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Antigone play Summary
Character analysis of antigone
The protagonist of antigone
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Antigone - Pride over powers
Sophocles' Antigone, is about the conflict of law and about the stubbornness and self will, about the sin of refusing to listen.
Conflict of law, presents the initial disturbance within the city state of Thebes. Creon, King of Thebes, refuses to bury the body of Polynices, a fallen former co-king, because he believes that Polynices is: “his country's enemy” 909. Despite breaking the laws of the gods, Creon believes his power is higher than that of God. It is through this belief that establishes the consequences that both Creon and Antigone must face. Antigone holds her family in high esteem, and pays respect to the dead, she believes the honor of those who have died is very important and should be up
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kept no matter what. In her determination to fulfill Polynices' rights as a child of god, she willingly disobey’s Creon’s law. Due to this moral belief, Antigone causes problems in the hope of Creon's to re-establish order. Her actions lead to a fight of wills between the two, exposing the stubbornness of both Creon and Antigone. Antigone's morals are the reason she disobeys the natural laws, set by Creon, and to make sure they respect the laws of God. Antigone's believes her goals are accomplished because she is stubborn and full of herself. Her life is consumed by her beliefs and she forgets how important other things are such as: marriage, motherhood and friendship. Antigone is consumed by the need to prove her human ethics no matter what Creon has tried to do. She plans to uphold and enforce the laws of her god and has no bad feelings for her decisions. Antigone believes that she will be rewarded in the afterlife because she has brought justice for her brother. In a close similarity to Antigone, Creon takes extreme measures in order to fulfill his need to repair and strengthen his city state to its original glory.
This restoration was caused due to the shocking news of Jocasta's and Oedipus's, which the civil war between their sons had almost ruined. Creon takes pride in his powerful leadership. Creon rules his city with the intention that his law is the only law, and nothing else matters. Creon does not realize that there are more important things out there then his laws. Due to this one sided thinking, Creon completely ignores the even greater moral laws. Creon is illogical and domineering; His inability to listen to advice is increasingly apparent. Later in the story, Teiresias, a blind oracle, enters this mess. He offers advice to Creon, and despite his wise words, Creon denies the truth of Teiresias advice; Creon also neglects to listen to his wise words and questions his loyalty too. 'You have given a son of you loins, To death, in payment for death' Antigone pg. 154. Once again Creon is warned by the chorus that Teirasias' words are not to be taken lightly. It is finally then, that Creon gives in and steps down and to listen to Teirasias advice. This change of attitude happens due to Creons beliefs, Creon realizes this as the best course of action for his glorious city, and mainly for himself. Creon had still not changed for the benefit of others. However, the deaths of Antigone, his son Haemon, and wife Eurydice end his
personal happiness due to his foolish mistakes. This leads to the ultimate destruction of Creon’s reason to push on. The ignorance and stubbornness in hubris demonstrated through Antigone and Creon prove to be their downfall. This leads to the greatest tragedy, as it is this that leads to their demise in the end. Antigone's setubborrness and determination lead her to the ending her own life. In doing this, Antigone believes this deed will burden Creon’s existence, and shed light to her morality and religious beliefs. It is Creon’s greed for power and authority over his city that clouds his ability to see beyond his own thoughts and judgment. This is his ultimate sin, as it leaves him with a great deal of power and authority, yet this is meaningless when the love of family is lost. All of these losses to Creon is a result of the expense of gratification natural laws, in conflict with moral laws.
Creon believes that his laws are absolute and must be followed above all else, even Divine Law. Therefore when Antigone, in accordance with divine law, goes against Creons edict by burying her brother she is forcefully imprisoned and sentenced to death by Creon. In Creons opening speech he says, “Of course you cannot know a man completely, his character, his principles, sense of judgment … Experience, there’s the test” (Sophocles, p. 67). How Creon handles Antigones unlawful actions serves as his first test as the new king of Thebes and ends up showing the Thebans a glimpse of his true nature, that of a tyrannical ruler. This can be seen again when Haemon comes to Creon with the hope of dissuading him from his current course of action. He does this by trying to make Creon understand that the citizens of Thebes don’t agree with his use of power and planned execution of Antigone. Again Creons authoritarian nature comes to light in his response to Haemon, “And is Thebes about to tell me how to rule… Am I to rule this land for others – or myself?” (Sophocles, p. 97). To which Haemon counters by saying that “its no city at all, owned by one man alone” (Sophocles, p. 97). Creon, being the tyrant he is, fails to heed the wisdom of his sons’ words, which ultimately leads to his downfall. Creon, like Machiavelli, believed that it was
Sophocles play titled Antigone, embellishes the opposing conflicts between Antigone who stands for the values of family, and Creon who stands for the values of state. Sophocles explores the depths of Antigone’s morality and the duty based on consequence throughout the play, as well as the practical consequences of Creon who is passionate and close-minded. Although Antigone’s moral decisions appear to be more logical and favorable than Creon’s, a personal argument would be that both characters’ decisions in society can be equally justified.
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.
Sophocles' Antigone is, at its simplest, a tragedy of conflict and misunderstandings. In the play, the laws of the gods are set up against the laws of man, and the two appear irreconcilable as the values are upheld by equally opposing characters, Creon and Antigone respectively. Indeed, Wilkins and Macleod decide that in Antigone `not only is there conflict, there is also a refusal even to recognise the other's point of view' (23). Thus Chorus significantly warn against the pursuit of extremes and sing about the need for men to reconcile human and divine law:
Choosing to follow authority and the law is admirable and important in order to have a stable society; however, prioritizing family over all is imbedded in humanity. Family is part of one’s identity and greatly affects one's morals and opinions. If a person solely lives a rigid life, following authority over family, then compassion and the ability to be flexible is lost. Sophocles poses if authority or family is superior through the characters Antigone and Creon as their actions and opinions drastically contrast. Creon puts more importance on his rule and the law, while Antigone emphasizes the devotion to her bloodline and the gods. Antigone, although depicting that authority and the king’s rule is important, puts more importance
Jodi Picoult once said “Some lessons can’t be taught. They simply have to be learned.”; in life what defines a person is what they become after they go through a series of trials and tribulations. Oedipus The King tells the story of a king who tries to outrun his fate and in the end self-banishes himself out of guilt leaving the kingdom of Thebes to Creon. The play starts with King Laius, who appoints Creon to rule in his kingdom while he consults the oracle at Delphi. Enraged by the death of King Laius, the gods cast a plague upon Thebes, which is the Sphinx, who starts to destroy the city. Terrified by the destruction of the kingdom, Creon states that anyone who might solve this riddle,
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. He sees Polynices as an enemy to the state because he attacked his brother. Creon's first speech, which is dominated by words such as "authority” and "law”, shows the extent to which Creon fixates on government and law as the supreme authority. Between Antigone and Creon there can be no compromise—they both find absolute validity in the respective loyalties they uphold.
In Sophocles’ Antigone, the most prominent theme is the concept of divine law versus human law. The play opens with the debate between the sisters Antigone and Ismene concerning which law comes first- the devout obligations of citizens, or civic duty. Antigone requests for Ismene to assist her in burying their brother Polyneices, though the new king Creon, has prohibited burial on pain of death. It can be argued that Creon’s edict, which deprived Polyneices of his funeral rites, is understandable. The young man had been killed perpetrating the most atrocious crime of which a citizen could be guilty, and Creon, as the responsible head of state, naturally supposed that exemplary punishment was the culprit’s right...
In the story of Antigone, which was written by Sophocles, the main characters of the story were Antigone and her uncle Creon. Despite that they were relatives, there were some conflicts between them. The story ended by the death of Antigone, haiemon her Fiancé and his mother, while Creon stayed alone after he had lost his son and wife. From the story no doubt there are some similarities and differences between Creon and Antigone.
Conflict of law, presents the initial disturbance within Thebes. Creon, King of Thebes, refuses to bury the body of Polynices, for in his eyes Polynices is 'his country's enemy' Antigone pg.131. Thus, despite breaking the laws of the gods, Creon holds his power higher than that of God and heavens and enforces his law. As the story follows, Sophocles expands on the ignorance presented by Creon and Antigone, and it is also found that it is impossible to defeat an ignorant man, or woman in argument. It is this ignorance, that establishes the notion of the sin and punishment that both Creon and Antigone face due to their stubbornness and self will.
In Antigone, Creon becomes king of Thebes after Polynices and Eteocles commit fratricide in battle. Antigone commits her ‘crime of reverence(74)' by burying Polynices after a direct order from Creon dictating that everyone leave him on the ground, unburied. Creon first accuses the council of elders of being stupid and old (281) when they suggest that the gods were behind Polynices' burial. After this, he goes on a tirade against men who supposedly were not happy with his leadership and therefore paid off the watchmen to bury the body. Creon blames the watchman of burying the body for money and the watchman tells him that, "It's terrible when false judgment guides the judge (323)."
In the play Antigone, Creon, king of Thebes faces a harsh conflict with himself, involving the values of family and religion verse the civic responsibility he must maintain for the city of Thebes that comes with being the new king. In theory no decision Creon makes is going to be the rite one. Although both Antigone and Creon have justified reasons for believing in there own laws only one can be upheld by the play and how Sophocles interoperates the play himself. Creon must decide whether to punish Antigone, a princess, daughter of king Oedipus, or fail at enforcing his own law and look weak in front of the citizens of Thebes as their new leader. The law stated that anybody who touched the corpse of Polyneices, a prince, and son of Oedipus would be stoned in the town square.
This is the Crux of the theme, the conflict between the law of King Creon, and the law of the gods. In fact, according to Greek belief, Creon would have been ordained by the gods to be king, and thus, should not his law be their law as well? This is the hurdle that Antigone has to face; should she abide by the law of Creon and leave her brother to rot, under penalty of death? Or should she disregard Creon's edict, follow the law of the gods and bury her brother? Creon is a brother to Jocasta, and thus next in line to become king after Etocles is killed in battle. The king is believed to be the chosen of the gods and to rule in their stead. Why then would the king attempt to punish Polyneices after death and so blatantly violate the rules of the gods? However, Creon is the king, and the penalty for disobeying this law of his is very real and very brutal, death.
The play “Antigone” is a tragedy by Sophocles. One main theme of the play is Religion vs. the state. This theme is seen throughout the play. Antigone is the supporter of religion and following the laws of the gods and the king of Thebes, Creon, is the state. In the play Creon has made it against the law to bury Antigone’s brother, something that goes against the laws of the gods, this is the cause of most conflict in the story. This struggle helps to develop the tragic form by giving the reader parts of the form through different characters.
One major theme in Antigone is the abuse of power. Creon and Antigone cause doom to their lives as they display resistance to power. The two characters attempt to override divine law with the law of the states, which leads to ruin. Creon, displaying a resistance to moral law, denies Antigone the opportunity and rightfulness to bury her brother, Polynices. This is due to Polynices’ rebellion against Creon, the King of Thebes. Antigone serves as a threat to the status quo. She gives up her life out of her commitment to principles above human law—moral law. Creon believes that the laws created by the King must be obeyed no matter how big or small they are. Creon argues that the law created by the King is the platform for justice. On the other hand, Antigone feels that there are unjust laws, despite who made them. She believes she has a moral obligation t...