...Abraham and Antigone: Facing Superior Orders Abraham from the Bible and Antigone from Sophocle’s tragedy Antigone share a very similar dilemma: both characters receive higher orders that would hurt their family members. Abraham receives the command from God to kill his only son as a sacrifice while Antigone is under the state’s decree that forbids her brother the honor of burial. Under the comparable situation, the two characters exhibit different responses: one decides to kill his son under command without hesitation, but the other is willing to defy the law for the sake of her brother. Abraham’s unquestioning attitude towards God’s inhumane order is startling and throws the credibility of his character into question. On the other hand, Antigone’s insistence of respect for her family, regardless of the city’s laws, makes her appear to be a more believable and relatable person. However, Antigone’s motivations to bury her brother also stems from her obedience towards the laws of her gods. Abraham and Antigone thus share the same absolute obedience towards divine authority, but Antigone’s will to also fight for her family’s dignity and honor differentiates her from Abraham as a more believable character. Abraham’s character seems unbelievable because he is willing to kill his own son without questioning and hesitation solely because God asks him to. In Genesis chapter 22, God commands Abraham to take Isaac, Abraham’s only son, to the land of Moriah and offer him as a sacrifice...
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...Jeremy Martinez English 1B-24013 R. S. Guglielmino 3/17/15 “Antigone” In ancient Greek civilization, the Greeks believed that loyalty is the most influential value one could have in society. They believed that loyalty is important to family, community and the gods (Ancient Greek Values). In the play “Antigone”, Antigone’s loyalty is exemplifying one’s perseverance to clear her family’s name of slander due to the mistakes of her ancestors. When her brother, Polynices, is refused a burial after dying in war, Antigone fearlessly challenges Creon to salvage her brother’s honor knowing the consequences that will follow for defying the Ruler of Thebes. In the Greek tragedy, “Antigone”, by Sophocles, the protagonist must overcome the challenges that lie ahead in order to give the proper respect her brother deserves. When the play begins, Antigone is talking to her sister, Ismene about the death of their brothers and how they are still suffering from the curse of Oedipus. This is the first indication of the family’s sorrow and the degree to which Oedipus’s curse still exist to this day. The two sisters are the only surviving children of Oedipus and Jocasta after their two brothers, Polynices and Eteocles, fought each other to the death to become King of Thebes. When they fought over this, Polynices decided to attack Thebes, making him a traitor. At the end of the war and both brothers’ deaths, Creon was the only person left to rule Thebes. Since Polynices was considered...
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...In Antigone, by Sophocles, two sisters, Ismene and Antigone, have two different views on what it means to be human. Ismene understand “being human” or “life” in a biological sense. She believes in continuing, by being a female, in continuing the family bloodline. Antigone however, understands “being human” in a sense of family honor and reputation. Both are important, but neither is right nor wrong. Creon, the ruler, has his own views on how to rule the city. He believes that he is in charge and everyone is to do as said with no questions. Ismene’s view of life is biologically impacted. Although she loves her brother, Polyneices, it is against the law to bury him according to Creon. Creon having set law that anyone to touch the corpse to be stoned to death publically causes Ismene’s view of life to become a problem. With her and Antigone being the last two members alive within the family, they must stay alive to continue the family bloodline. Now there are only the two of us, left behind, And see how miserable our end shall be If in the teeth of law we shall transgress Against the sovereign’s decree and power. You ought to realize we are only women, Not meant in nature to fight against men. (Antigone. 57-62) Within this quote we realize not only is Ismene aware they are the only two left to fulfill the families obligation biologically to keep the bloodline alive, but we also see that she understands they both will be killed if going against...
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...Dakota Cole Schnitker Pre-AP Enlgish II 10/22/15 In Antigone, Antigone and her sister think differently about how they should deal with the conflict of burying Polyneices. Antigone and Ismene love each other and do not want to hurt each other, but Antigone is determined to get justice for her fallen brother. This conflict pulls the family members apart, but pulls them back together in the end. “And now you can prove what you are: A true sister, or a traitor to your family.” Antigone told Ismene that if she would not help bury Polyneices then Ismene would be a traitor to her family. Family means a lot to Antigone. Antigone is willing to risk being publicly stoned to death in the public square if she is is caught tampering with Polyneices'...
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...In this case this quote can relate to Antigone. It relates to her life because she strongly believes that her bond towards her brother is stronger than any law. She has the necessity to honor her brother and give him a dignified funeral. Now, did Antigone deserve her fate or no? She didn’t deserve her fate. Antigone didn’t deserve her fate because she was just standing up for her moral beliefs and she was trying to defend and honor her brother. Antigone has moral beliefs that she stand for and followed, one of them was defending her brother’s honor and not let him rot to death without burying him. Creon wanted to leave Polynices out in nowhere to rot but Antigone didn’t want that, she believed that no matter what her brother did he deserved an honorable funeral. For Antigone it was necessary to...
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...State control A well established theme in Antigone is the right of the individual to reject society's infringement on her freedom to perform a 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]...
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...Creon and Haemon; Conflict of Antigone Creon and Haemon have dissimilar points of views when it comes to Antigone because Haemon has affection for Antigone while Creon feels animosity towards her. In the play, “Antigone” Sophocles tells the story of King Creon who rules Thebes the town. Haemon who is the son of the king falls in love with Antigone. Antigone is the niece of Creon and sister of Polynices. She plays a stubborn character. When her family is involved with the situation her attitude becomes aggressive. Polynices who is a traitor takes his last breath fighting against Thebes. The King announces anyone to honor or bury the body of Polynices would suffer a death due to the fact that he was a traitor of Thebes. The conflict of the play involves Antigone who disobeys Creon’s authority. In the speech between Haemon and Creon an Antigone is revealed between the two that exhibits Creon’s misogyny and Haemon’s analysis of his father’s discriminating attitude toward women in general. Note the tone in the following quotation: Creon: “Oh Haemon, Never lose your sense of judgment over a woman. The warmth, the rush of pleasure, it all goes cold in your arms, I warn you…a worthless woman in your house, a misery in your bed. What wound cuts deeper than a loved one turned against you? Spit her out, like a mortal enemy- let the girl go. Let her find a husband down among the dead” (1328). Creon expresses misogyny in this quote. He consults with his...
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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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...The opening scene from Sophocles’ plays Antigone has the two daughters of Oedipus, Antigone and Ismene are in deep conversation about the death of their brothers, Eteocles and Polyneices. During the war of Thebes, the two brothers had killed each other on the battlefield since Polyneices would not accept Creon as their King. Therefore, Eteocles was lay to rest with honor in a combatant’s service. On the other hand, Polyneices was forbidden from being lay to rest by anyone. Creon who has now become King established a law that forbids anyone from appropriately laying to rest the body of Polyneices. Analysis: One of the main themes is first introduced to the reader in the prologue which is the bond of a family and loyalty to that unit. The...
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...ANTIGONE Antigone is a tragedy by Sophocles written in or before 441 BC. Chronologically, it is the third of the three Theban plays but was written first. The play expands on the Theban legend that predated it and picks 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...
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...Antigone - Pride and Conflict of Law Sophocles' Antigone, in its later phases is no longer about the conflict of law; It is about stubbornness and self will, about the sin of refusing to listen; about a man who has never been told. Conflict of law, presents the initial disturbance within Thebes. Creon, King of Thebes, refuses to bury the body of Polynices, for in his eyes Polynices is 'his country's enemy' Antigone pg.131. Thus, despite breaking the laws of the gods, Creon holds his power higher than that of God and heavens and enforces his law. As the story follows, Sophocles expands on the ignorance presented by Creon and Antigone, and it is also found that it is impossible to defeat an ignorant man, or woman in argument. It is this ignorance, that establishes the notion of the sin and punishment that both Creon and Antigone face due to their stubbornness and self will. Antigone holds her love of family, and respect to the dead, elevated beyond the laws of Creon, whom she believes, has no righteous justification to close his eyes to the honor of the deceased. In her determination to fulfill Polynices' rights, she runs directly into Creon's attempts to re-establish order. This leads to encounters of severe conflict between the dissimilarities of the two, creating a situation whereby both Creon and Antigone expose their stubbornness and self will. It is Antigone's morals, which drive her to betray the laws of man, in order to honor the laws...
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...2012 Creon’s Tragic Fall: A Look at Sophocles’ Antigone A tragic hero is defined by Aristotle’s Poetics as the protagonist in the story to whom something happens that elicits pity from the audience. For the most part, a tragic hero is a “virtuous” person whose life changes from being prosperous to being a life full of misfortune (Aristotle, Poetics). In other words, the tragic hero is someone of great social standing who begins the story at a very high point, but suffers their downfall because of a tragic flaw. In Sophocles’ Antigone the central theme of this play is the struggle between Antigone and her uncle Creon. The issue of burying Antigone’s brother Polynices is based on the ancient Greek philosophy of death, where any unburied body condemns its soul to torment. Basically, it was the duty of the family to bury their dead. Yet, this issue extended beyond family loyalty to a decree of piety by the gods. However, in the play, Creon goes against this celestial decree because he sees Polynices as a traitor for warring against him as a member of another army. As a means to set an example about the repercussions of disloyalty, Creon issues an edict to leave him unburied. As a man who starts the drama in as the respected king of Thebes, he gradually loses his family, his objectivity, and his power to his stubbornness and hubris that ultimately results in his downfall. Hence, Creon is a tragic hero in the Sophocles’ Antigone because his unbending pride results in tragic downfall...
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...Antigone Essay The Tragic Hero in Antigone According to the dictionary, a tragic hero is a literary character who makes an error of judgment or has a fatal flaw that, combined with fate and external forces, brings on a tragedy. In the story "Antigone," by Sophocles, Antigone has all the necessary traits to be qualified as the tragic character of the story. She is an honorable and important person, she has a fearless attitude, and she ends up facing a downfall because of her deeds. Antigone is an honorable and important person in Thebes. She obviously has a very good heart because she has decided to give her brother Polynieces a proper burial even though her uncle, Creon, has forbidden anyone to and has states that if someone does then they will be put to death. Antigone tells her sister, Ismene, "Ismene, I am going to bury him" (Antigone Prologue. 31) Even though she has Creon's threat in her mind, she takes the responsibility of bringing "honor to her family" by burying Polynieces. This shows good character as she is showing love for her family. Also, she does not let Ismene take part in her "crime". This shows how considerate she is of her sister's well being. Another important trait which Antigone has is her fearless attitude and her consistency. Throughout the play, Antigone sticks to her believes. Once she has made the decision to bury Polynieces, she does it without any fear. "Creon is not strong enough to stand in my way" ...
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...Thurman 1 Cara Thurman Mrs. Fleming Hendricks Composition II, Section 90 March 2, 2014 Antigone “Antigone”, is filled with betrayal, internal and external struggles, courage, loyalty to one’s family, and contempt towards gods and law. Antigone is a young woman, engaged to Haemon, son of King Creon. Antigone, devastated and grief stricken by the death of her brother Polyneices, has a moral responsibility to honor her brother’s death with a proper burial. Despite facing death herself as punishment, Antigone chooses family honor and commitment, above her own life. Sophocles’ use of Dramatic Terminology is extraordinary, by giving explicit detail of surroundings called Exposition, arising Conflict among characters, followed with Rising Action from beginning to end. When using the dramatic term Exposition, the writer introduces material creating the setting and tone, and presents characters and factors for the readers understanding of the story. The palace’s entrance is described in detail, “a central double door, and two lateral doors, a platform extends the length of the facade, and from this platform three steps lead down into the orchestra.” The reader can almost imagine hearing the violins and cellos playing. Antigone has lead her sister Ismene to the gates of King Creon’s palace during the burial ceremony of one of her brothers. Exposition was later used when describing the Chorus Leader’s observance of King Creon carrying Haemons dead body, “Here comes the king in person...
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...Tragic Hero in Antigone According to the dictionary, a tragic hero is a literary character who makes an error of judgment or has a fatal flaw that, combined with fate and external forces, brings on a tragedy. In the story "Antigone," by Sophocles, Antigone has all the necessary traits to be qualified as the tragic character of the story. She is an honorable and important person, she has a fearless attitude, and she ends up facing a downfall because of her deeds. Antigone is an honorable and important person in Thebes. She obviously has a very good heart because she has decided to give her brother Polynieces a proper burial even though her uncle, Creon, has forbidden anyone to and has states that if someone does then they will be put to death. Antigone tells her sister, Ismene, "Ismene, I am going to bury him" (Antigone Prologue. 31) Even though she has Creon's threat in her mind, she takes the responsibility of bringing "honor to her family" by burying Polynieces. This shows good character as she is showing love for her family. Also, she does not let Ismene take part in her "crime". This shows how considerate she is of her sister's well being. Another important trait which Antigone has is her fearless attitude and her consistency. Throughout the play, Antigone sticks to her believes. Once she has made the decision to bury Polynieces, she does it without any fear. "Creon is not strong enough to stand in my way" (Antigone Prologue. 35)...
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