Examples Of Violation In Antigone

The tragic act of violation and large capacities for suffering are shown throughout this story. These elements are part of what make Antigone a tragedy and are manifested well. The first example of violation we see is when Antigone buries her brother, despite Creon’s law against burying a traitor. Antigone violates Creon’s law due to her love for her brother and her respect for the Gods. She knows that she will die if she is caught yet she does not even deny the crime when she is accused. Antigone also violates her sister Ismene’s concerned warnings about the outcome of her actions. Creon is guilty of violation as well. He violates the rules of the Gods by forbidding anyone to bury Polyneices. Creon also violates Teiresias prediction that killing Antigone and
denying Polyneices a proper burial will only lead to his demise. After all Creon has seen, concerning Teiresias and his power as an oracle, he still does not heed his warning.
Creon even goes as far as to violate the wishes of his own Son who is betrothed to Antigone. Creon seems to be the best example of a violator in this story. He goes against his advisors, his own flesh and blood, and even the Gods themselves just to show off his power. The number of characters who suffer in this story is astonishing. This is obviously expected because Antigone is a tragedy, but these wounded characters unfortunate situations still touch my heart. Antigone has not only lost her father, she also is grieving her two brothers and her own mother. She then has to witness as her brother Polyneices’ body and name are disrespected by her city. Poor Ismene is going through the same dilemma and has to suffer even more. After all she has lost, she loses her sister who is her closest friend and her kin. These two sisters’ capacities for suffering are tremendous. Haemond’s capacity for suffering parallels Antigone and Ismene. He loves and respects his father but still has to go through the gut wrenching process of going against him. Having to verbally insult your father over your endangered fiance would wound anyone's very soul. He then
has to see his love’s corpse and realize that all his efforts have been for nothing. They call it a tragedy for a reason. It does not surprise me that he ended up taking his own life. Creon brought most of his suffering on himself, but he suffered none the less. Creon has a similar dilemma with his son. To protect his morals and status he has to go against his own son and his niece in law and soon to be daughter in law. While Creon executes this task with his bullheaded attitude, it still must have caused him pain. Eventually, he is convinced to right his wrongs and finds Antigone dead in her cell. This crushes Creon despite the fact that this is what he had previously wanted. The guilt he feels is torture enough, but his suffering does not cease. His own son then resents him even more than before. While being in that state of hatred and loathing, he takes his life leaving his father devastated. Creon lost his treasured son for a girl he did not even respect. Out of grief, his wife then takes her life as well. Leaving Creon alone with his failures and misery. Despite all he has done, Creon’s despair is still so disheartening. The capacity of suffering in this story is what truly makes it a tragedy.