Difference Between Antigone And Kreon
As Ruby Blondell states, the gratified slogans, “Born to be arrested” and “OBEY ALL LAWS! BE A MODEL CITIZEN!” succinctly encompass the difference between Antigone and her uncle, Kreon. Whereas Kreon believes the pursuit to the good life is akin to following the law of man, Antigone is fully prepared to die for burying her brother, adhering to the law of gods. As Antigone states, “ . . I must please those down below a longer time than those up here, since I shall lie there always. You [Ismene], though, if you think it best, dishonor what is honored by the gods.” (74-77) Antigone strongly supports the law of the gods since they preside this world and the next. While the god’s rule is eternal and transcends generations, a king’s law is subject
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When we are introduced to Antigone she is accompanied by only her sister who then rejects Antigone’s request to bury their brother together, leaving Antigone alone in her task against a whole city of people that will obey Kreon. Moreover Antigone is a minority in the majority; in a time where women were expected to obey patriarchal society and had no medium to express their political opinions, Antigone believes in order to honor the god’s decree, she has no other option than to obey her uncle, which contributes to why she resorts to such drastic members. Also perhaps it is because, as a child of Oedipus, she feels her future is ill-fated, “Ismene . . . of all the evils that descend from Oedipus do you know one that Zeus does not fulfill for us, the two still living?” (1-4), causing her to take her future in her own hands since she is already doomed and decides to die for a worthy cause. Kreon, on the other hand, is a king whose words can determine life or death of his citizens. When he is first introduced to the play he is surrounded by the chorus, “white-haired noblemen of Thebes.” Kreon inherited the throne only after the chaos of Oedipus’s life and the attack led on the city by his own nephew. After seeing the disorder that unfolded in Thebes it is understandable that Kreon decides the best course of action is to rule with a firm hand
When we are introduced to Antigone she is accompanied by only her sister who then rejects Antigone’s request to bury their brother together, leaving Antigone alone in her task against a whole city of people that will obey Kreon. Moreover Antigone is a minority in the majority; in a time where women were expected to obey patriarchal society and had no medium to express their political opinions, Antigone believes in order to honor the god’s decree, she has no other option than to obey her uncle, which contributes to why she resorts to such drastic members. Also perhaps it is because, as a child of Oedipus, she feels her future is ill-fated, “Ismene . . . of all the evils that descend from Oedipus do you know one that Zeus does not fulfill for us, the two still living?” (1-4), causing her to take her future in her own hands since she is already doomed and decides to die for a worthy cause. Kreon, on the other hand, is a king whose words can determine life or death of his citizens. When he is first introduced to the play he is surrounded by the chorus, “white-haired noblemen of Thebes.” Kreon inherited the throne only after the chaos of Oedipus’s life and the attack led on the city by his own nephew. After seeing the disorder that unfolded in Thebes it is understandable that Kreon decides the best course of action is to rule with a firm hand