Preview

Creon's Unjustified Decree In Antigone

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
277 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Creon's Unjustified Decree In Antigone
In the Greek tragedy Antigone translated by Dudley Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald, Antigone responds to Creon’s unjustified decree by honoring her brother Polyneices, after he dies. After Antigone’s father dies, her two brothers fight for the throne. King Creon, the new King of Thebes, sides with the other brother Eteocles and buries him with honor and for him to seek happiness after life. However, Creon leaves Polyneices to decay as a way to tell his people that Polyneices will be going to hell and find no happiness in his afterlife. Not only does Creon leave Polyneices alone to rot, he creates an unjustified decree to forbid anyone to show honor towards him in any way. Antigone opposes Creon’s biased decree. Antigone’s decision to defend Polyneices
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Antigone Conflict Between Creon And Haemon
    • 814 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Antigone Conflict Between Creon And Haemon

    Creon, as the ruler of the land, is obligated to carry out social order. He has ordered that the body of Polynices should be left to rot because he was a traitor to the city. Antigone has disobeyed Creon’s orders by digging up her brother’s grave after his proper burial rites were forbidden. She has already buried her parents and brother Eteocles, who died fighting Polynices, and feels obligated to honor her brother’s life. Antigone is also determined to obey the gods, because it is against morality to leave any corpse unburied. She informs Creon that “Death longs for the same rites for all”.…

    • 814 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Similarities Between Antigone And Creon
    • 80 Words
    • 1 Page

    The Similarities Between Antigone And Creon

    One of Antigone's flaws is her loyalty to the gods and, on the other hand, her disloyalty to the state. Antigone seems to value religion more than the law. At the beginning, Creon orderes that Polynices, Antigone's brother, must be kept unburied because Creon thinks that he was a traitor. This is offensive to Antigone, and she is willing to do anything to honor the gods and bury her brother, even if it means getting killed for defying Creon's laws.…

    • 80 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Similarities Between Antigone And Creon
    • 283 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Similarities Between Antigone And Creon

    Creon’s pride and Antigone’s stubbornness create Antigone’s central conflict and create devastating consequences. Antigone loses her life, prompting Creon’s son and wife to commit suicide. Creon is forced to live with the guilt of the deaths of those dearest to him knowing that they were a result of his selfish actions. These events could not have turned out any differently due to how deeply engrained Creon and Antigone’s flaws are. Antigone is so determined to bury her brother that a potential death sentence and words from her sister do not deter her. The motivation of doing what the gods want, honoring Polyneices, and her stubbornness cause her to be unafraid of punishment. This is illustrated when Antigone says, “This death of mine/Is of…

    • 283 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Creons Attitude In Antigone
    • 257 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Creons Attitude In Antigone

    Although Creon created the edict with good intentions for the people of Thebes, his failure to recognize the familial bond that ties Antigone to her brother Polyneices coupled with his newfound power as ruler of Thebes contributes to his tyrannical and delusional behavior which ultimately leads to his downfall. Looking back at “Oedipus The King”, Creon established himself as a rational individual, especially during his confrontation with Oedipus when clearing his name as culprit in a placid manner. However, Creon’s attitude shifts dramatically in “Antigone” after assuming the throne. Analysing Creon’s argument with oracle Tiresias reveals Creon’s transformation into a delusional tyrant. Tiresias offers his wisdom to Creon claiming he is responsible…

    • 257 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Creon's Laws In Antigone
    • 326 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Creon's Laws In Antigone

    “I admit I did it. I won’t deny that.”(Line 500) Antigone’s views are a direct polar opposite of Creon. The motivations of Antigone conflict with Creon highlight his characteristics of self pride, views of laws, and rudeness towards women. Each of these characteristics brings Creon out as a tragic hero as soon as the play begins and his role is ginormous throughout the play Antigone.…

    • 326 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Theme Of Divine Law In Antigone
    • 302 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Theme Of Divine Law In Antigone

    The most significant theme in Sophocles’ Antigone is whether or not the law of man conquers divine law. Amidst the play, the newly crowned king Creon proclaims that the body of Polyneices will not receive a proper burial, but instead will be publicly shamed and left to be preyed upon by wild animals. Upset with Creon’s mandate, Antigone mourns the death of both of her brothers, Polyneices and Eteocles, and gives Polyneices a proper burial so he can move on to the afterlife.…

    • 302 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Multilayered Motives In Antigone
    • 465 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Multilayered Motives In Antigone

    Despite what or who Polyneices was fighting for or against, Antigone feels that he should be honored for the simple fact that he her “blood brother”. Due to such a strong belief that the Creon’s law is wrong and unethical. Antigone even insisted that her sister Ismene was kind of like a traitor because using her her logical judgement of cause and effect she could not bring herself to agreement with Antigones plan. Ismene knew that if she would help in the criminal act of burying her brother, she would be sentenced to death and death was not what she hoped…

    • 465 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Examples Of Civil Disobedience In Antigone
    • 103 Words
    • 1 Page

    Examples Of Civil Disobedience In Antigone

    In Sophocles' play "Antigone”, the ideas of obeying the law of one’s community and following ones own moral beliefs come into conflict. The plot revolves around two brothers, Eteocles and Polyneices having killed each other in an attempted to gain rule and their Uncle Creon gaining power after their deaths. He orders Eteocles given an honorable funeral and Polyneices to be left in the streets to rot. Creon believes that Polyneices' body shall be condemned to this because of his civil disobedience and treachery against the city. However, the dead brothers’ sister, Antigone, believes this unfair to Polyneices and insulting to the Gods.…

    • 103 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Burial In Sophocles Antigone
    • 737 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Burial In Sophocles Antigone

    QUOTE The Burial at Thebes: A Version of Sophocles’ Antigone translated by Seamus Heaney. There is a war between brothers over power and the two are clashing over the crown in Thebes. Over a ferocious battle, they both perish in the mighty battle, Eteocles and Polyneices. After the Battle, Creon comes to Thebes and is pronounced the current king. Creon decides to give Eteocles a proper burial since he fault in favor of Thebes, but denies Polyneices any type of burial and this is a big shock since it is a rule of the Gods that everu recieves a burial of some sort. Creon makes one order declaring if anyone atempts o bury polyneices, they are sentenced to death, and Antigone, the little sister of the two brothers, decided to defy this order and…

    • 737 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Oedipus and Niece Antigone
    • 685 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Oedipus and Niece Antigone

    The play Antigone supports Creon’s claims that the rule of the king must be obeyed even if it is wrong in order to avoid anarchy and chaos. It is tragic that so many lives had to be lost. It is hard to be a king and maintain the rule of law. King Creon is a strong king that demands to be obeyed no matter what the cost. Tragically he lost so many that he cared for. First his brother dies, then his two nephews fight over the throne and end up killing each other. Eteocles was the king however his brother Polyneices fought to take his place. To no avail they both die. Eteocles was giving a proper burial for a king where Polyneices was just left to rot on the battlefield.…

    • 685 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Rhetorical Analysis Of Antigone
    • 671 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Rhetorical Analysis Of Antigone

    Ruler of the Thebes, the fictional kingdom in the play Antigone, Creon in his speech argues that Polyneices, son of the late ruler Oedipus ought to have no burial. He supports his clam by first appealing to false authority, then using sentimental appeals, and lastly by comparing Polyneices to his brother, Eteocles. Creon’s purpose is to make sure nobody disobeys him in order to seem powerful in the eyes of his citizens. He adopts a demanding tone to assure he is well respected.…

    • 671 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Creon's Mistakes In Antigone
    • 1066 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Creon's Mistakes In Antigone

    When it comes to being human, it’s no surprise that mistakes happen when we try to live our everyday lives, but how can one learn about other people’s mistakes, and what those mistakes caused? The simple answer to this question is the history of human beings, and the empires that we’ve built and destroyed. Humans that would be especially important to study in this case would be the leaders of these aforementioned empires, and exactly how their mistakes caused their downfalls. In Sophocles’ play, Antigone, a king by the name of Creon acts on his emotions to decide the fate of one of his own flesh and blood, and in the end, he’s severely punished for his impotence, which brings about his downfall. Creon is a king that goes against the gods, and…

    • 1066 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Contrast Between Antigone And Creon
    • 860 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Contrast Between Antigone And Creon

    Antigone says the gods want her to bury Polynices, which she does. While burying her beloved brother, she is caught by the guard, taken to the palace where she awaits her fate. When she's is being questioned by Creon for her crime she announces to Creon “take me and kill me-what more do you want?” (Line 266). She accomplished what she needed and buried her brother. She does this bringing out Creon’s determination to kill anyone who buries Polynices, Even if it’s his son's fiancee. So determined to stick to his morals he responded “Me? Nothing. With that I have everything.” (Line 267). When she announced what she did to Creon it brought out his determination to kill anyone who buries Polynices, and nothing would stand in the way of his punishment, even if it meant deeply saddening his son with his Fiance’s…

    • 860 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Power In 'Avengers By Sophocles' Antigone
    • 830 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Power In 'Avengers By Sophocles' Antigone

    First of all, Antigone says to Creon “But if I’d allowed my own mother’s dead son to just lie there, an unburied corpse,then I’d feel distress.” (227-229). This quote shows how Antigone is doing the right thing by burying her brother and what Creon is doing to her brother Polyneices an act of injustice. This also shows how Antigone and Creon are different because she is being driven by the love she has towards Polyneices and Creon is being driven by the hate he has towards him. Second, Antigone says to Creon “But where could I gain greater glory than setting my own brother in his grave?” (570-571). This quote shows how Antigone is willing to disobey the law to give her brother a proper burial because of how much she loves him. This quote also shows how Antigone is determine to do what she thinks is right which is bury her brother Polyneices even though she would be disobeying orders. He doesn’t think women are the same as men because they disobey men’s…

    • 830 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Creon
    • 819 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Creon

    Antigone, being Polyneice’s sister wants a proper burial for her brother because he after all no matter what action he may have taken is still her brother. She believes that if Creon orders Eteocles to receive a hero burial, her brother should deserve the same ending. However on the other hand, Creon refutes this idea and decides to bury Polyneice’s body in the field of battle to rot. He also proclaims that anyone who tries to honor the traitor’s death will be sentenced to death.…

    • 819 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More