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…
Additionally, violating the law brings harm to others. For example, in Scene 5 it states, "The burden you carry in your hands is heavy, But it is not all: you will find more in your house... The Queen is dead." (Lines 1000 & 1002). Due to Antigone breaking the law it lead to the death of many. Antigone's one decision to bury Polyneices consequently caused a chain reaction of negative outcomes such as harm to others.…
“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.…
This essay is to discuss the multilayered motives that drive Antigone to action. When I read the play I believe, it is a strong sense alligence to her family, and pure anger that drives Antigone to make the decision to act against Creons law and bury her brother Polyneices. After loosing her mother to sucided, her father and her twin brothers, Antigone and her sister Ismene are the last of the Labadcus family (a royal family). The lost of so many loved ones in a short period of time begins to manifests feelings in Antigone causing her to believe that death was in her future as well.…
Throughout history, there have been countless kings and rulers that have shaped government systems and history as a whole. The bad kings and rulers are often remembered as tyrants and unfair dictators. It is a fair assumption that throughout the play Antigone, Creon ruled with an “iron fist,” but undoubtedly over-exercised his powers when dealing with his punishment for Antigone for burying Polyneices’ body. He continually insisted that his law was in accordance with what the gods wanted. His stubbornness kept him from listening to Haemon, even though his son tried to persuade Creon from executing Antigone. Sophocles intentionally has Creon lose everything towards the end of the play to show the consequences of confusing his own law with what the gods would want. In his play Antigone, Sophocles shows the danger in being too stubborn and self-reliant a ruler, as well as mixing human law with divine law by presenting a proud, overbearing ruler in Creon.…
In Sophocles’s tragedy Antigone, and the family she has left their trust and the ability to function is on the line. The character named Antigone shows her bravery and loyalty by staying true to her words. Antigone defies the law to not bury Polyneices. Antigone gets herself and her sister, Ismene, into trouble with Creon. Ismene didn't like the idea of defining the decree Creon put out and left Antigone alone. Antigone is willing to go against a king to do what's right that shows loyalty to her family and shows she will give life for the greater good.…
In Sophocle’s play “Antigone”, a conflict grows between Antigone and Creon. A conflict between the two aforementioned people commenced when Creon discovered that Antigone had buried Polyneices. Crean says, “But this is Antigone! Why have you brought her here?”. The sentry bringing the news replies with “She was burying him, I tell you!” (732, 17-18). Secondly, the conflict between them grew when Antigone calls out Creon’s selfish behavior. She says, “Ah Creon, Creon, Which one of us can say what the gods hold wicked?” with Creon responding “An enemy is an enemy, even dead” (735, 115-117). Furthermore, the conflict ends when Antigone commits suicide. The messenger that delivers the message to Creon says, “We say her lyring; she had made a…
One of the illustrations of civil disobedience comes at the actions of Antigone. For many years, civil disobedience is understood as being the right to resist government against laws that citizens believe are morally incorrect. Antigone portrays this type of defiance towards King Kreon. She, in an act of disobedience, directly violates a command put by the king, which states that her brother Polyneices will not be given a proper burial. Since Antigone strongly believes this is morally incorrect, she attempts to still give honor to her brother by burying him. Antigone`s disobedience towards Kreon`s rules is portrayed by the following quote, “You must be as you believe. I will bury him myself. If I die for doing that, good: I will stay with him,…
The ability to do something or act in a particular way, especially as a faculty or quality way. The definition of power shows exactly how people can abuse it. People that have power can abuse and misuse it in many different situations from historic literature to politics in real life. The abuse of power is shown by King Creon in the greek tragedy Antigone by Sophocles.…
Not only is the Antigone an incredible work of drama and tragedy, it encompasses a great moral argument that has two sides; Antigone or Creon. It can also be said that the argument being made in either case is larger than the prerogatives of just these two people and more an argument between obeying the will of man or the will of the gods. Creon’s argument is for the former because of his motivation to let Polynices’s body sit in the sun and rot without giving the body a proper burial. The burial would also allow the soul of Polynices pass into the underworld in the eyes of the Greeks. Not only does this act go against the traditions of the Greek…
Through the course of Antigone, a play by Sophocles, various characters justify their actions based on their own perception of duty. A strong example of one of them is Antigone. In the play, Antigone experiences a series of moral tests. She has to choose whether to abide by the laws of Thebes or take her own path and follow moral laws and obey the gods instead of the King Creon. She chooses to go against Creon and follow her own moral laws and bury her brother.…
Antigone is a listener to the people and knows true judgment. She fences the logical state Creon is in pertaining to his power in law. The doomed daughter of Oedipus believes “the eternal laws of Heaven” were the only laws powerful enough to teach morals, not Creon’s. (Scene 3 line 69) Greek gods were the only beings who know how to justly law the living according to Antigone. A world where divine laws crumble under human laws was a chaotic world, Antigone wants to be humble and abide the gods to relive the world of its chaos. An enhanced leader is one who can represent the people, Antigone leads her people’s divine laws in fear ,” God [will] forbid it e'er should please” towards Creon’s unjust laws. (Scene 5 line 501) She represents the people as their leader in the fight towards peace by standing up to the corrupt leader in office. In doing so, Antigone stays humble to the gods and egress not to displease them. This immense leader undoubtedly possesses the feat of being humble. Antigone believes her “nature is for mutual love, not hate” in being a pronominal leader. (Scene 4 line 22) This hell bound sister is a great standpoint with regard to leadership. She cares for many and is modest in the eyes of the gods. The people understood she was not engulfed in anger and power like Creon. They knew that a true leader is one who is baronial to the eyes of…
Antigone possesses the flaw of pride, which leads her to eventual destruction, and the destruction of others close to her. This is first proven when Antigone declares “all these would say that what I did what honorable, but fear locks up their lips. To speak and act just as he likes is the king’s prerogative” (Line 423-426). Antigone’s egotism is exposed after she pompously assumes that the others in the kingdom concur with her reasoning; this display overconfidence offends Creon, and ultimately results in her death sentence as well as the destruction of others after her death. Later in the play, Antigone states “My father...my parents...O hideous shame! Whom I now follow, unwed, curse-ridden. Doomed to my death by the ill-starred marriage…
Antigone, placed in many situations throughout the play, has to choose between her family and the law. Antigone chooses to honor her brother, Polyneces, by burying him even though she will break the law by doing so. Antigone asks her sister Ismene to help bury their beloved brother, but when Ismene says no, Antigone responds by saying, “But as for/ me/ I will bury the brother I love” (Prolouge.192). Antigone chooses to honor her brother and risk breaking the law because family means more to her. Antigone puts her family first, presenting her as a selfless person. Along with the risk of breaking the law, Antigone also risks her death. Once Creon tells Antigone of her punishment after finding out she buries Polyneces, she has to decide whether or not burying her brother is worth it. After Creon tells Antigone of his plan for her, she says, “This death of mine/ is of no importance; but if I had left my brother/ lying in death unburied, I should have suffered. / Now I do not” (SceneII.208). Antigone shows Creon that he cannot stop her from saving her family by trying to punish her with death. Antigone chooses to help her family and stand up for them, even when faced with death. Sophocles shows Antigone as a brave person by denouncing Creon’s rules and saving her brother. Through Antigone’s actions, Sophocles shows how he favors family over authority and the law.…
Out of the three readings, I believe that Antigone exhibits most of the characteristics that complicates an individual's role in society. There is a considerable amount of fate shown in this story. For example, the most evident is that of our main character Antigone. Her fate is shown from the Prologue where she makes her decision to bury her brother Polyneices. "Ismene, I am going to bury him. Will you come?" There is a point that sort of suggests where her conflict will arise where she defies Creon's law by saying, "Creon is not strong enough to stand in my way." Weakness was shown on the part of Creon. His main weaknesses were his cruelty and hubris. He seems especially cruel when he is enraged with Haimon for taking Antigone's side and says, "Bring her out! Bring the woman out! Let her die before his eyes! Here, this instant, with her bridegroom beside her!" This act of savageness is also because of his tragic flaw, hubris. He is too proud and arrogant to change his ways like when Teiresias warns him of his fate yet he refuses and says, "Whatever you say, you will not change my will." Due to Creon's unchallenged law and sentence, Antigone yearns for justice to be enforced on him. There is a very good…