Antigone Essay
In the play Antigone the main character faces multiple deaths in her family including the death of her parents and twin brothers. When Antigone’s parents both die her two brothers decided to take turn ruling the Kingdom of Thebes. Her brother Eteocles did not give up the throne like promised, so Polyneices went in search for a new Kingdom to rule. Nevertheless the brothers were bound to fight over the sole heir of the throne. With Eteocles’ fighting for their Kingdom Thebes, and Polyneices fighting for a new found enemy Kingdom. During the battle both brothers die, but only Eteocles should be given a proper burial for fighting for his Kingdom. But for Polyneices a law was enforced that he were to be expatriated, and so that no one would be able to bury him for his butral. And as for Antigone she wants to give her brother Polyneices a proper burial.
…show more content…
So when she found out her uncle King Creon enforced the law that her brother Polyneices would not get a proper burial she decided to take it upon herself and give him one. No matter how brutal the punishment was for the crime she was going to properly bury him like her other brother Eteocles. In this quote Antigone is talking to her sister Ismene to get her to help bury their brother Polyneices. “Creon buried our brother Eteocles with military honors, gave him a soldiers funeral, and it was right that he should; but Polyneices, who fought as bravely and died as miserably...” (ll.15-18,672). This shows how Antigone is the most right because she is standing up for her family's sake, and giving her brother the burial he
Antigone: Family over Authority In the play Antigone by Sophocles, the importance of family over authority is heavily expressed. With Antigone’s opening scene, to the interaction with Haimon and Creon, and then ending with Creon's loss of his family due to his mistakes, the story expresses the moral of family over the law. From the very beginning of the play, Sophocles shows the importance of family over authority. Antigone opens up with two sisters in an argument, Ismene and Antigone. Antigone
The tragedy of Antigone is an amazing story of the tragedy that Thebes experienced. At the end of the story one is still left wondering who is the hero and who is the villain. This question has been asked since the story was ever told. After reading the story I am going to explain why Creon best suits the role of hero according to Aristotle’s description of a classic hero. Aristotle wrote six characteristics of a classic hero and I am going to use them to explain why Creon is the hero. The first
Antigone is the main character of the homonymous tragedy of Sophocles. The play follows the formal conventions of Greek tragedy and it is composed of seven scenes (opening scene, prologos), five scenes and a final scene (exodus), which are divided noticeably by six choral songs (opening lyric, parodos) and five choral songs (stasima) which have some relevance to the dramatic situation. As Aristotle distinguishes in his work of literary criticism, Poetics, part of the excitement of a tragic performance
A Critical Review of Why Antigone Behavior led to Her Demise In the novel Antigone the main character Antigone takes a reader on a journey of love and hate, honor and disrespect, and a roller coaster ride of emotions. In some parts of the book you feel sympathy for Antigone, but others feel disgusted with her behavior and actions. A reader can empathize with Antigone’s overall response to seeing her traitor brother’s dead body left out for public display however, it is through her actions reader
Importance of family and cultural values is proved in the Greek playwright written by Sophocles. Sophocles helped us understand each character as we meet them in the first scene. Antigone, we learn that she is the antagonist as she rebels against her uncle, Creon, and her love of her own blood, and that she is not one to stand down for any man. Antigone, Ismene and Creon are characters that are of discussion in the play of gender roles. There are comparisons between The Epic of Gilgamesh and Antigone. Gilgamesh
and judgement comes into play. Antigone realized what her moral values were after her brothers death. She was not spared yet another destined pain but was able to identify her moral stance in society. Antigone gained wisdom about herself and her capabilities, and
What really is tragedy? “For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo.” (Prince, Act 5 scene 3, line 325) Actually, there was. In the story of Antigone, the scene of tragedy is shown full on throughout the story. Tragedy is when fate overall takes despair onto people. Although the story of Romeo and Juliet does have some tragedy qualities, Antigone is far more tragic with the division of a family, the amount of loss, and of course the death by fate which could not be prevented
Not-So-Quiet Customer “Zeus, you win. You always win. The whole oxygen of power belongs to you.” It matters not what others think when the grief of loss overcomes, and power has appropriated your right to bury your dead brother. Antigone argues for this rightful justice in the name of the gods, while Ismene resists Antigone’s will based on her own sense of duty and prudence to follow Kreon’s law. For Antigone, obligations of a strong sibling bond, and moral certitude rule her heart, her logic, leading her to
Antigone versus Creon In the play Antigone, the character Antigone serves as a foil character for Creon in an attempt to show Creon the wrong in his judgement. The play is based around the belief of right by burial which Creon so happens to be denying a certain man of that right, Polynices, one of Antigone's brothers. Antigone serves a foil for Creon through most of her actions throughout the play. She buries her brother not once but twice, she argues with Creon over the right by burial belief
In the play of Antigone, I found that the main central problem is between Antigone and Creon. The problem is about the burial of Antigone’s deceased brother Polyneices. Both brothers were killed in a war, but one brother opposed against his own city and was marked as a traitor. Creon released a proclamation that whoever tries to bury this man will receive the death penalty (00). Antigone is very upset and distressed because Etoecles will get an honorable respectful burial while Polyneices is dishonored
forefront of Greek tragedies was Sophocles. One of Sophocles most famous pieces of work is, Antigone. Written in 440 B.C in Athens, Greece, Sophocles uses this play to dramatize a series of events that unfolds when pride becomes more important than loyalty to family. Controversy still remains today of whom the tragic hero of Antigone is, but some scholars believe that Antigone herself is the tragic hero. Antigone goes past conventional expectations to stand up for her brother, Polyneikes. The decision
The story in Antigone shows two things that Sophocles could be pointing which is important whether may be the family or authority. Readers could not tell whether Sophocles would be choosing which but most conclude that Sophocles could be siding with family as it talks much more about it than authority. In the mind of a reader, family is mostly likely the winner as Antigone cares her brother Polyneices, Antigone denies the rule of Creon, Creon values his son and his wife, and Sophocles might be making
Both Antigone, written by Sophocles, and The Merchant of Venice, written by William Shakespeare, emphasize the theme of compassion, and the importance of it. In both pieces of writing, some characters express compassion, while others appear to be lacking it. The combination of the two show the importance of compassion in a society. ??? In the play Antigone, Antigone, the play’s protagonist, is portrayed as the most compassionate character in the play. After Eteocles and Polynices, Antigone’s brothers
In the play Antigone, Creon, king of Thebes faces a harsh conflict with himself, involving the values of family and religion verse the civic responsibility he must maintain for the city of Thebes that comes with being the new king. In theory no decision Creon makes is going to be the rite one. Although both Antigone and Creon have justified reasons for believing in there own laws only one can be upheld by the play and how Sophocles interoperates the play himself. Creon must decide whether to punish
people’s decisions for the worst. Within Antigone by Sophocles pride gets in the way of the law of the gods. In Antigone, the main character, Antigone, wants to abide by the law of the gods and bury her beloved brother. Creon, the king of thebes, has made his own law of the land that prohibits the burial of Antigone’s brother, Polyneices. Creon has an overwhelming amount of pride and ignores any wisdom brought before him. Because of Creon’s blindsided thoughts, Antigone is sentenced to death. Later in the