Essays On Antigone

Essay Antigone
Antigone2 Antigone herself represents the highest ideals of human life –– courage and respect for
the gods. In the mythical story "Antigone", Antigone first demonstrates feminist logic when she
chooses to challenge a powerful male establishment. This establishment is personified by her uncle
Creon, who is newly crowned as the King of Thebes, and it is usually challenged by whole
city–state. She believed that the law of the gods (to give proper burial rights to every dead body)
was more important than the law of the King. Creon became angry that a woman questioned his
sovereignty and commanded her to death even though she was the daughter of Jocasta, his sister.
The bold, tradition–braking character of Antigone...show more content...
"Imagine it: I caught her naked rebellion, the traitor, the only one in the whole city. I'm not about
to prove myself a liar, not to my people, no, I'm going to kill her!". Creon believes that if he does
not follow through on his word the people of Thebes will not respect his authority as king. In
determination to gain respect from the people from Thebes, Creon decides to take Antigone's life,
which ironically leads to his demise. Creon refuses to compromise or humble himself before others
especially women, he states "better if it must happen, that a / should overset me". He stubbornly
refuses other characters the right to express opinions different from his own. Creon abuses his
power to force others to accept his point of view. This extreme male dominance conflicts head–on
with Antigone's bold unwomanly challenge to Creon's authority. Antigone does not give Creon
additional respect either because he is a man in a patriarchal society or because he is king. In
such way, she argues an equality of the sexes, as well as equality under God. Unlike her sister,
Ismene refuses to challenge the male authority, even if it means to not fulfill her duties as a sister.
Ismene states: "we must remember that we are two women / so not to fight with men. / And that
since we are subject to strong power / we
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Antigone Character Analysis Essay
In Antigone, Antigone braves through all of her hardships and decisions with her morals and set
of values. She dies with pride and no regret for she died because she acted doing what was
morally right. Many Greek writers disagree with these traits that Sophocles has given her but it is
appropriate because she needed these traits to show defiance and be able to stand up for what is
right. Antigone is a tragic heroine who believes in her duty to her family and is willing to sacrifice all
things to do what is morally right.
Antigone's powerful foundation of her morals and values keep all who try to stray her away from
her task powerless. When Ismene tries to persuade her sister into staying away from burying
polynices her...show more content...
However she earlier did not feel a lot of regret for what she did because she was doing what she was
obligated to do. It was to her "meaningful" because she had given up her life for what her brother
deserved and was the will of the gods.
Such strong emotions create a sense of feminism, which in respects to the time of this play was
outrageous and not accepted. The image of women in plays and stories at the time were weak
and powerless girls. Antigone's representation of feminists broke all the images of play writers in
Greece and her strong characteristics defy the inappropriateness of her nature.Her boldness,
bravery and , unyielding morals are all extremely important to her role in the play. Antigone has
been given strong characteristics in her story and because of this she does not stand around while
and Creon's unjust law insults Polynices. Her death was preferred because it was glorious and
stoic. She was buried for doing what was right and what she was obligated to do. She not only
prefers this but her bravery, obstinacy and other traits destroy the image of the weak girl who is
powerless to everything. Antigone's strong characteristics and representation of the current day
feminists were all necessary to her role as

Essay on Introduction: Antigone and Creon
INTRODUCTION
Antigone
Antigone is the daughter of Oedipus, the king that married his own mother, Locaste and unwittingly
killed his father, Laios. When he learned what he had done, he blinded himself and left Thebes,
voluntarily went into self–style exile and died over there. Antigone and Ismene are siblings, the only
surviving children of Oedipus. The other two brothers Polyneices and Eteocles quarreled and killed
each other in a battle when Polyneices returned to assault Thebes, then Creon, Antigone uncle
became the king of Thebes being the only heir in line to the throne. Creon ordered Polyneices be left
to rot unburied on the battle field as a traitor but Antigone could not see reason to let her brothers
body rot unburied. Antigone...show more content...
She valued family pride over the authority of the king. Leaving the dead unburied is against the
natural laws of the gods, she then chose to disobey the Kings law by attempt to bury her brother,
Polyneices. But I will bury him; and if I must die Literature for Composition 462.55
Creon on the other hand, though he installed himself as king, he then put himself in a position to
have known better the laws of the gods. Perhaps, this could have been one of the snares in the
process that awaits any unqualified person who tries to be king. A true heir to the thrown should
have in–depth knowledge about the community law and the laws of the gods; therefore, he would
have guided against either avoiding making laws that runs contrary to the laws of the gods or by
putting himself in an uncompromised position. He could have been briefed of most of the rules
and regulation as a formal process before a prince is allowed to ascend the thrown. In absence of
that, the office he occupied justify that he knows the law. I am aware of course, that no ruler can
expect complete loyalty from his subjects until he has been tested in office. (Literature for
Composition.464.17)
Affinity for disobedience
Laws are made, whether written or unwritten to

Antigone Essay
I. SUBJECT Antigone is a play about a woman who disobeyed the King's order to not bury her
brother. The play was written by the famous Greek tragedian, Sophocles, in 441 B.C. The story took
place in the city of Thebes and the time period is not mentioned. The main characters introduced in
the play are of Antigone, Ismene, Creon, and Haemon. The primary focus was centered on Antigone
and the consequences she faces after breaking the King's orders. In the beginning, the author
introduced Antigone and her sister, Ismene, and their argument about their recently deceased
brother. The argument involved Antigone wanting to bury her brother and Ismene encouraging her
to obey the King's orders. Antigone ignored her sister's advice and chose to...show more content...
Sophocles believed that it was significant that the law of a persons conscience supersedes the law
of the state. Antigone overlooks the law of the state and follows her heart to do what she knows
is morally right, opposed to a law created by a human with high authority. She understands that the
consequences are heavy for the act, however, she courageously concluded that the importance of
the act was greater than the consequences. In the play, Haemon is brought to his father to be
informed off the news of his soon to be wife. In the discussion between Creon and Haemon, they
speak of Haemon's obedience and Antigone's disobedience to Creon. Creon says, "So I must
guard the men who yield to order, not let myself be beaten by a woman. Better, if it must happen
that a man should overset me. I won't be called weaker than womankind" (Sophocles 211). Creon
makes it clear that his reasoning relies on sexism and not what is truly just. Women are often
downgraded to the status of a secondary role as shown in the story. The argument between the law
of the state and the law of the gods, or religious, is mentioned many times throughout the story.
Creon refers to Antigone's brother as one who betrayed his city and he upholds an order for Thebes,
forbidding Antigone's brother to be buried. Antigone refers to burying her brother as a moral
responsibility. Creon is astonished when he finds that she has disobeyed his

Essay on Antigone
The opening events of the play Antigone, written by Sophocles, quickly establish the central
conflict between Antigone and Creon. Creon has decreed that the traitor Polynices, who tried to
burn down the temple of gods in Thebes, must not be given proper burial. Antigone is the only one
who will speak against this decree and insists on the sacredness of family and a symbolic burial for
her brother. Whereas Antigone sees no validity in a law that disregards the dutyfamily members owe
one another, Creon's point of view is exactly opposite. He has no use for anyone who places private
ties above the common good, as he proclaims firmly to the Chorus and the audience as he revels in
his victory over Polynices. He sees Polynices as an enemy to...show more content...
Some of the times the Chorus speaks in this drama, it seems to side with Creon and the established
power of Thebes. The Chorus's first speech (117–179) describes the thwarted pride of the invading
enemy: The God Zeus hates bravado and bragging. Yet this encomium to the victory of Thebes
through Zeus has a cunningly critical edge. The Chorus's focus on pride and the fall of the prideful
comments underhandedly on the willfulness seen in Antigone and will see in Creon. In Creon's first
speech, where he assumes the "Now here I am, holding all authority and the throne, in virtue of
kinship with the dead" and reiterates his decree against the traitor Polynices (191–192). In lines
308–309 the Chorus says to Creon "My lord: I wonder, could this be God's doing? This is the
thought that keeps on haunting me. The Chorus is questioning Creon if it could be the doing of
God who buried Polynices, Creon replies; "Stop, before your words fill even me with rage that you
should be exposed as a fool, and you so old. For what you say is surely insupportable when you say
the gods took forethought for this corpse" (310–313).
Even though Antigone exhibits a blamable pride and a hunger for glory, her disobedience is less
serious than those of Creon. It is evident that Antigone's actions are driven by a love for her brother,
and a desire to please the gods. While Creon's actions are

Essay on Sophocles' Antigone
Sophocles' Antigone Theater played a large role in ancient Greek society. The citizens were meant
to learn from the mistakes made in tragedies. They should have learned what not to be like as a
citizen or human. In the classic tragedy Antigone, the third and final play in SophoclesВ№s Oedipus
Cycle, there are two main characters, Antigone and Creon. They are both strong willed and stubborn
people. By their resistance to change, they both seal each others fate. Antigone is passionate... Creon
is full of rage. They are both so similar that they can not see eye to eye. Although they may seem
quite different, Creon and Antigone...show more content...
Even when faced with TeresiasВ№s prophecy, he refuses to believe the truth. He claims that
Tortuous has been bribed, and that he Віsold out!ВІ (227) He is finally forced to listen when
Choragos reminds him of TeresiasВ№s perfect record. Eventually he is persuaded to reverse his
decision, persuaded that it is the will of the gods, he gives Polyneices a proper burial, and is on his
way to free Antigone, but it is too late.
Creon and Antigone and they are both very strong in their views. Creon is devoted to his laws,
while Antigone is loyal to her beliefs. Creon refuses to give in and alter his law. He labels those
who dare act against him as traitors, and his justice is quick and cruel.
ВіThis 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? SisterВ№s child, or more than sisterВ№s child,
Or closer yet in blood – she and her sister Win bitter death for this!ВІ (204)
He is willing to kill his own family in the name of the law. Antigone is a traitor for giving a burial to
her dead brother Polyneices, but Ismene is sentenced as well, merely by association. He is so
devoted to his own laws that he fails to see that he is disobeying the law of the gods.
Antigone , however, puts the laws of the gods ahead of the laws of the state. She gives her brother a
proper burial, and therefore

Essay on Antigone
Family is supposed to be the ultimate support, everlasting, and always ready to forgive. In
Antigone by Sophocles, Creon is immersed in a "power trip" that alienates and even kills his
family. He caused his son, Haemon's death, his wife, Eurydice's death and Antigone's death. Creon
views himself as the perfect leader, believes he is always correct, and in turn has to live with the guilt
of three deaths that were his fault.
Antigone goes alone to bury Polynices and deliberately disobeys Creon's law. Antigone not only
lost her two brothers, but she will lose her respect for her family and the gods if she does not bury
Polynices. When Creon finds out that Antigone has disobeyed him and only wants to die, he...show
more content...
Creon does not let his relation with Antigone as her uncle affect his dealing with Antigone in any
way. He swears to punish her even if she is family. His job is to protect and uphold the laws of the
state. If he does not punish Antigone he will look as though he is a weak ruler. Since Creon is related
to Antigone, he must carry out the punishment of Antigone so the people of Thebes will see him as
a strong and powerful king.
Haemon does not want to Antigone to die for what she has done. He attempts to convince his father
that he should change his view about Antigone going against Creon's decree. Creon tells him that
he young and has lost his "sense of judgement over a woman"(93). Haemon does not want to
displease his father, but he is not willing to back down from what he believe is right. Creon gets
angry and says, "bring her out, that hateful–she'll die now, here, in front of his eyes, beside her
groom"(99). Haemon leaves his father's side and dies beside his true love, Antigone.
When Eurydice enters the palace she is faced with the news of her son's death. She demands that
the messenger tell her "...the news, again, whatever it is...sorrow and [her] are hardly
strangers"(121). Eurydice blames Creon for the death of her son. She is so alarmed with the death
that she kills herself. Creon returns with the body of Haemon only to find "a new corpse rising
before [his] eyes"(125).

Essay On Antigone
(At the studio "The Kingdom"...INDIA sits in her chair saying her original quote to start the show
while the audiences are applauding.) INDIA: Wow, I'm looking around at the audience and I can't
help but think...., I see some queens and kings out there, just beautiful people. You know what that
means.., you've guessed right, you 're on the royal family show. (Audiences applauses again,
INDIA introduces the show.) INDIA: Hi, my names India Coutee and you are on "The Kingdom"
channel and if you don't like drama, shade, and to know the tea then hop on off this carriage. Now
let's get started.
INDIA: You know, today is a special day. A few days ago, if you don't know, there was a tragedy, in
Theban. The family just went to war to see...show more content...
Antigone, when your sister, Ismene, tries to die with you, why do object her?
ANTIGONE: When I decided to bury my brother against the King's will, I asked Ismene did she
wanted to help bury our brother, which of course she said, "no" and that she didn't want to
disobey the king. To which I understand but I was angry, we as women shouldn 't be servants to
men. So, when she decided to be killed with me I didn 't want my sister to claim on something
that I only did by myself. Not only that, I wanted her to regret that she decided that staying alive
and disobey the gods was more important than burying our brother. Also, I didn 't like how she
was being so submissive under men because she was afraid to die. INDIA: I understand what you
mean. Your response is very welled explain. I also think that it 's weak being submissive under
men instead of standing up for what you believe in. O to the next question, if it were someone
else in your brother position, would you have done the same thing? ANTIGONE: If I were close
to that person than yes, but if not then no. Besides me loving my brother and not wanting to
disobey the Gods I feel as though it wouldn't pertain to me unless we were close. INDIA: Thanks
for your honesty. The next question goes to The Watchman. If fate would have it, what would you
have done if you didn 't find Antigone? THE WATCHMAN: First, I would have clearly tried to find
the criminal to clear my name. If it had come down to it though, I

Antigone Essay
Reason and truth are never based on authority. Not even a supreme ruler can decide the right and
wrong things to do. Antigone, in "Antigone" is set on honroing her dead brother even if it means
going against her uncle Creon, resulting in a classic father or fatherly figure daughter conflict. In
Sophocles' play "Antigone", the combination of Antigone's stubborn loyalty and her uncle Creon's
hubris result in the main conflict, while also demonstrating that stubornness and pride lead to
destruction.
To begin, conflict between Antigone and Creon arises when Antigone blatantly disobeys her uncle's
edict due to family loyalty. For instance, when Antigone is trying to convince Ismene to help her
bury Polyneices, she exclaims, "He is my brother....show more content...
By adding this scene, Sophocles reminds his audience about the dangers and consequences of
inflexibility and pride. These three instances all contribute to the conflict Antigone has with her
uncle Creon, while stressing how determination and loyalty can lead to destruction.
Secondly, Creon's massive ego is also one of the causes of the argument between him and his niece
Antigone. In particular, during his formal address to the chorus, he states , "Polyneices, I say, is to
have no burial...no traitor is going to be honored with the loyal man." This statement represents the
birth of Anitgone and Creon's conflict, as it leaves Antigone torn between obeying her uncle or
honoring her brother. Creon's desire to demonstrate his power and establish his rule are the root
causes of the dispute between him and his niece and unfortunately leads to hardships in both of their
lives. In addition, after Creon finds out that Anitgone was the one behind Polyneices' burial, he
exclaims, "Who is the man here, she or I, if this crime goes unpunished?" Creon's ego is bruised
after he finds out Antigone has disobeyed him, revealing how important his appearance and status is
to him. No matter how wrong he is in his decisions, Creon will never change what he believes is the
right punishment for Antigone, which reminds the

Essay about Antigone
Antigone
"Make these excuses, I will heap/ The earth over my brother's body" (63). Although no one would
help her, Antigone took a stand against injustice and honored her brother by burying him, even
though Creon said this act would be punishable by death if anyone committed this act of
insubordination. Especially in the age that Antigone lived in, it was considered foolish to simply go
against a man's orders, let alone the Kings. Not to mention that Antigone was related to the King,
making the situation even worse. She committed a supremely precarious action, especially for a
woman. Not only does she bravely follow her morals, but she does a great job of justifying them in
her arguments. Antigone was a civil disobedient by disobeying...show more content...
She does not make people pity her, but rather honor her actions because of how she is willing to die
defending her brother's honor. The way that she explains her cause makes everyone but Creon
admire her for disobeying the law and doing the right thing that no one else had the courage to
do. The last example of Antigone's pathos is her last statement before she dies. This statement is
the best use of pathos in the entire play. It is here that Antigone really grips your emotions and
latches on to everything that she can to make you pity her and want to slay Creon instead. By the
way that she appeals to how she will never be able to have a family, enjoy marriage, or happily end
her life. She then throws in the question of what law she broke and asks what she did that was so
wrong to deserve death. These last statements really impact Antigone's pathos and make the reader
sympathize with her stance as the right one if they had not already been convinced.
Antigone's great claims and support also make her argument the best. The first argument that she
gets into is with Ismene about why she is disobeying Creon's orders by burying Polyneices body
and how she would be disgracing him if she did not. Ismene's defense does nothing to sway
Antigone, as she is set in her ways to do good, and Antigone does a great job of explaining her
case as to why she believes it is her duty to bury her brother. She does such a great job, in fact, that
Ismene really has nothing else to counter

Creon's Struggle In Sophocles Antigone
Antigone
Antigone, by Sophocles, is a story about the struggle between Antigone, who represents the laws of
the gods and Creon, who represents the laws of the state. The play takes place circa 442 B.C. in the
city–state of Thebes. The story revolves around the burial of Polyneices. Polyneices led an army
against his brother, Etocles, the King of Thebes. They killed each other in battle and the new king,
Creon, made a decree that only Etocles was to be buried because Polyneices was his rival. Antigone,
sister of Polyneices and Etocles, feels that she needs to bury Polyneices in accordance to Zeus' law,
but this went against Creon's decree. Also, Antigone has to bury Polyneices without the help of her
sister...show more content...
After Creon's wife, Eurydice, found out her son was dead, she stabbed herself to death.
Creon is not wholly wrong in forbidding people to bury Polyneices. His intentions are good
because he wanted to show how evil Polyneices was in attacking the city and that in order for the
government of Thebes to work, they have to stay united. According to Creon, "For I– be Zeus my
witness, who sees all things always– would not be silent if I saw ruin, instead of safety, coming to
the citizens; nor would I ever deem the country's foes a friend to myself; remembering this, that our
country is the ship that bears us safe, and that only while she prospers in our voyage can we make
true friends"(Sophocles, page 121).
Creon justifies his position to the others in the play by stating that Polyneices was evil and it
would be unjust to Etocles, who died with honor, to share a spot in the earth with an evil person
like Polyneices.(Sophocles, page 129). Creon states, "...Polyneices, who came back from exile and
sought to consume utterly with fire the city of his fathers and the shrines of his fathers' gods,
sought to taste of kindred blood and to lead the remnant into slavery..."(Sophocles, page 121). Creon
also states, "A foe is never a friend–not even in death"(Sophocles, page 129).
I think Antigone is a righteous martyr for wanting to bury her

Essay On The Title Antigone
A title is a direct relation to the novel itself. When a reader picks up a new story they wonder what
the title means. They ask themselves is it a quote from the book or is the title the name of the main
character? The novel "The Fault in our Stars" says it's title in parts of the story, and Arthur Conan
Doyle chose the title "Sherlock Holmes" because the story is about Sherlock. In the drama "Antigone
" by Sophocles, the characterization, the conflict, and the resolution is why Antigone is the title and
Creon is not. Many parts go into choosing a title. When the title is the name of the main character,
one of these parts is the characterization of the character. One of those parts is naming it the
protagonist of the drama. Sophocles wrote Antigone as a Sophoclean tragic hero, making her as the
protagonist....show more content...
The title can also come from the root of the conflict. The reason Sophocles decided to use Antigone
for the title is because Antigone is the cause of the conflict in the play. Antigone starts off the play
by disobeying Creon's orders and burying her brother. Haemon fights for her against his father after
Antigone earns herself an arrest. When Antigone goes to her death, Haemon follows by killing
himself. Unfortunately, this leads to Creon's wife and Haemon's mother dying. In a way this ends
the conflict that Antigone started, thus why Sophocles decided to use her name for the title. There is
an added conflict when Sophocles says that Antigone is suppose to marry Creon's son Haemon. This
makes Haemon have an internal conflict on whether he should choose his father or his lover. Again,
Antigone is the root of the conflict. Tiresias, the blind seer comes to warn Creon of doing wrong to
Antigone causing a fight between them. Which causes Creon to start fighting with himself, and once
again Antigone causes a conflict. Since Antigone causes most of the conflict, it makes sense to title
the drama after

Research Paper On Antigone
"They are dead, but the livings are worthy of death" (P56). The words, that indicate that Antigone
ended her life by her own hands, are astonishing. It is shame that the 'world' loses a powerful
woman who is capable of rules breaking. There is a saying in China that is 'living is always the
better choice than death', and everyone, including me, was told whenever someone is despairing.
Likewise, people who suicide are considered to be the ones who are weak in the deep of their
hearts. Weakness provides the fear that prevents people from seeing and facing the reality, and
caring about the people they love. However, Antigone has always been seen as a strong female,
daring to break the roles and support her family. With the truth of her death,

Antigone Theme Essay
In the story Antigone by Sophocles, the theme guilt and innocence, as wells as morals play a huge
role between characters, specifically the female character Antigone, the ruler of the city, Creon,
Antigone's sister, Ismene, and Antigone's husband, Haimon. Antigone and Haimon represent
innocence for many reasons. Their morals lead the two in a direction to honor Antigone's brother,
Antigone protects her sister from certain death, and the lovers commits suicide for the sake of
innocence itself. Creon on the other hand represent guilt by his unjust laws of his city, his unruly
dictatorship, and putting the blame on everyone but himself for his own actions. Ismene is also
guilty in the story by not standing with her sister at the beginning to...show more content...
Leading to Creon's realization to his guilt.
Creon represents guilt by his unjust laws of the land and forcing the people of the city to abide by
them. As he forbids anyone to mourn a past king, he strike fear into the people and causes mistrust
against himself. As Haimon, the son of Creon explains to his father, " You are not in a position to
know everything / That people say or do, or what they feel: / Your temper terrifies–" (Scene III:
57–59), Creon is in disbelief. Creon has obtained a sense of dictatorship ever since Oedipus has died.
He had seen the way Oedipus had ruled over the city and deemed it reasonable to have one opinion
in the city alone, his own. Creon proclaims his "just and unjust" ways with the city, " I have no
dealings, / Whoever is chosen to govern should be obeyed– / Just and unjust!" (Scene III: 33–37).
Blame is the final reasoning for his guiltiness is the story. He will always claim he is right and
will never take blame for his own laws. Haimon has confronted Creon about his blame, " Do not
believe that you alone can be right. / The man who thinks that, / The man who maintains that only he
has the power" (Scene III: 74–76). As soon as Creon realizes that none is to blame, only himself, he
admits to his dead son, " My own blind heart has brought me / From darkness, to final darkness. / I
was a fool, not you; and you died for me." (Exodus: 87–92) and once more, like

Antigone By Sophocles ' Antigone
"But one must neglect nothing that the gods demand" (1349–1350). Sophocles' Antigone takes place
in a trying time for the city of Thebes, when Oedipus, their king, and most of the royal family have
died, and Creon has just been appointed the new king. Throughout the play, Creon tries on his
power as the new ruler, and seems to believe that the gods will not be angry with some of his
choices as king, even though they directly violate the divine law. However, inAntigone, when there
is a conflict between the divine law and the state law, the divine law always prevails. Antigone
continuously follows the divine law, and although she ends up dead, she does not face Creon's pain of
losing everyone he loves and all his people turning against him. The play begins with Antigone
disobeying Creon in order to do what she believes is right in the eyes of the gods and in the eyes
of her parents. Antigone knows that she will die "a holy outlaw, since [she] must please those
below a longer time than people [in Thebes], for [she] shall lie there forever" (75–77). According to
Greek mythology, leaving a dead body unburied results in the dead person not passing smoothly into
the afterworld, and the people who do not bury the body receiving divine punishment. This divine
punishment, which Antigone tries to avoid, becomes more apparent at the end of the play with
Creon's downfall. Antigone's main motive for burying Polynikes is her love for him and for her
parents; however, this statement

Antigone Essay
Antigone Essay
In any story or piece of literature, there will always be the main characters to fill the pages with
incessant adventure. The characters whose names appear on almost every page and the characters
whose actions the story revolves around. However, a story will also always have its minor
characters. These are the characters that contribute heavily to the plot, yet aren't mentioned quite as
often and are underestimated regarding their importance in the story. In the Greek masterpiece,
Antigone, the author Sophocles construed a myriad of minor characters that contributed to the story
in numerous ways.
Ismene, one of Oedipus' daughters, was created to foil the main character, Antigone. Haemon, the son
of Creon, took...show more content...
However, Antigone is portrayed as gaunt, washed out, and unattractive. With such antagonism
between the sisters, Sophocles presents drama by developing another form of rivalry and another
reason for Antigone to rebel against the law.
At the end of the story when Antigone was listening to her punishment for burying Polynices, Ismene
speaks up and attempts to be held responsible for the crime. She pleads with Antigone to let her die
alongside her, however, Antigone did not want her sister to take any blame in something she had
nothing to do with, so she disregarded her sister's pleas. Sophocles included this situation because it
was another disagreement between the sisters and added more controversy to the plot.
Sophocles included the rivalry between the personalities because it gave each character something
to act off of. Ismene's role was important to the plot because she played the vigilant girl and
provided the story with drama and second–guessing by having contradictory opinions.
Secondly, another character that affected the story with such a minor part was Haemon. Haemon,
being the king's son, had a lot of expectations and generalizations to live up to, but he dispersed them
when he stood up to his father.
One thing Haemon did that influenced the plot was to rebut his father's opinions. Prior to
conversing with Creon, Haemon had a positive outlook about his father. He felt he was a good ruler
and was fair, yet those beliefs were

Essay on Sophocles' Antigone
Thebian play of Antigone has excited many debates over the years. The most prevalent being who
exactly could be characterized as the tragic hero in the story. The argument that Antigone is the hero
is deffinatly a strong one. There are many critics who believe that Creon, however, is the true
protagonist of the play. In order to determine whether or not Creon is the tragic hero one must first
examine what a tragic hero is. Aristotle states that a hero is neither purely innocent nor purely
malevolent. A hero is usually born into high rank of society, and this person must possess a tragic
flaw. This flaw normally stems from either poor judgment or extreme arrogance. This flaw will
inevitably contribute to the character's downfall.
As the...show more content...
Creon cannot afford to think of the well being of his son or even his niece Antigone, he must be
selfless because that is what is honorable. Here it is shown that Creon is not absolutely malicious,
he is thinking of his kingdom when he damns Antigone to certain death. He is also not entirely
without fault; Creon is revealed to be a very arrogant man throughout the play. He does not admit his
own mistake until the very end. Even then it is only after Tiresias tells him of the occurrences in the
sanctuary that he sees his folly and tries to repent.
It is also written that a tragic hero has the power to affect one or more characters within the tragedy.
Creon's kingly status, conveniently places him in a position of extreme power. The degree of this
power is made evident when Creon sentences Antigone to death for violating his proclamation.
Creon's ultimate power as king allows for his influence on other characters in the play and therefore
satisfies a standard of the tragic hero.
As the title tragic hero implies, Creon must have a tragic flaw. Creon's hubris is his tragic flaw
that cements his position of the tragic hero of this play. That is Creon's pride and egotism in the
face of divine laws creates the tragedy in which innocent people are killed in this play. His demise
begins when he denies the divine right of burial to Polyneices and was only driven

Sophocles' Antigone Essay
Sophocles' play "Antigone" illustrates the conflict between obeying human and divine law. The
play opens after Oedipus' two sons Eteocles and Polyneices have killed each other in a civil war
for the throne of Thebes. Oedipus' brother in law Creon then assumes the throne. He dictates that
Eteocles shall receive a state funeral and honors, while Polyneices shall be left in the streets to rot
away. Creon believes that Polyneices' body shall be condemned to this because of his civil
disobedience and treachery against the city. Polyneices' sister,Antigone, upon hearing this exclaims
that an improper burial for Polyneices would be an insult to the Gods. She vows that Polyneices'
body will be buried, and Creon declares that anyone who...show more content...
Creon has no toleration for people who place personal beliefs over the common good. He believes
that government and law is the supreme authority, and civil disobedience is worst form of sin. The
problem with Creon's argument is he approaches He approaches every dilemma that requires
judgement through descriptive generalizations. In contrast to the morality defined by Aristotle in his
Nicomachaean Ethics, Creon shows that he is deaf to the knowledge of particulars––of place, time,
manner, and persons, which is essential for moral reasoning. In short, he does not effectively bring
together general principles and specific situations Creon does not acknowledge that emotion, and
perception are as critical to proper moral consideration as reason. This explains why he does not
respond accordingly with the reasoning of the guard, Tiresias the prophet, Antigone, her sister
Ismene, or even his own son Haemon. Throughout the whole play, Creon emphasizes the importance
of practical judgement over a sick, illogical mind, when in fact it is him who has the sick, illogical
mind. He too exhibits pride in his argument. To Antigone and most of the Athenians, possessing a
wise and logical mind means acknowledging human limitations and behaving piously towards the
gods. Humans must take a humble attitude towards fate and the power of the gods, yet Creon mocks
death throughout the play. He doest not learn his lesson until the end of the play when he speaks
respectfully of

Essay about Antigone
Antigone;
The Tragic Hero
Antigone is a classic work that never ceases to be analyzed by critics and students around the
world. The debate over who is the real tragic hero of Sophocles' play Antigone is a topic that is
heavily discussed. To this day there is still no agreement. Some people believe that Antigone is the
real tragic hero of this tragedy, while others believe that the hero is in fact her uncle, Creon. It is
logical to say that Antigone is the tragic hero of Antigone more so than Creon because she is a
likeable character, extracts pity from the audience, and her plight affects many.
To begin, Creon's character is less likeable to the audience. From his very first...show more content...
Secondly, Antigone does a good job at extracting pity from the audience. She appeals the sense of
emotion with heart felt dialogue. One of the most pitiful points in this play is when she makes
her last speech. She then looks back on what actually occurred. This is the first time that Antigone
actually realizes her own sorrow. Earlier on she is still blind to the fact that this is the end for her.
She will not get to have a life. She will not get to give life to someone else. "...see what I suffer,
and from whom, because I feared to cast away the fear of Heaven!" (Oates 291). Here she is
appealing to the gods. She is basically saying, "Look, I am suffering because I so longed to please
you (gods). The audience feels sorry for Antigone because she is the accused. Many will side with
the accused because their future is doomed. Not only does Antigone extract pity from the audience,
she extracts it from other characters in the play. Ismene has always been sympathetic of her plight
and shows this by trying to share the blame. The chorus is also sympathetic and so they try to
persuade Creon that punishing her may not be the best thing. Lastly, Creon is sympathetic toward
Antigone. When he first becomes aware that she is the culprit, he tries to give her a way out.
"...knewest thou that an edict had forbidden this?" (Oates 282) This line implies that if Antigone
denied knowing, she would have

Essay on Antigone
As the tragedy concludes, the chorus issues its final words: "Pray for no more at all. For what is
destined for us, men mortal, there is no escape," demonstrating how justice remains impartial to the
prejudice of men; those who make imprudent judgments will ultimately suffer from the
consequences of their actions. In Sophocles' Antigone, these prejudices notably surface in the form
of paternalism as demonstrated through Creon's government, highlighting the importance of gender
roles throughout the play. Therefore, analyzing the motif of gender roles and its effect on the
definition of justice through the perspectives of Ismene, Antigone, and Creon enables the audience
to understand how Sophocles' macroscopic analogy to humanity's...show more content...
Sophocles uses negative diction such as "murderous", "clamor", and "blood" to depict the chorus'
emotional trauma from the civil war as the civilians heavily depend on a strong leader to recover
their morale. Creon exploits the fear of his people as he "keeps his [intents to regain pride] under
lock and key," glamorizing his actions as endeavors to defend Thebes. Instead of considering the
people's interests, he seeks vengeance towards those who have wounded his pride. In fact, he
accuses Teiresias, the most insightful messenger in Sophocles' plays, of yielding to greed for
material wealth when Teiresias warns Creon of the consequences of his actions. Creon's decision "to
use any legal means...both about the dead and [living]" (168) demonstrates how his appetite for
revenge ultimately transforms any of his noble intents to protect Thebes into a mere conflict for
power, particularly worsened by Antigone's rebellious actions; instead of trusting the gods to punish
Polyneices, he uses his authority to indulge in his vengeance.
Within the play, Creon blatantly states: "We cannot give victory to a woman. If we must accept
defeat, let it be from a man; we must not let people say that a woman beat us" (187). While, in light
of the moral standards within Greek society, his rationale may have been

Essays On Antigone

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