Similarities Between Creon And Antigone
Though they seem like complete opposites, Creon and Antigone are actually alike. Sometimes when people are too much alike they seem to clash, just like Antigone and Creon do. They are both characters that think greatly of obedience, yet neither subordinate themselves concocting contradiction. Sophocles contradicted himself to develop stubbornness and manipulation in his characters, creating suspenseful plays.
Sophocles wrote many plays, and each one has it’s own set of irony creating themes of contradiction. The contradiction in his plays creates suspense, making the audience wonder what will happen next. “The man who has done this thing shall pay for it” (Scene 1, Line 136), creates contradiction and suspense when Creon declares it to be a
man that buried Polynices. The contradiction is made to create suspense in the audience, because we know that “the man” is Antigone, the princess of Thebes and Creon’s niece. Sophocles wants to make the audience suspenseful of what will happen to Antigone, if she will be punished or go unpunished. Sophocles also creates contradiction, when Creon tells Haimon he isn’t obeying him. “Whoever is chosen to govern should be obeyed - must be obeyed, in all things, great and small, just and unjust! O Haimon, the man who knows to obey, and that man only, knows how to give commands when the time comes” (Scene 3, Lines 38-42). It’s ironic how Creon expects Haimon to obey him, when he is not obeying the gods. The statement that Creon made portrays him to be a contradicting character.
Sophocles’s plays also include irony of manipulation and stubbornness. Antigone’s use of manipulation, helps the audience to understand how she feels about the burial of her brother. Antigone ironically tells Ismene to go away, “Go away… Leave me my foolish plan” (Prologue, line 77). Sophocles shows that Antigone wants the support of her sister, but thinks if she isn’t willing to respect their brother in burying him that she shouldn’t come. Another irony theme in Sophocles's writings was stubbornness. Sophocles creates stubbornness, when Creon states “Subordinate everything else, my son, to your father’s will. This is what a man prays for, that he may get sons attentive and dutiful in his house…” (Scene 3, Lines 12-15). The statement that Creon makes develops him as a stubborn character, because he is telling his son, Haimon, that he needs to be dutiful to him, though he is not being dutiful himself. He expects his son to obey him, but he can’t even obey the gods by burying Polynices.
To create suspenseful plays, Sophocles contradicted himself to portray stubbornness and manipulation in his characters. The characters’ controversy constructed suspense in the audience, causing them to anticipate the next action of the play. The tragic plays that Sophocles wrote displayed characters that taught obedience and dutifulness, but yet they were not obedient or dutiful with the things they did. Creon and Antigone portray many similar characteristics, which causes them issues throughout the play. “Obedience to lawful authority is the foundation of manly character,” Robert E. Lee once said. Disobeying authority can greatly impact one’s life, and it surely impacts Creon and Antigone majorly.
Sophocles wrote many plays, and each one has it’s own set of irony creating themes of contradiction. The contradiction in his plays creates suspense, making the audience wonder what will happen next. “The man who has done this thing shall pay for it” (Scene 1, Line 136), creates contradiction and suspense when Creon declares it to be a
man that buried Polynices. The contradiction is made to create suspense in the audience, because we know that “the man” is Antigone, the princess of Thebes and Creon’s niece. Sophocles wants to make the audience suspenseful of what will happen to Antigone, if she will be punished or go unpunished. Sophocles also creates contradiction, when Creon tells Haimon he isn’t obeying him. “Whoever is chosen to govern should be obeyed - must be obeyed, in all things, great and small, just and unjust! O Haimon, the man who knows to obey, and that man only, knows how to give commands when the time comes” (Scene 3, Lines 38-42). It’s ironic how Creon expects Haimon to obey him, when he is not obeying the gods. The statement that Creon made portrays him to be a contradicting character.
Sophocles’s plays also include irony of manipulation and stubbornness. Antigone’s use of manipulation, helps the audience to understand how she feels about the burial of her brother. Antigone ironically tells Ismene to go away, “Go away… Leave me my foolish plan” (Prologue, line 77). Sophocles shows that Antigone wants the support of her sister, but thinks if she isn’t willing to respect their brother in burying him that she shouldn’t come. Another irony theme in Sophocles's writings was stubbornness. Sophocles creates stubbornness, when Creon states “Subordinate everything else, my son, to your father’s will. This is what a man prays for, that he may get sons attentive and dutiful in his house…” (Scene 3, Lines 12-15). The statement that Creon makes develops him as a stubborn character, because he is telling his son, Haimon, that he needs to be dutiful to him, though he is not being dutiful himself. He expects his son to obey him, but he can’t even obey the gods by burying Polynices.
To create suspenseful plays, Sophocles contradicted himself to portray stubbornness and manipulation in his characters. The characters’ controversy constructed suspense in the audience, causing them to anticipate the next action of the play. The tragic plays that Sophocles wrote displayed characters that taught obedience and dutifulness, but yet they were not obedient or dutiful with the things they did. Creon and Antigone portray many similar characteristics, which causes them issues throughout the play. “Obedience to lawful authority is the foundation of manly character,” Robert E. Lee once said. Disobeying authority can greatly impact one’s life, and it surely impacts Creon and Antigone majorly.