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.…
Even though Antigone feels sorry for herself, she still thinks she did nothing wrong. As Antigone is being led to toward the vault, she is talking to the Chorus about her death. She complains that she will die “‘Unwept, friendless, with no marriage hymn, unfortunate, I am taken down the prepared road”’ (4.882-884). She keeps complaining throughout the whole walk with the Chorus. Antigone feels that she will die unlamented, but the Chorus thinks she will be remembered for her bravery. The Chorus thinks that her anger is what led her to her own demise, but thinks she did the right thing. When they approach Creon, he still doesn’t change his mind, but Antigone doesn’t care because Polyneices was the only family left, so she had to bury him. The…
The play “Antigone” conveys the interactions between the King Creon and his niece Antigone. Their interaction is different than a normal conversation between a women and male at the time, especially a man with as much power as Creon. Normally, a woman would surrender to the males wishes and keep her thoughts to herself. Antigone separates herself from this commonality by showing no fear as she admits to burying Polyneices, her brother, when the Creon questions her (Line 411). Creon is shocked by this confession because he doesn’t believe Antigone, or anyone for that matter, would know about his decree and blatantly disobey it (Line 414). She explains that any retribution for burying Polyneices would not pain her. Antigone even goes as far to call the king a fool (Lines 431-432). By performing these actions, she is showing her defiance to the decrees of Creon, making his order look inferior, as well as showing her commitment to perform the actions declared by the Gods. She defends her decision by saying that the dead don’t think their burials are less honorable if a traitor is also buried (Line 476). Antigone states her belief that most people in the kingdom would agree with the…
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…
In Antigone, Antigone buried her brother, Polyneices, against Creon’s law. Creon warned the city of Thebes that if anyone were to bury Polyneices, a stoning would take place as a punishment in front of the public. Antigone, Polyneices’ sister, went to her sister asking for her help in burying her brother and when she refused to help, Antigone went ahead and buried Polyneices herself. Once Creon found out what Antigone had done, he sent her away to the middle of the woods in a closed tomb where she then hung herself. The burying of Polyneices ultimately caused Antigone’s death. While Ismene and Antigone may have differed in their opinions on burying their brother, they both had good intentions.…
Moral obligation and commitment play an important role in the play. Both Antigone and Creon display unbelivable fortitude when their positions on this are questioned. Creon is willing to rob his son of his bride. His power and kingship, what Creon most values, are questioned as a result of this. Still, Creon stays commited to his punishment for…
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…
When she was questioned by her uncle why she broke the law she the law was wrong and stated “nor did I think your edict had such a force that you , a mere mortal, could override the gods, the great unwritten, unshakable traditions”( Sophocles ,1117,505). Antigone is saying that burying the dead is an important religious duty that needs to be done to respect but the gods. Creon also is aware of this because earlier in the play when one of his guards suggested that the gods buried the body he questioned why the gods would care about “a corpse” (Sophocles, 1112, 320). The main conflict in this play is the religious duty versus the law of the land. This forces Antigone to either be true to the law or true to her ethical or religious beliefs. Antigone chose standby her religious beliefs and to rebel against the unjust rules of her uncle. This ethical conflict put the whole plays plot into…
Antigone loyally sticks by the laws of the gods and proclaims that Creon’s laws of kingship is insignificant compared to the gods’. Creon, insulted by Antigone’s proclamation of his feeble power, sentences her to a barbaric death. She accepts her fate of execution and dedicates her death to the gods.…
Antigone contrasts Creon’s character throughout the play. Primarily, she shows contrast in her views about the gods. Although, their views are very contrasting, both characters are arrogant and selfish in their own ways. In the play when Antigone gets caught and is brought to Creon she states her thoughts about the gods “ ...you [Creon] proclaimed strong enough to let a mortal override the gods and their unwritten and unchanging laws”. Antigone believes that the gods have the highest power to any living thing on earth. Gods created the laws of what is right and nobody of mortal status can change that. Creon, however,thinks…
and that isn’t Antigone’s responsibility for Creon possessing the flaw of listening to other people and making a moral judgment. Because Antigone is making a moral decision, she bears no responsibility for Creon making an unjust ruling. Sadly, whatever Creon said went and he only wanted to listen to…
Antigone was restoring her families honor through her actions. This is more worthy goal than obeying Creons flawed law. “Oedipus, upon discovering that he had killed his father and married his mother unknowingly, was so overcome with horror that he blinded himself and exiled himself from his kingdom. His two sons, Eteocles and Polynices, succeeded him, with the understanding that they would alternate as kings of Thebes. When Eteocles refused to yield the crown to his brother, Polynices laid siege to Thebes with the help of an army from the neighboring kingdom of Argos. In the ensuing battle the two brothers slew each other in hand to hand combat.” (Gassner 1) Her families honor was nonexistent after this sequence of events. Because of the family’s current state of their honor needing to be restored, Antigone was going to take the first opportunity to restore it; this was the first opportunity for Antigone to restore it. Creon had no right to attempt to deny this from happening.…
Antigone does not consider herself to be guilty. Antigone attempted to justify herself to Creon saying that, “There is no guilt in reverence for the dead” (II, 121). Haimon brought to the attention of Creon the whispers of the city, and even “they say no woman has ever, so unreasonably, died so shameful a death for a generous act” (III, 66). Antigone’s reminded Creon of the gods, and how his judgment and law is miniscule in contrast to that of the gods: “it was not god’s proclamation. That final justice that rules the world below makes no such laws” (II, 66). Nevertheless, Creon did not show mercy at this…
Creon was just recently appointed king so I guess he was trying to set a good example by sentencing Antigone to death. He didn’t’ want the people to think he was a person who made exceptions to their own ruling. A part of me did not want to forgive Creon, because what he did was rotten. He turned against his own family. I could never send a family member to jail or even worse, death.…
Perhaps the most pronounced question in the play "Antigone" by Sophocles' is the value of human law vs. divine law. In this tragic play a newly appointed king Creon declares to his people that treason was committed during battle, and one of the two brothers (Polyneices) killed shall not be buried according to the Gods, but instead "He shall be left unburied for all to watch the corpse mutilated and eaten by carrion-birds and by dogs" (Sophocles, 1900.). This dilemma is felt by many, especially Antigone (sister of the deceased). In Greek culture it is thought that the spirit of a body cannot find rest if it is has not been laid to rest by the evening of the day it has departed, and it is condemned to roam the earth for eternity. The struggle between human law and divine law is a moral dilemma Antigone feels as she decides to go against the laws of the king. Antigone’s desire to bury Polyneices properly according a divine edict is challenged as she faces the hurdle to defy King Creon’s ruling. She acknowledges the importance of family and savors in the knowledge of defying the state. She ultimately succeeds in this moral quest to stand by belief in divine principle above and against the power and authority of the state, despite her suicide.…