Sophocles' Antigone

1105 Words3 Pages

Recommended: Summary of antigone sophocles

Sophocles' Antigone Theater played a large role in ancient Greek society. The citizens

were meant to learn from the mistakes made in tragedies. They should

have learned what not to be like as a citizen or human. In the classic

tragedy Antigone, the third and final play in Sophocles¹s Oedipus

Cycle, there are two main characters, Antigone and Creon. They are

both strong willed and stubborn people. By their resistance to change,

they both seal each others fate. Antigone is passionate... Creon is

full of rage. They are both so similar that they can not see eye to

eye. Although they may seem quite different, Creon and Antigone share

many similarities throughout the play.

Antigone and Creon are both very independent people. Antigone is

willing to act on her own for something she believes in. In the first

scene Atigone pleas with her sister, Ismene, to help her. When Ismene

refuses she is furious, but is resolved to continue with her plan, in

defiance of Creon¹s decree.

³Go away, Ismene: I shall be hating you soon, and the dead will too,

For your words are hateful. Leave me to 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.² (189)

Even facing the penalty of death, she risks her life for what she

believes. By her self, she manages to sneak past the guards watching

over the corpse of Polyneices, and gives him a crude but proper

burial.

Creon is also very independently minded, and he refuses to accept the

opinions of anyone but himself. When his son Haimon confronts him, he

...

... middle of paper ...

...mene.

you have no right to say so. You would not help me, and I will not

have you h elp me" This reveals clearly how arrogant and stubborn

Antigone can be. Even after her sister wants to share in her

punishment and crawls back to her. She will not accept it to her own

demise.

Creon and Antigone are both remarkably similar people. Ironically,

they are both so much the same that they can not see it. The flaws

they share make neither of them willing to listen to the other. Many

of their traits are identical, but their opinions are so different

that they can't stand each other. Sophocles did an excellent job in

portraying the two vast extremes of the spectrum, passion and reason.

This story hopefully proves to people that neither extreme passion nor

extreme reason, but rather be in the middle and achieve arete.

Comparative Essay: The Hunger Games
194 Words | 1 Pages
In both books they share some traits, even though they may not look anything alike they are. both of these novels are dystopian novels and many characters share similarity’s.
Read More
Similarities Between The Odyssey And The Alchemist
701 Words | 2 Pages
“…people need not fear the unknown if they are capable of achieving what they need and want" (79). Both protagonist learned about the dangers of fear through the tribulations of their journey. Although life may constantly though curveballs our way, it is important to learn how to take risks. One must to have the audacity to continue on. Odysseus, a courageous Greek hero, would not have made it very far if he was apprehensive of taking risks. Instead, he sought
Read More
The Chrysanthemums Compare And Contrast
835 Words | 2 Pages
... Their attitude and tone is something that can be contrasted in the two stories.
Read More
Sophocles' Antigone - The Stubborn Antigone and Creon
881 Words | 2 Pages
In the play Antigone, both Antigone and Kreon could be considered tragic heros. A tragic hero, defined by A Dictionary of Literary, Dramatic and Cinematic Terms, is someone who suffers due to a tragic flaw, or hamartia. This Greek word is variously translated as "tragic flaw" or "error" or "weakness". Kreon's hamartia, like in many plays, is hybris - Greek for overweening pride, arrogance, or excessive confidence. Kreon's hybris causes him to attempt to violate the laws of order or human rights, another main part of a tragic hero. Also, like all tragic heroes, Kreon suffers because of his hamartia and then realizes his flaw.
Read More
Sophocles' Antigone - Creon and Antigone
815 Words | 2 Pages
Antigone Sophocles When a dictator dies, his image and fame dies with him, but when a self-sacrificing individual dies, their legacy begins. This statement is true because oppressed citizens do not fondly mention a mean ruler, such as Creon from Antigone, after he passes away. Yet a martyr, such as Antigone, also from the story Antigone, is remembered for her self-sacrificing deeds. Creon will not be remembered because he did not allow Antigone to bury her dead brother Polynices, and decides to execute Antigone for trying while Antigone’s legacy will live on because she has the courage to defy Creon, and chooses to sacrifice herself for Polynices' honor.
Read More
Antigone, by Sophocles
857 Words | 2 Pages
In a democracy, people choose representatives to lead and govern them. However, these representatives might take unpopular steps. In such instances the people may show their disapproval of a policy and vent their grievances through acts of civil disobedience. Henry Thoreau said, “It is not desirable to cultivate a respect for the law, so much as for the right.” It is both the right and responsibility of a person to fight an unjust law, and civil disobedience allows one to convey his thoughts and ideas in a passive, nonviolent way. In Sophocles’ Antigone, written in 442 B.C., we find one of the earliest examples of civil disobedience. The play emphasizes the right of the individual to reject his government’s infringement on his freedom to perform a personal obligation and highlights the struggle that one faces in doing so. More importantly, it shows how such actions help further the cause of democracy. It strengthens the belief that each individual’s opinion is important in a democracy and makes a difference. Eventually, we see Creon realize his mistake – his stubbornness – which teaches him that he should have room for more than one opinion. Also, women at that time were not considered equal citizens, but Antigone’s actions left people to rethink the extent of the equality in Athenian democracy.
Read More
Antigone, by Sophocles
1009 Words | 3 Pages
In Sophocles’ play, Antigone, the main character uses rhetoric to effectively persuade her audiences to sympathize with her. In the play, Antigone’s brother, Polyneices, dies a traitor to the Theban people. The king, Creon, decrees that no one is to bury the traitor despite the necessity of burial for proper passing into the afterlife. Believing that Creon’s decree is unjust, Antigone buries her brother. When she is brought to the king, Antigone uses this speech in defense of her actions. In the speech, she uses allusion, diction, and particular sentence structure to increase the effectiveness of her argument.
Read More
Sophocles Antigone: The Allegory Of The Cave
661 Words | 2 Pages
Struggling between the truth and the law, Antigone’s dilemma, in Socrates's Antigone effectively parallels Plato’s ¨Allegory of the Cave.¨ Antigone has seen the light/ truth and understands that her brother deserves a proper burial, despite what her uncle’s law may state. By fighting what Creon says is correct, Antigone has made the ascent out of the cave; she has seen the truth and has rejected the false images of the puppeteer, unlike the other cave dwellers who refuse to make the ascent into light. The journey into the light is painful and uncomfortable; however, in contrast to her sister, Ismene, and the townspeople Antigone is willing to make this sacrifice in the pursuit of truth, stating ¨To me the pain is light. . . and if my present action seems to
Read More
Pride In Sophocles Antigone
803 Words | 2 Pages
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.
Read More
Sophocles' Antigone - Antigone as Bad Citizen
453 Words | 1 Pages
Being a good citizen often involves doing something out of the ordinary to help others. Sometimes, that involves going against the will of others to do what the good citizen might think is best. Although this is traditionally the case, the biggest factor in being a good citizen is great respect for the nation in which one lives. If one wants to be a good citizen, he or she might go out of his or her way to help others, however, must do so within the rules of the nation. In the Greek Drama by Sophocles, entitled Antigone, the hero, Antigone, shows, what I would call, bad citizenship. How is this? Why is she being a bad citizen?
Read More
Sophocles' Antigone - The Real Tragedy
605 Words | 2 Pages
Tragedy of Antigone The play “Antigone” by Sophocles displays many qualities that make it a great tragedy. A tragedy is defined as a dramatic or literary work in which the principal character engages in a morally significant struggle ending in ruin or profound disappointment. In creating his tragedy “Antigone”, Sophocles uses many techniques to create the feelings of fear and pity in his readers. This, in turn, creates an excellent tragedy.
Read More
Antigone, by Sophocles
546 Words | 2 Pages
In the play Antigone, by Sophocles, it is greatly apparent just within the first few exchanges between Ismene and Antigone that there are various social issues surrounding the women in ancient Greece. The play raises many gender and socially related issues especially when looking at the contextual background of the playwright and the representation of the women within the play. When the characters of the first scene begin their analog, it is important to note what they are actually saying about each other and what their knowledge of their own social status is. The audience is first introduced to Antigone who we later learn is the antagonist of the play as she rebels against the protagonist, Creon. Her sister, Ismene, is the second character the audience is introduced to, hears of Antigone's plan to bury their brother's body in the first scene. Ismene’s actions and words give the reader the hint that her sister’s behavior is not usual, "so fiery" and "so desperate" are the words used to describe Antigone's frame of mind. At this very early point in the play the reader discovers that Antigone is determined to carry out her mission to bury her beloved brother. However, she is in no position that gives her the rights as a woman, sister, or even future queen to make her own decisions and rebel. Instead, her decision to bury her brother demonstrates her loyalty to her family, the gods, and to all women. Her motivation for those decisions will end up driving her far more than that of what the laws set by Creon have implemented. She shows no fear over disobeying the king and later says about the punishment of death "I will lie with the one I love and loved by him"(Sophocles, 2). Throughout the play the reader can see the viewpoint of an obedient woman, a rebellious woman, and the social norms required for both of them.
Read More
The Immense Character Development in Antigone by Sophocles
1542 Words | 4 Pages
Brad Moore, a famous athlete once said, “Pride would be a lot easier to swallow if it didn’t taste so bad.” In Sophocles’ well known Greek tragedy, Antigone, the main character undergoes immense character development. Antigone transforms from being stubborn and underestimated to courageous and open-minded. In reality, it is Antigone’s insular persistence that leads to her ultimate decline in the play as well as others around her. After the death of her two brothers, Eteocles and Polynices, Creon becomes the new ruler of Thebes. With this, he grants Eteocles an honorable funeral service for his brave fighting. Claiming that Polynices was a traitor, he shows complete refusal to grant Polynices a respectable and worthy service. Clearly disagreeing with Creon’s inexcusable demands, Antigone declares she will bury Polynices herself so that his soul can be at peace. Entirely aware of the consequences and dangers of this action, which include death, she goes forward vowing her love for her family. Antigone shows strength and determination towards her brother. However, her growing sense of pride leads to her downfall as she sacrifices everything for her family. Antigone develops into an admirable character in which she portrays her defiance and courage, pride and open mindedness, and sense of moral righteousness to show vital character growth as the play progresses.
Read More
Sophocles Antigone: Peer Review Of Greek Mythology
626 Words | 2 Pages
From our peer review of Greek mythology I learned random facts, like how Aphrodite was born from genitals thrown into the sea, and timeless stories that are alluded to in Sophocles’ Antigone,which help people to better understand the structure of ancient Greek and our present society by showing the glory of heroism and like traits, and form opinions about the gods presented. The main lesson I learn through our presentations were just how interconnected every myth was. While learning about Mt. Olympus I learned more about my own topic of study, being that it was said that the Nine muses lived at the base of Mt. Olympus. I also realized how Calliope one of the muses that I studied was a main obstacle in the Odyssey that we read freshman year. Another interesting fact that was brought to my attention was the myth of Teiresias the blind prophet, who was blinded more than once and gifted with the ability to see the future as a result.
Read More
A Comparison of Gustave Flaubert and Madame Bovary
1428 Words | 3 Pages
well as the author of this book. One can notice that they both share a fairly
Read More

Open Document

Wait a second!

Sophocles' Antigone

Comparative Essay: The Hunger Games

Similarities Between The Odyssey And The Alchemist

The Chrysanthemums Compare And Contrast