Antigone Reaction Essay
Antigone Reaction
Ivy Tech Community College
Abstract
This paper explores the relevance of the plot and theatrical elements of the great Greek tragedy, Antigone. It explains how even though Antigone was written thousands of years ago it is still important today; it is a play that all can relate to in some way. It also discusses my personal reactions to the play: what I liked, what I didn’t like, and what I thought could have been done differently for the improvement of the play.
Antigone was written as the last play in a trilogy of tragedies. As one of the last remaining thirty-one plays from Ancient Greece, Antigone contains a plot and theatrical practices that were not only appreciated and relevant back in the days when it was written but that are also appreciated and relevant now. In the play, Antigone breaks the law by giving her brother a proper burial even though her king, Creon, has deemed him a traitor. She is caught in the act, and, as her punishment, forced into a cave where she will starve and die. Her fiancee, Creon’s son, begs Creon to release her, but Creon will not. Only after the seer tells Creon that if he does not spare Antigone the Gods will take vengeance does Creon go to Antigone’s cave to release her. Unfortunately, Antigone has already killed herself, and so has Creon’s son, out of heart break. The overall theme of this play-to stand up for what one believes is right-morphs as the plot goes on. At first, we see Antigone: a young, strong girl doing what she thinks is right (burying her brother) even though she knows it’s against the law. Throughout the plot, she stands by her decision, even when faced with her own demise. She never stops standing up for what she believes is right. King Creon, on the other hand, starts off believing that not burying the traitor brother is right, and anyone who defies his order should, rightfully, be put to death. He stands by this belief, even when the perpetrator is his
Ivy Tech Community College
Abstract
This paper explores the relevance of the plot and theatrical elements of the great Greek tragedy, Antigone. It explains how even though Antigone was written thousands of years ago it is still important today; it is a play that all can relate to in some way. It also discusses my personal reactions to the play: what I liked, what I didn’t like, and what I thought could have been done differently for the improvement of the play.
Antigone was written as the last play in a trilogy of tragedies. As one of the last remaining thirty-one plays from Ancient Greece, Antigone contains a plot and theatrical practices that were not only appreciated and relevant back in the days when it was written but that are also appreciated and relevant now. In the play, Antigone breaks the law by giving her brother a proper burial even though her king, Creon, has deemed him a traitor. She is caught in the act, and, as her punishment, forced into a cave where she will starve and die. Her fiancee, Creon’s son, begs Creon to release her, but Creon will not. Only after the seer tells Creon that if he does not spare Antigone the Gods will take vengeance does Creon go to Antigone’s cave to release her. Unfortunately, Antigone has already killed herself, and so has Creon’s son, out of heart break. The overall theme of this play-to stand up for what one believes is right-morphs as the plot goes on. At first, we see Antigone: a young, strong girl doing what she thinks is right (burying her brother) even though she knows it’s against the law. Throughout the plot, she stands by her decision, even when faced with her own demise. She never stops standing up for what she believes is right. King Creon, on the other hand, starts off believing that not burying the traitor brother is right, and anyone who defies his order should, rightfully, be put to death. He stands by this belief, even when the perpetrator is his