Antigone And Creon's Downfall

Antigone takes place just after a war between Antigone’s two brothers, Eteocles and Polynices. Eteocles fought on the side of Thebes whereas Polynices resembled an invader. Afterwards, Eteocles is buried and seen as honorable. However, Polynices is denied a proper burial because he is considered a traitor to Thebes. In this play, Sophocles uses Antigone and Creon as foils by characterizing Antigone as a martyr and Creon as a tyrant to urge the reader to realize that one’s own morals are more significant than the decrees of any government.

Is Antigone ignorant or wise about her choices and reactions to Creon? Some people say she maybe be wise for burying Polygonises out of God's law instead of Creon’s law. Antigone is indeed a wise and faithful woman for burying Polygonises because of her beliefs; she is also bold about her beliefs because of her bold statements about Creon’s law (with him being the king).

Conflicts that institute in a royal family directly result in a catastrophic incident leading to outcasted characters alone. In the Greek play, Antigone, exhibits a tragic story about a family where a king named Creon believes he’s required to kill his niece, Antigone, for her valiant action. Antigone wanted to honor her brother Polynices so she disobeyed her uncles order, Creon, and buried Polynices. Creon endeavored to make Antigone lie and not tell anyone about the burial for the sake of his son, because Haemon, Creon’s son, is profoundly in love with Antigone. Antigone was reluctant to retain her mouth close and was willing to die than abide by the rule of the government. Antigone contributes to Creon’s development as a tragic hero by having opposing views, developing the theme of regret.

She sees the burial of her brother as a nonnegotiable act, telling her own doubtful sister that, " you'll quickly demonstrate whether you are nobly born, or else a girl unworthy of her splendid ancestors," when Ismene appears to favor the king's troublesome proclamation. Furthermore, Antigone proves her unwavering fixation to her principles, even in the face of her own mortality, informing Creon curtly that, "there's nothing shameful in honouring my mother's children. " Not even under the threat of execution does she surrender her beliefs, which are shared by a great deal of the public. When the laws enforced by a leader push the public to perform actions that oppose its sense of morality, conflict arises at the expense of those in

Antigone’s stubbornness is not what makes her successful in life but what drove her to her own destruction. In Antigone Creon becomes king of Thebes because Oedipus got exiled for killing Laius which is his own father. While Creon is king Eteocles and Polyneices get into a fight which results in both of them dying. As a result, Creon grants proper burial to Eteocles but not Polyneices which makes Antigone upset because they are her brothers and she believes that both of them should of been gaven a proper burial. Since Creon has granted those right Antigone goes and buries Polyneices against Creon's order. While she is burying him one of the guards see her and turns her into Creon. Creon arrests her and sends her to a cave that is far away from civilization. While she is in the cave she hangs herself. Antigone is the hero of the

With Antigone's betrayal of King Creon by burying her brother Polyneices, it is only seen fit that she is to be punished. At Antigone's trial, “she denied nothing” because the gods had not made the law and she believed it was her right to bury her brother's policies despite Creon's warnings (Scene 2). The unfair disposal and non-burial of Polyneices is seen as an “evil” by Antigone, so much so that when Creon threatens her with death Antigone welcomes death and states “I should have suffered. Now I do not” (Scene 2). On the contrary, Creon believed that Antigone's “pride” had blinded her and since she chose to “defy the law” it would seem fair that she “win a bitter death” (Scene 2).

One way this theme was developed was through character emotion. When Creon made the law that no one could give polynices a proper burial and that if someone was caught in the act they were to be killed. Creon create this law because Polynices fought for the other side Argos and killed a lot of thebes soldier. This made Antigone mad because he is her brother by blood. She tell Ismene her sister ¨He is my brother and deny it as you will your brother too. No one will convict me for a traitor.¨ She is annoyed that the law will convicted her for burying her brother but then she is more annoyed that her sister is not willing to give in and help bury a brother by blood because he fought for the Argos. Antigone goes to the point when she yells at her

Moreover, Antigone’s ability to follow her own beliefs results into the heroicness and tragic death of Antigone. Antigone is from a royal family and has the power to do what she believes in. She believes in following traditions and exercises that power when she says, “I will bury him, and if I must die, I say that the crime is holy: I shall lie down With him in death, and I shall be as dear To him as he to me” (694). Antigone follows her beliefs in following tradition and by doing what she feels is best. Antigone does this because she knows she is doing the right thing and knows that she will be repaid in some way. Furthermore, Antigone justifies her actions by telling the reasons that motivated her to do it to King Creon. She refuses to give in to the beliefs of King Creon and continues to think her own separate way. Antigone takes a stand to Creon when she says, “ Think Death less than a friend? 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. You smile at me. Ah Creon , Think me a fool, if you like, but it may well be That a fool convicts me of folly” (709). Antigone believes what she is doing is correct and proves that to Creon , but he is still not convinced. It is important for Antigone to do what she believes is so that she will be pleased and satisfied with the outcome. Antigone’s ability to pursue her goals and to what she wants

Antigone has a possible flaw in that she is too stubborn and persistent to obey Creon’s order; “I know my duty, where true duty lies” (Antigone, 128). Her punishment then encourages feelings of pity from the audience because her deed was honorable and respectful towards her brother Polynices. The chorus supports this view by bidding her a respectful farewell when she is taken away, “But glory and praise go with you lady” (Antigone, 148). Antigone is also very proud, and this may have contributed to her death. Even when she is caught she remains strong and defends herself by claiming that the chorus thinks that her act was honorable, “All these would say that what I did was honorable” (Antigone, 139). This causes Creon to remain angry with Antigone, “you are wrong, none of my subjects think as you do” (Antigone, 140). If she had been more patient and less defensive, Creon may not have been as harsh in the punishment he set for her.

Throughout Sophocles’ play, Antigone, Antigone and Creon engage in multiple disputes revolving around Antigone's infraction of Creon’s decree; do not bury Polynices, the traitor, and Antigone’s brother. Creon is outraged. Not only is his law broken, but by a family member, and worse, a woman. This, combined with his post civil war paranoia, makes Creon unreasonable and egotistical, resulting in his inability to take advice. Taking into account Creon’s unstable temperament, Antigone should not be so brash, in her criticism and actions.

Sophocles’ play Antigone told the story of a young woman, Antigone, who was willing to violate the law for her family. In the play, Antigone’s brothers, Eteocles and Polynices, killed each other in battle. Creon, King of Thebes, buried Eteocles’ body because he fought in defense of Thebes; however, Creon issued a decree forbidding the burial or mourning of Polynices, because he had fought against Thebes. While this play’s central plot told the story of a conflict between Antigone and Creon, due to his decree, a deeper conflict existed: the conflict between obligation to family and responsibility to state. Throughout the play, this conflict arose in three main areas, in the conflict between Antigone and Creon, in the conflict between Antigone and Ismene, and in the conflict between Creon and Teiresias. Due to the ambiguity of the issue of state vs. family, no overall correct action existed. Instead, different cultures viewed the characters’ actions relative to their value system to determine correctness. This essay analyzed the actions of the characters in reference to the Greek and Confucian value systems. According to different aspects of both cultural value systems, decisions made according to responsibilities to family were viewed more favorably overall than decisions made based on a responsibility to state, and this was exemplified through the actions of the characters.

When questioned about committing treason, Antigone’s lack of denial illustrates her rashness in decision-making, as she has nothing to gain from death. Instead of disclaiming the lowly guard’s words, she proudly states: “I say I did it and I don’t deny it” (Antigone 443). By admitting her role in the burial, Antigone seals her fate. Furthermore, the notion of her death does not faze her as she tells Creon: “I knew I must die - how could I not?” (460). Her acceptance of her death, while honorable, is unnecessary, because her objective of giving her fallen brother a respectful and honorable burial is already achieved. If she had not mentioned her role, there was a chance that she could have survived. In addition, Antigone does not even factor in the feelings of her sister Ismene and her fiancé Haemon, showing how inconsiderate she is of her impact on others. This irrational approach can only be described as foolishness; if she had been wiser, she would have buried her brother and survived to tell the tale. Her lack of judgement results in her downfall and the misery for those around her.

Not only is Antigone courageous and highly motivated by her morals by standing up for her political and religious beliefs, she also protects her personal ones when she buries her brother. Antigone places family above her own life, and she refuses to let a man stand in her way of maintaining her ideals. She buries Polynices out of her own loyalty to her brother even after her sister, Ismene, refuses. Antigone is cruel to her for not taking part in illegally burying their brother. Instead of being caring and considerate, she becomes irate and at the end of their conversation says, "Go away Ismene: I shall be hating you soon, and the dead will too, for your hateful words," Antigone's flaw was her headstrong behavior and her stubbornness, which ultimately brought about her downfall and the downfall of those around her. Her persistence of course, is what forces Antigone to rashly take matters in to her own hands. Creon then decides to take Antigone's life "Away with her at once, and close her up in her rock-vaulted tomb. Leave her and let her die". To everyone's surprise Antigone does not run from her death sentence suggesting a great trait of braveness, which the chorus recognizes before her exodus from life. The notion that a person has no say in the affairs of their loved ones and the fact that those laws were defied deserves

Antigone is a play that was written in ancient Greece by the playwright Sophocles. It is the third play in a trilogy of tragedies about the city-state of Thebes, revolving around Oedipus Rex. Antigone starts the day after a civil war fought between the two sons of Oedipus Rex after his death. The civil war ended in death for both brothers, so their uncle, Creon, assumed the role of King of Thebes. The main conflict of the play begins when Creon gives one brother, Eteocles, a burial with honors, but passes a law forbidding a burial for the other brother, Polyneices with the penalty of death. One of the sisters of Eteocles and Polyneices, Antigone disagrees with this law, and decides to bury Polyneices, resulting in Creon sentencing Antigone to death. A conflict emerges between Antigone and Creon, who appear to be opposites. However, despite Antigone and Creon’s different stances on law, they are ultimately more similar than different because of their shared value of loyalty and their shared characteristic, hubris.

Like Creon, Antigone also never falters in standing up for what she believes in. Although Creon fights for stubborn pride, Antigone is trying to promote what is right and shows her higher reverence for God’s law rather than for Creon’s laws. In the eyes of the townspeople, Chorus, Choragos, and Haimon, Antigone is sacrificing herself to give her brother Polyneices the rightful honors due to the dead. Many side with this brave, honorable girl because she would rather suffer persecution and even death rather than give into Creon’s illogical demands. In the play, the chorus says about her, “You have made your choice, Your death is the doing of your conscious hand”. Antigone knew of the consequences before she acted and in doing so she chose her fate. At the time, she pleaded her sister Ismene to help her bury Polyneices but was rejected. Despite being alone in trying to rebel and perhaps she may have been afraid, Antigone goes out of her way and puts her life on the line to bring her brother respect.