Antigone
Antigone Essay
In society, being self-centered about ideas frequently affects peoples’ judgement. Sophocles raises this issue in his play Antigone. He believes that listening to the wise benefits your judgement, but the result of refusing to listen leads to tragic outcomes. Sophocles uses Ate to develop the characters’ inability to take in others’ perspective.
Sophocles first addresses the tragic results of not listening through Antigone’s refusal to take advice. In Sophocles’s prologue, Ismene states “[She] has no strength” for burying Polynices against the states’ jurisdiction, while Antigone pronounces that Ismene “use[s] that excuse” to avoid trouble (Sophocles 76-83). Even though Ismene says she doesn't have the strength to go against the state, she really means that she doesn’t have the willpower to choose between the Gods’ and Creon’s law because defying either law will result in punishment. Even though Ismene is being cautious of her choices, Antigone believes Ismene is foolish for not siding with her. Antigone chose to believe herself without thinking about Ismene’s point of view. In result, Antigone ends up putting herself between both the laws of the lands and the God’s law, which results in her entombment. In addition to Antigone putting off her sisters’ point of view, Sophocles uses Antigone’s inability to take others perspective into consideration. During Creon’s and Antigone’s argument, Creon expresses his opinion of Polynices betrayal of the city by saying, “The good don’t want to share honors with the bad” (Sophocles 534-6). Antigone retaliates by mentioning, “Who knows that is considered righteous below . . . . . I cannot share their hate, only their love” (Sophocles 536-8). Creon’s belief that Polynices shouldn’t be honored in burial conflict with Antigones’, in which Polynices deserves burial to honor the Gods’ law. Antigone doesn’t realize Creon’s point of view, standing up for the city, and goes with her own belief without
In society, being self-centered about ideas frequently affects peoples’ judgement. Sophocles raises this issue in his play Antigone. He believes that listening to the wise benefits your judgement, but the result of refusing to listen leads to tragic outcomes. Sophocles uses Ate to develop the characters’ inability to take in others’ perspective.
Sophocles first addresses the tragic results of not listening through Antigone’s refusal to take advice. In Sophocles’s prologue, Ismene states “[She] has no strength” for burying Polynices against the states’ jurisdiction, while Antigone pronounces that Ismene “use[s] that excuse” to avoid trouble (Sophocles 76-83). Even though Ismene says she doesn't have the strength to go against the state, she really means that she doesn’t have the willpower to choose between the Gods’ and Creon’s law because defying either law will result in punishment. Even though Ismene is being cautious of her choices, Antigone believes Ismene is foolish for not siding with her. Antigone chose to believe herself without thinking about Ismene’s point of view. In result, Antigone ends up putting herself between both the laws of the lands and the God’s law, which results in her entombment. In addition to Antigone putting off her sisters’ point of view, Sophocles uses Antigone’s inability to take others perspective into consideration. During Creon’s and Antigone’s argument, Creon expresses his opinion of Polynices betrayal of the city by saying, “The good don’t want to share honors with the bad” (Sophocles 534-6). Antigone retaliates by mentioning, “Who knows that is considered righteous below . . . . . I cannot share their hate, only their love” (Sophocles 536-8). Creon’s belief that Polynices shouldn’t be honored in burial conflict with Antigones’, in which Polynices deserves burial to honor the Gods’ law. Antigone doesn’t realize Creon’s point of view, standing up for the city, and goes with her own belief without