Antigone Character Analysis

Sophocles' play "Antigone" portrays an uncle, Creon, and a niece, Antigone, smashing heads when their own individual loyalty contradicts each other and their beliefs. The ending justifies how loyal Antigone is to her family while Creon is loyal to the state. Sophocles illustrated Antigone has hot-headed and her loyalty to her family right from the start of the play. The play opens with Antigone discussing the burial of her deceased brother Polynices with her sister Ismene. Creon banishes anyone who buries the traitor of Thebes yet Antigone takes no heed of the punishment. "No, / he has no right to keep me from my own," (Line 59) Antigone believes that no one but her can decide her destiny and her choices are made by her only. In her heart, Antigone feels that she did not do anything wrong by burying Polynices. "I did it. I do not deny a thing," (Line 451) She sees that the only mistake being made is her uncle, Creon, refusing to bury his nephew. On the other hand, Creon is loyal to the state instead of the family like Antigone. Creon considers that a noble man puts the state before all. "But whoever steps out of line, violates the law, or presumes to hand out orders to his superiors, has no praise from me." (Line 746-747) If one is a traitor to the state or the form of government of Thebes, Creon is not favorable for him and does care if he is put to death for the betraying the state. Creon thinks that to have a successful Thebes, he must run the state as he puts all before it, just like his expectations. "Am I to rule this land for others?" (Line 823) Sophocles' ending justifies both Antigone and Creon's position in the play as one died for what she believes in and the other fought and changed for the better of the state of