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Jourdan Fralin
Antigone Essay
Mrs. Adkins
12/6/14
Antigone, by Sophocles is a tragic greek play that centers around family loyalty. In this play, Antigone is trying to bury her brother, Polynesicus who is a “traitor” to their city and family, and was left dead for the animals to eat off of. While her other brother Eteocles, is getting a traditional military memorial service. But, there is a problem. Creon states that if anyone moves Polynesicus’ body or tries to bury it, they will get stoned to death in the city hall. Antigone, being the loyal and determined sister she is decided she is going to bury Polynecious’ body since it’s the right thing to do in the God’s eyes and they are of equal blood, even if it is against the law. Even this is such a noble thing to do, Antigone doesn't realize it will hurt her in the end.
In this play, Angitone is very strong-willed and shows it in more ways than you would think. In the beginning of the play,
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even though it’s against the law, Antigone tells Ismene that she is going through with her plan to burying their brother. Ismeme thinks Antigone is absolutely ridiculous for doing this and does everything she can to try and stop her, but Antigone ignores her and tells her that she needs to decide if she is a true sister or a traitor to the family. “I say that this crime is holy: I shall lie down with him in death, and I shall be as dear to him as he to me. It is the dead not the living, who make the longest demands: We die for ever...You may do as you like since apparently the laws of the god mean nothing to you.(lines 56-63; Sophocles).” Antigone says this to her sister when she refuses to help her bury Polynecious. You can tell how frustrated she is getting because Ismene isn't on her side. Antigone is a little stubborn and she knows she is strong-willed which is the exact thing that ends up getting her hurt and in trouble. When Creon finds out what she had done, he confronts Antigone and she denies absolutely nothing. She does this not realizing that she is weaker than Creon and she is on the road to digging her on grave. She was fully aware of the consequences and her execution was the result of her strong-will. Creon has a pretty big problem with his self-pride, it’s not only his tragic flaw, but one of his worst characteristics. Since Creon is the King of Thebes he thinks he is more superior and wiser than anyone else in Thebes. When Tiresias came to Creon and said that he is making terrible decisions and nothing he is doing is a good idea, Creon shuns him and calls him disloyal because he knows Tiresias is, and always will be wiser than him. “Do what you will, go into business, make money, speculate in India gold or that synthetic gold from Sardis, get rich otherwise than by my consent to bury him. Teiresias, it is a sorry thing when a wise man sells his wisdom, lets out his words for hire!(lines 820-824; Sophocles).” In this quote Creons pride is starting to over take him since he is now accusing Tiresias of bribery. Creons son also tries to confront him about how terrible his decisions are but Creon ignores him and says “You consider it right for a man of my years to go to school to a boy (lines 98-100; Sophocles)?” Creon says this because he thinks it is ridiculous that his son is trying to tell him what to do. Although Creon didn't directly kill Antigone, Haemon, and his wife, his pride and poor decisions did. You would think Antigones loyalty to the God’s and her family would be a really good thing but when she ends up completely going against Creon, she starts making mistakes and ends up hurting her in the long run.
Although it is against the law to bury Polynecious, Antigone feels like it is the right thing to do since they are “equal blood’ and the laws of the God’s mean a lot to her unlike Ismene. “ANTIGONE: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 (lines 409-413;Sophocles).” Antigone and Creon say these harsh remarks while Creon first confronts Antigone about burying her brother. Antigone will defend her brother no matter what but the more she does this, the more she makes Creon mad. Her disobeying Creon’s laws is what leads her into getting executed and
killed. In Antigone, many people had 100% control over the things they say and do so it’s no body’s fault for their downfall except themselves. Antigone knew she was going to get punished for burying her brother and for disobeying Creon’s laws but she didn't care because it is equal blood and Polynecius is her brother. When she buried Polynecius she slowly started going downhill. Creon’s situation is a little similar although his conflict is internal. Creon doesn't know it but he is completely causing himself to go downhill. Every time he shuns his son and Tiresias and decides to punish Antigone, he is slowly hurting himself and not only digging his own grave, but also his loved ones.
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.
In Sophocles' Greek tragedy, Antigone, two characters undergo character changes. During the play the audience sees these two characters' attitudes change from close-minded to open-minded. It is their close-minded, stubborn attitudes, which lead to their decline in the play, and ultimately to a series of deaths. In the beginning Antigone is a close minded character who later becomes open minded. After the death of her brothers, Eteocles and Polyneices, Creon becomes the ruler of Thebes. He decides that Eteocles will receive a funeral with military honors because he fought for his country. However, Polyneices, who broke his exile to " spill the blood of his father and sell his own people into slavery", will have no burial. Antigone disagrees with Creon's unjust actions and says, " Creon is not strong enough to stand in my way." She vows to bury her brother so that his soul may gain the peace of the underworld. Antigone is torn between the law placed against burying her brother and her own thoughts of doing what she feels should be done for her family. Her intent is simply to give her brother, Polyneices, a proper burial so that she will follow "the laws of the gods." Antigone knows that she is in danger of being killed for her actions and she says, "I say that this crime is holy: I shall lie down with him in death, and I shall be as dear to him as he to me." Her own laws, or morals, drive her to break Creon's law placed against Polyneices burial. Even after she realizes that she will have to bury Polyneices without the help of her sister, Ismene, she says: Go away, Ismene: I shall be hating you soon, and the dead will too, For your words are hateful. Leave me my foolish plan: I am not afraid of the danger; if it means death, It will not be the worst of deaths-death without honor. Here Ismene is trying to reason with Antigone by saying that she cannot disobey the law because of the consequences. Antigone is close-minded when she immediately tells her to go away and refuses to listen to her. Later in the play, Antigone is sorrowful for her actions and the consequences yet she is not regretful for her crime. She says her crime is just, yet she does regret being forced to commit it.
At the start of Antigone, the new king Creon has declared the law that while Antigone’s brother Eteocles will be buried with honor for his defense of Thebes, however the other brother, Polynices will be left to rot in the field of battle for helping lead the siege of the city. Antigone discusses with her sister Ismene that she shall go and pay respects to her now dead brother, and give him the burial that she feels that he deserves. Her sister tries to persuade her otherwise, but Antigone claims she is going to follow her determined fate, not the law of ...
The crux of the play, the causal factor to all the following events is how the new King Creon deals with the dead traitor Polynices, brother of Antigone. The decree not to bury the corpse must be considered from the viewpoint of a 5th Century Athenian, watching this play. The Antigone was written during a time of great strife for the city of Athens and they were in the middle of their conflict with the Spartans. At a time such as this , concern for the city was foremost in a citizen's mind. Creon's decree not to bury him at this stage then is right. Essentially not burying a body, any body, is an offence to the gods, and the persons spirit will not be able to go down to the underworld and cross the River Styx and Archeron. However, the Greeks believed that for some the sentence was deserved. The sentence of non-burial is appropriate in this case, as the Greeks believed that "those convicted of sa...
The opening events of the play Antigone, written by Sophocles, quickly establish the central conflict between Antigone and Creon. Creon has decreed that the traitor Polynices, who tried to burn down the temple of gods in Thebes, must not be given proper burial. Antigone is the only one who will speak against this decree and insists on the sacredness of family and a symbolic burial for her brother. Whereas Antigone sees no validity in a law that disregards the duty family members owe one another, Creon's point of view is exactly opposite. He has no use for anyone who places private ties above the common good, as he proclaims firmly to the Chorus and the audience as he revels in his victory over Polynices.
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...
Antigone’s firm belief that her brother Polyneices should have a proper burial is established by her conviction in that the law of the gods is above all else. This law proclaims that all men be mourned and honored by family and friends through means of a suitable burial. Antigone’s need to put honor upon Polyneices’ soul is so grand that she ignores the advice of everyone around her, including her sister Ismene, who tries to pull her away from performing this criminal act because it will disobey the law set by King Creon, and lead to her demise. However, Antigone does not care about the repercussions because even though “[s...
Antigone is the protagonist in the story Antigone. She is a young girl who rises up against her uncle, King Creon to defend what she believes in. King Creon is seen amongst the society as a dictator and feels no one should go against his orders. One of King Creon’s orders is to not give Antigone’s brother, Polyneices, a proper burial because he thought Polyneices was a traitor. Antigone, however, chooses to bury her brother because in her heart she feels it is the right thing to do, knowing full well that Creon disapproves and has made it clear that if anyone attempts to touch Polyneices, they will be stoned in public. Antigone says,
Antigone is determined to bury her brother because of her loyalty to her family and to the gods. She believes that no mortal, such as Creon, has the right to keep her from her own. Even if Antigone must die during the burial, she will not disgrace the laws of the gods. She believes that she has to please the dead much longer than she has to please the living.
Ismene’s disapproval against Antigone builds the desire to bury Polynices. Antigone is willing to do it alone and tells Ismene, “I shall not prove disloyal” because “From mine own [Creon] has no right to stay me.” (Sophocles 2-3). Antigone’s inhibitions grow stronger and she risks losing her only other family member, and never being able to see her again. Despite Antigone’s love for her sister, her love for her brother is stronger because she is respectful towards the dead and believes they expect special treatment, despite the fact they are dead. If this weren’t true, Antigone would have given up after she had seen the guards and Creon had warned her of the consequence.
In the play Creon goes against the Gods by making it illegal to bury Polyneices, Antigone’s brother because he is deemed a traitor. The burying of a dead body is seen as a necessity by all of Greece as it is an unspoken law of the Gods. Antigone goes to bury her brother so his afterlife will be better. She does it in spite of the law that Creon has made. “It is the dead, not the living, who make the longest demands” (192) She tries to explain to her sister, Ismene, that they must bury Polyneices, but even that close relationship has trouble because of the law. Ismene is unwilling to suffer the consequences of the law, to save her brother’s soul “Forgive me but I am helpless: I must yield to those in authority” (192) Even the two sisters who have just lost both of their brothers have different views on the matter. One will not stray from the law and what is deemed right by their king, while the other will accept any punishment, even death just to do what she believes is right.
Throughout the play Antigone is portrayed as a heroine for responding to her duty to bury Polynices. If she did not bury him his legacy would be tarnished. However, on the opposing side by not obeying Creon her uncle people may begin to question his authority if his own niece does not obey him. In the end Antigone chooses to obey the gods and “loving and loved [she] will lie by [Polynices’s] side,” (Sophocles 3). By burying her brother she not only obeys divine law but her familial duty to her brother. Antigone’s desire to obey the gods shows that she understands the importance of divine law.
At the beginning of the play, Antigone is upset about a decree Creon, the king, made (190). The decree states that her brother, Polyneices, was not allowed to be buried, because Creon believes that Polyneices was a “traitor who made war on his country” (211). Antigone has a very strong love for her brother and the gods, therefore she believes Polyneices deserves a proper burial according to the laws of the gods (192). Antigone says to Ismene that she [Antigone] will go against Creon’s decree-which states that if anyone buries Polyneices they will be killed (190). Antigone is extremely angry with Creon for creating the decree, to the point where she decides to make a big deal about the burial, instead of lying low and doing it in secret (192). Antigone even tells Ismene to “Tell everyone!” that she [Antigone] buried Polyneices when everyone finds out, and not keep it a secret-although Ismene doesn’t listen (193). Antigone’s decision not to do the bur...
In Antigone, her brother Polynices, turned against his own city by attacking his own brother just so he could become king. On this day, both brothers died. One, Eteocles, was given funeral honors, but the other, Polynices, was not. This decision was made by Creon, Antigone’s uncle and the current King of Thebes. Creon said “He is to have no grave, no burial, no mourning from anyone; it is forbidden.'; (Pg. 432; l. 165) He also announced that anyone who should attempt to bury him would be put to death. After hearing this decision, Antigone said that Creon couldn’t do that and that the Gods would want Polynices to have a proper burial, therefore Antigone promised to her sister Ismene that she would be the one to defy Creon and bury her brother; and she didn’t care if the whole city knew of her plans. After being caught in the act, she was taken to the palace and when asked by Creon why she did it. Knowing the punishment that would come from it, she replied by saying that she didn’t think Creon had the power to overrule the u...
In the play, Antigone reveals to her uncle that despite his law, she had thrown dirt on Polynices’ body. “No, Creon. I have done the decent thing – buried my brother who was left to rot” (McMaster 170). Even though Creon passes the law, Antigone resists it because she still considers Polynices as her family and she believes it her duty, as his sister, to give him proper rest. Antigone makes the right choice in defending her brother’s right for a decent burial because she put her immediate family