...soldier, Polyneices, dies in war over control of Thebes, leaving his family to mourn over his death. When the king of Thebes, Creon, places a law over the city making illegal the act of burying the dead, Polyneices’s sister, Antigone, appoints herself the duty of defying Creon’s law. Antigone buries Polyneices...
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...The premises of the play is started by Antigone defying Creon’s rule in order to follow her beliefs. Antigone gives Polyneices a proper burial despite Creon’s order to his citizens. Then Antigone stands up to Creon, putting him in a compromised position. He has the choice to either imprison Antigone where she will starve to death or let her off with a warning, which Creon believes will make him look weak to his citizens. He looks to his reputation, “This girl is guilty of a double insolence,/ Breaking the given laws and boasting of it./ Who is the man here,/ She or I, if this crime goes unpunished?/ (p.#209) Creon decides to arrest Antigone even when the decision is against his son’s wishes; Antigone’s fiancé. His son, Haemon, even fights that he will take his own life if Antigone is killed. Then Antigone kills herself while she is in her tomb, triggering Haemon’s suicide, which causes his mother who is the queen to kill herself as well. While the deaths happen, Creon is having a serious discussion about the freeing of Antigone with the seer, Teiresias. Teiresias states that if Creon does not let Antigone go his Creon’s life will be threatened. Creon then gives Polyneices a proper burial on the way to freeing Antigone. Creon is too late though, for when he arrives at the tomb Antigone and his son are both dead, leaving Creon with intense shame. A tragic hero is...
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...up where Aeschylus' Seven Against Thebes ends. This play is based on the life story of Antigone, the daughter of Oeudipe and Jocaste. It is a legend of her sacrifice for her loved ones, her believes and her honour. Antigone’s brother Polynice had betrayed his country and died during the war. Creon, the king of Thebes had refused to give him a burial. Antigone is outraged by this decision and goes as far as sacrificing her life, to give her brother a burial he deserves. Even law of the king does not stop her from doing what she thinks is right. Antigone is the tragic heroine of the play and this play revolves around her struggle against the autocratic laws of the state. Even she manages to give Polynice a rightful burial but, this burial costs Antigone her life. SYNOPSIS In the beginning of the play, two brothers leading opposite sides in Thebes' civil war died fighting each other for the throne. Creon, the new ruler of Thebes, has decided that Eteocles will be honored and Polyneices will be in public shame. The rebel brother's body will not be sanctified by holy rites, and will lie unburied on the battlefield, prey for carrion animals like worms and vultures, the harshest punishment at the time. Antigone and Ismene are the sisters of the dead Polyneices and Eteocles. In the opening of the play, Antigone brings Ismene outside the palace gates late at night for a secret meeting: Antigone wants to bury Polyneices' body, in defiance of Creon's edict. Ismene refuses to help her...
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...You can see in Antigone that the role of a human is very important, in this case it means so much that she is willing to risk her life to honor what the Gods would want of her in fulfilling her role in the burial of her brother. Some major themes that are evident throughout the play is the law of the Gods and man-made law, the abuse of power, and furthermore even though the play is titled Antigone, who’s story is it really? The problem arises when both of Antigone’s brothers Eteocles and Polynices kill each other battling for the throne of Thebes. Creon who is Antigones uncle inherits power and the throne of Thebes, and declares proper burial for Eteocles, but demands that Polynices remains unburied who he thought was a traitor for fighting against Thebes. Since back in ancient Greece it was the womens’ role to give a proper burial so that there is a respect paid to the dead, Creon is pretty much making it impossible for Antigone to fulfil her role. Antigone neglects to listen to the rules of Creon and buries her brother, and is eventually captured by Creon’s guards. Antigone demonstrates no remorse when facing Creon over her crime “Because it wasn’t Zeus who pronounced these things to me, nor did Justice, companion of the gods below, establish saw laws for humanity” (Sophocles 29) although she knows that she’s most likely facing death for being caught disobeying the rules of the leader she feels that she has made the right decision by honoring the Gods because she will...
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...personal obligation,[14] obvious in Antigone's refusal to let Creon dictate what she is allowed to do with her family members. She says to Ismene about Creon's edict, "He has no right to keep me from my own."[15] Related to this theme is the question whether Antigone's will to bury her brother is based on rational thought or instinct, a debate whose contributors include greats like Goethe.[14] [edit] Natural law and contemporary legal institutions In Antigone, Sophocles asks the question, which law is greater: the gods' or man's. Sophocles votes for the law of the gods. He does this in order to save Athens from the moral destruction which seems imminent. Sophocles wants to warn his countrymen about hubris, or arrogance, because he knows this will be their downfall. In Antigone, the hubris of Creon is revealed. [edit] Civil disobedience The contrasting views of Creon and Antigone with regard to laws higher than those of state inform their different conclusions about civil disobedience. Creon demands obedience to the law above all else, right or wrong. He says that "there is nothing worse than disobedience to authority" (An. 671). Antigone responds with the idea that state law is not absolute, and that it can be broken in civil disobedience in extreme cases, such as honoring the gods, whose rule and authority outweigh Creon's. [edit] Citizenship The concept of citizenship appears most clearly in the values clash between Creon and Antigone. Creon defines citizenship as utmost...
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...Literary Analysis of Antigone Sandra Peppers South University Antigone is an epic Greek tragedy written, by Sophocles, around 442 B.C.E. The women of ancient Greek were considered to be less significant than were the males of the same time period. As with this tragedy, gender roles play a pivotal part in understanding why Antigone, the female heroine, did what she did and graciously accepted the punishment that she was dealt. During this particular epic, it will be evident that power, wisdom and experience lay with males, while females were subjected to the obedience and dominance of the males. The males of this era were more assertive and demanded respect from females, as well as other males. Antigone, in the play by the same name, is portrayed as a strong willed female who has strong family ties and will do whatever it takes to honor her family. Antigone is not one to stand aside and play the role of victim when, in her heart, she knows what is right. Antigone is the daughter of the late king of Thebes, Oedipus. After the death of Oedipus, Etecoles and Polyneices take turns in ruling Thebes, but ultimately die by each other’s sword. Antigone has just learned that Creon, the new king of Thebes (and her uncle), has just issued a law stating that Eteocles will have a proper burial whereas Polyneices, who was considered a traitor, will not be mourned or wept over. He will be left for the birds to feast upon; ‘ But the hapless corpse of Polyneices-as rumour saith, it...
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...Oedipus Rex or Oedipus the King Summary When the play opens, Thebes is suffering a plague which leaves its fields and women barren. Oedipus, the king of Thebes, has sent his brother-in-law, Creon, to the house of Apollo to ask the oracle how to end the plague. Creon returns, bearing good news: once the killer of the previous king, Laius, is found, Thebes will be cured of the plague (Laius was Jocasta's husband before she married Oedipus). Hearing this, Oedipus swears he will find the murderer and banish him. The Chorus (representing the people of Thebes) suggests that Oedipus consult Teiresias, the blind prophet. Oedipus tells them that he has already sent for Teiresias. When Teiresias arrives, he seems reluctant to answer Oedipus's questions, warning him that he does not want to know the answers. Oedipus threatens him with death, and finally Teiresias tells him that Oedipus himself is the killer, and that his marriage is a sinful union. Oedipus takes this as an insult and jumps to the conclusion that Creon paid Teiresias to say these things. Furious, Oedipus dismisses him, and Teiresias goes, repeating as he does, that Laius's killer is right here before him - a man who is his father's killer and his mother's husband, a man who came seeing but will leave in blindness. Creon enters, asking the people around him if it is true that Oedipus slanderously accused him. The Chorus tries to mediate, but Oedipus appears and charges Creon with treason. Jocasta and the Chorus beg Oedipus...
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...A true ruler is a partner and an ally of the people. The title of an effective leader is only rewarded when there is an obvious effort shown to understand and communicate with the people. A leader must take in regards the outward suggestions of his rule to govern a place in a way that is beneficial to its’ residents. In Sophocles’ play Antigone, which is a continuation of Oedipus Rex and the last play in the Oedipus Cycle, this standard is ignored. In the play, the current king of Thebes, by default is Creon. This supposed righteous king is the source of the problems that arise in his country, mainly because he displays ignorance to the Thebans. His shortly fused temper and defensive nature proves to get the best of him. Additionally, he is...
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...than that. Antigone, the protagonist, and King Creon, the antagonist, have opposing personalities and they represent faithfulness vs. false-heartedness. There are many arguments about who is the tragic hero in Sophocles Antigone, Creon or Antigone? The short answer is Antigone. Antigone is the tragic hero in this story because her suffering is undeserved and unfair to the audience ,although she has a high social status in Thebes. The central conflict starts with when Oedipus, the king of Thebes, has exiled himself....
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...One of the conflicts in Antigone, is the struggle between men and women. Ismene tells Antigone that since birth, women “were not born to contend with men,” (75) displaying women’s obedience and passivity. In the same passage, Ismene says: “we’re underlings, ruled by stronger hands,” (76) a representation of men’s aggressive and “stronger hands” that dominate women and treats them as second-class citizens. The only woman in Thebes who desires to break free from these chains is Antigone, who stands up against Ismene’s passivity urging her to “submit to this,” (77) and defy Creon by burying Polynices. By breaking Creon’s edict, Antigone challenges the traditional gender roles women and men play. In what ways does the theme of gender in Antigone, demonstrate the passion and choices behind Antigone and Ismene’s decisions? Ismene believes that women are “underlings” (76) and not “contend[ing] with men” (76) because she knows that men will always control society. This viewpoint of men’s domination of women depicts Ismene to be submissive to males while being fearful of men’s authority. Ismene is unable to have control over her destiny and decisions because she is fearful of men’s power over women, which leads to her refusing to bury Polynices. Later in the play, Ismene questions Creon’s judgment by saying “you’d kill your own son’s bride?” (641) which indicates that she is now aware that woman should have a voice and power in society. Her new understanding of Antigone’s message gives...
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...A tragic flaw is a flaw that is the common in most tragic heroes, and it is what brings the down fall of the tragic hero (Tragic 1, line 1). The most common tragic flaw is called, “hubris, which we usually interpret as a form of overweening pride, a reckless arrogance” (Booker 329, line 11). This flaw, unsurprisingly, is also exhibited by Creon. One of the most prominent exposures to how prideful Creon acts is when the chorus says, “Zeus, yours is the power, Zeus, what man on earth can override it, who can hold it back” (Schilb et al 872, line 678-680). This is in reference to Creon condemning Antigone to death. As Creon upholds the law of the land he has set in place, which was to not give Polynices a proper burial, he counter effectively makes him disobey the Divine Law. As soon as Haemon hears about the death sentence Creon has given to Antigone, he comes and speaks with his father, “Oh give way. Relax your anger—change! I'm young, I know, but let me offer this: it would be best by far, I admit, if a man were born infallible, right by nature. If not—and things don't often go that way, it's best to learn from those with good advice.”(Schilb et al 875, line 805-810). Haemon was soon to be married to Antigone. With his father’s new ruling, Haemon tries to sway his father from the idea of exciting Antigone. He subconsciously...
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...have killed each other in a battle over who will take over their father’s throne. Creon, the current King of Thebes, has now declared that Polyneices betrayed him and forbids him to have a proper burial. Antigone, sister of Polyneices, feels that her brother’s body needs to have full respect and decides she is going to bury her brother. She discusses this plan with her sister Ismene who sends her off with her disapproval to bury their beloved Polyneices. Antigone is caught red handed by Creon’s guards and they bring her in to the king. Antigone admits to the fact that she has gone against the law and has given her brother a proper burial, but defends her actions saying that the gods would have wanted this. As a consequence for her actions, Creon sentences Antigone to her death and banishes her to a cave. After much deliberation he regrets his decision. However, it is too late as Creon finds Antigone has taken her own life. Through her actions of bravery and defiance Antigone exemplifies true feminist ideals. She is a shining example of a woman who stands for what she believes. Antigone proves to be a hero in every generation, but especially in her time. In fifth century Greece women were seen as having no influence or voice. Only men were allowed to vote and be part of the government. The majority of women played the role of either slave or housewife. The only time women would leave their home would be to go to the theatre or attend to their jobs. In this time period of Democratic...
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...to come up with different interpretations of the meaning surrounding the Greek tragedy. From upon reading this play, my view about it was mainly on staying loyal and respecting your family no matter what the consequences. As I began to read the different scholarly interpretations, my view on “Antigone” had changed. The aspect of ‘hanging virgins’ all throughout the play and the Greek culture poses an interpretive problem. The lives of virgins and women in the play can be looked upon as hanging on to their superior male counterparts. The males dominated the society where their decision in religious, ritual and marriage was final. In this paper I will explain the choices Antigone was facing, family values and social status to further support my understanding. In Sarah Johnston’s, “Antigone’s Other Choice”, it is clear that male sexism was at the core of the Greek society. One clear example of this is when Creon responds to Haemon, confronting him with the reality of his bad deeds and mistreatment towards Antigone. “If you are a women; it is for you, in fact that I show familial concern” (Rehm 192-193). This interpretation of Antigone is centered on the conflict that existed between female autonomy and male authority. The excerpt revolves is about Antigone’s choice to hang her and the options she made. Antigone chose to die out of hanging other than starvation. The excerpt by Sarah Johnson, tries to explore the entire theme of female suicide and death in the play by borrowing...
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...tragic hero. Tragic heroes, though they are noble, have a hamartia, or a fatal flaw that causes their inevitable downfall. Sophocles utilizes the role of tragic hero to develop the theme of pride in Anitigone. The protagonist of the play is repeatedly misconceived because Sophocles develops the roles of multiple characters into ones that could be interpreted as a tragic hero. Creon is a member of the royal family of Thebes who becomes king. In assuming this role of immense power and responsibility, he faces misfortunes that lead him to tragedy. The often-misunderstood Creon is the true tragic hero in Sophocles’ play...
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...themselves against discrimination. In the story by “Antigone” she refuses to obey a law because she believed this law was immoral. The law she refuses to obey was the law of tyranny. Antigone second brother was not to have a burial when he died because of his dishonor to the state. Antigone brothers Eteocles and Polynices wanted to take the throne. They both would take the throne one year after the next but Eteocles, the elder, refused to step down. Polynices and his army marched down to the state of Thebes to battle his own brother for the throne, the brothers killed each other in a duel which made Creon king. When Creon became king he ordered Eteocles buried in honor and left Polynices to rot. Creon believed that Polynices should not have disobeyed the law of his own state, which was disloyalty. When Antigone heard about the news of her brother Polynices she was enraged. According to the novel “Antigone” when she was speaking to her sister, Antigone says “For those two brothers of ours, in burial has not Creon honored the one, dishonored the other?” (Ant 161.23-24). Antigone questions herself because she is surprised that a person cannot have a burial. Also Antigone believed that Creon abused his authority by not giving her brother the proper burial a human being deserves. Creon believes if you are a citizen of a country you must serve your king....
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