Antigone as a Tragic Character
ANTIGONE
Tragedy is something which is sad however, the events will be “tragedy” if something bad happen to someone while following a value and “tragic” will be its adjective. In addition to this there is also a conflict between two goods. Hegel and his thoughts abour tragedy has been accepted until now. When we analyse the play, Antigone, we face with some differences from Hegel’s thoughts. Hegel’s idea of conflict between two goods is not applicable for either of the characters because they do have other values involved. It is a tragedy from the point of Hegel, but I will explain five elements which do not make the situations tragedy in the point of Antigone as a character.
If we analyse Antigone in terms of cause and effect relationsip, the play is nothing more than a melodrama. Cause and effect relationship is very important aspect. In the play, Creon does not let to bury the dead body of Polyneices. But he does it for the sake his state. He does not want anyone to make civil war in the future by unburying the dead body of Polyneices. He gives this punishment for goodness and wellness of the state. For example in ancient Greek, even if that body belongs to enemy, you are to bury it. In this play, by punishing Antigone to preserve a value, Creon destroys another value. But because of being in relationship with Creon’s son Antigone has enough courage to stand behind her idea of her right to bury Polyneices. She has courage to dare to say “Creon is not strong enough in my way”. But as a result, she is punished. After Antigone is in prison, Creon is persuaded to release Antigone. When Creon himself goes to the prison to give Antigon’s freedom, he finds her commited suicide. Here, she is not following a value when she kill herself . Because all the actions are over and the king decided not to kill her. Antigone does not know that Creon forgive her but we know. So it can not be a completely tragedy. We can not say that she died for her virteous act. There is
Tragedy is something which is sad however, the events will be “tragedy” if something bad happen to someone while following a value and “tragic” will be its adjective. In addition to this there is also a conflict between two goods. Hegel and his thoughts abour tragedy has been accepted until now. When we analyse the play, Antigone, we face with some differences from Hegel’s thoughts. Hegel’s idea of conflict between two goods is not applicable for either of the characters because they do have other values involved. It is a tragedy from the point of Hegel, but I will explain five elements which do not make the situations tragedy in the point of Antigone as a character.
If we analyse Antigone in terms of cause and effect relationsip, the play is nothing more than a melodrama. Cause and effect relationship is very important aspect. In the play, Creon does not let to bury the dead body of Polyneices. But he does it for the sake his state. He does not want anyone to make civil war in the future by unburying the dead body of Polyneices. He gives this punishment for goodness and wellness of the state. For example in ancient Greek, even if that body belongs to enemy, you are to bury it. In this play, by punishing Antigone to preserve a value, Creon destroys another value. But because of being in relationship with Creon’s son Antigone has enough courage to stand behind her idea of her right to bury Polyneices. She has courage to dare to say “Creon is not strong enough in my way”. But as a result, she is punished. After Antigone is in prison, Creon is persuaded to release Antigone. When Creon himself goes to the prison to give Antigon’s freedom, he finds her commited suicide. Here, she is not following a value when she kill herself . Because all the actions are over and the king decided not to kill her. Antigone does not know that Creon forgive her but we know. So it can not be a completely tragedy. We can not say that she died for her virteous act. There is