays her satisfaction and faithfulness for her family to uphold her morals and positive nature. Unfortunately, this leads to her ruin and receiving punishment. Creon, her uncle, sentenced her to death and she was imprisoned in a "stony tomb" where execution would be caused by starvation. Since she was suffering without the punishment,
In the play, “Antigone,” there is a conflict between the characters Creon and Antigone. Polyneices, their brother, had died while battling with his brother, Eteocles, over the throne of Thebes. While Antigone wanted to provide a proper burial for her brother, Polyneices, their uncle Creon considered him a renegade and furthermore did not want to bury him. Antigone’s decision to defy her state’s laws and bury Polyneices was honorable because it is right to follow God’s laws, even if that means defying the government laws. Another reason is that everybody deserves a proper burial to pay condolences to the deceased, as well as their family. Creon’s view of the situation may allure some of the audience because loyalty can be viewed as an essential
In Sophocles’s telling of the Greek poem Antigone the introduction of King Creon creates a rift in the relationship between sisters Antigone and Ismene, and serves as a source of conflict for Antigone. The latter effect is caused by his edict preventing Thebans from properly burying the traitorous son of Oedipus, Polyneices, which challenges the sisters’ relationships with their recently deceased brothers, who perished on opposing sides on the battlefield by their own hand. And yet, as the newly installed king of Thebes, Creon begins his reign with noble intent, revealing admirable characteristics of his in his very first monologue. Most blaring of which is his honor, a characteristic he makes known in his addressal of the chorus of Theban Elders after his crowning: “No man can be fully known, in soul and spirit and mind, until he has been seen versed in rule and lawgiving.”(pg.96) Creon seems to express a desire to rule in honor of his family’s legacy, out of a service to the fallen Eteocles and Oedipus, and not out of greed or his own ambition. Moreover, Creon’s honor finds further description in his critical assessment of Polyneices: “I-….
Antigone deals with this turmoil because she tries to perform the noble act of loyalty to her brother, Polyneices, as well as her loyalty to her family. Polyneices was slain by his own brother, Eteocles, in a battle where both were killed by each other’s sword. King Creon sentenced Polyneices to be left dead and Eteocles to be given an honorable burial. Antigone is faced with the decision to let her brother, Polyneices, lay dead in the street to be scavenged by animals or to be buried in a proper and decent manner so as to be accepted by the gods. She is in a position that gives her no rights as a woman, sister, niece or future queen. Her decision to bury her brother demonstrates her loyalty to her family, the gods and to all women. Her motivation drives her decisions far more than that what the laws of state have implemented.
In the earlier scenes of the play, Antigone’s reverence to family and the sacred ties of kinship are evident. Antigone’s two brothers, Eteocles and Polynices, kill each other in battle. Creon, the king, decrees that Polynices is traitorous and therefore must not be buried or mourned. Antigone believes in loyalty to family over loyalty to the state. This loyalty is seen in the first scene when Antigone asks her sister, Ismene, to help her bury Polynices. Antigone says, “I’ll bury him myself. And even if I dies in the act, the death will be a glory” (1269). She views her defilement of the decree as glorifying. Antigone is aware that the penalty for her defilement is death and she is willing to die for her convictions. When Antigone is caught burying her brother, she is taken to Creon. When Creon confronts her and inquires why she breaks the law, she responds, “that to die is precious little pain. But if I had allowed my own mother’s son to rot, an unburied corpse—that would have been an agony” (1279). Antigone’s devotion to her kin is more important ...
(Sophocles p.72) "I myself will bury him," she conveyed to Ismene. As soon as Antigone buried her brother, she was brought to the King Creon to explain her guilt. (Sophocles p. 177) Sophocles’ play demonstrates the two sides of the moral conflict of each of the characters, which are moral law or city law; Antigone with the side of moral law and Creon with his side with the laws of the city. Antigone argue with her sister Ismene about the honoring of their brother by telling her it was her job as a sister that she should bury her dead brother. It is a responsibility that she owes to her family. She also says that the king will not "keep me from my own." In other words, loyalty to the family is above her loyalty to the city. Antigone also tells Ismene that she is ready to become a lawbreaker and die for what she thinks is right. She believes her death will not be meaningless, and it is honoring her family; and the god. Creon reply to Antigone by calling her a betrayer because of her disobedience to his law. As a king with a great power and responsibility, Antigone put Creon in a position that If he forgives her, he will become weak in the eyes of everyone. (Sophocles p. 186-187) Creon sees himself as a good ruler, which means that he cannot allow his close relatives to disobey his laws because others will do the same. Creon is irritated that
In Antigone the protagonist, is humble and pious before the gods and would not tempt the gods by leaving the corpse of her brother unburied. She is not humble before her uncle, Creon, because she prioritizes the laws of the gods higher than those of men; and because she feels closer to her brother, Polynices, than she does to her uncle. The drama begins with Antigone inviting Ismene outside the palace doors to tell her privately: “What, hath not Creon destined our brothers, the one to honoured burial, the other to unburied shame?” Antigone’s offer to Ismene (“Wilt thou aid this hand to lift the dead?) is quickly rejected, so that Antigone must bury Polynices by herself. The protagonist, Antigone, is quickly developing into a rounded character, while Ismene interacts with her as a foil, demurring in the face of Creon’s threat of stoning to death as punishment for violators of his decree regarding Polynices. The main conflict thusfar observed is that which the reader sees taking shape between Antigone and the king.