In the story of Antigone, by Sophocles, Antigone’s uncle, King Creon, is a prideful, power-hungry, unyielding ruler who faces a serious dilemma, which becomes the central plot of the story. Antigone is sentenced to death for disobeying her uncle’s order to not honor the body of her deceased brother, who was killed while challenging her uncle’s reign as king. Despite the pleas of his followers and the advice of his counsel to show leniency to his niece, the unwavering ruler follows through with his
Sophocles introduces us to the feisty Antigone in his play of the same name. Her strong character challenges not only the tyrannical leadership of her king, Creon, but also the position that women were subjected to in ancient Athenian culture. Sophocles is able to place his female protagonist in this unique position by giving her character a heightened masculinity. While Antigone voices that her prerogative is to bury her brother in accordance with the laws of the gods, I will be arguing that her
for what you believe in or do you show respect to those who rule over you. Antigone is an extremely hard headed, stubborn woman that fears no one above her and will stop at nothing to accomplish what she believes is right. Ismene, on the other hand, is quite the opposite. She believes that you should respect the people over you whether you like their ruling or not and if you have to break the law then do so quietly. Antigone has decided to go against the law of the king and burry her bother, for most
the almighty power of Mankind, our intelligence, our ability to accomplish anything, and how we “weave” the laws of society and gods to rise to greatness. This ode reveals to us that the Chorus supports Creon, yet are also unaware the disillusion Antigone is soon to bring them. Polynices, Creon’s nephew, not long ago abandoned his own people, attempting to overthrow them. Polynices is a man who disgraced and insulted his city, and in Creons’ opinion, deserves no sacred burial. The Chorus, agreeing
Originally published in 441 B.C., the play Antigone by Sophocles is one of the best known tragedies in literature. Antigone is a tale about a girl, named Antigone, that is faced with deciding between societal law or the law of the gods. She breaks societal law in reverence for the law of the gods. This illegal activity of burying her brother,Polyneices, causes the king, Creon, to order for her death. Creon’s son, Haimon, ends up falling in love with Antigone. When Antigone dies Haimon commits suicide, which
In Antigone, written by Sophocles is a play about two brothers who kill each other and one, Eteocles, would be buried as a hero to the city of Thebes and the other, Polynices, will not be buried because he was considered a traitor. One sister of Eteocles and Polynices, Antigone, has to choose between God’s rule or the king, Creon’s rule. Antigone decides to go against her uncle, the king Creon, and bury Polynices because she believes that religion and family is greater than government. Throughout
argument in support of Antigone, Creon stubbornly refuses to listen to his side. “It seems as if this boy is fighting on the woman’s side.” (Lines 843-845) Says Creon while arguing with his son Haemon. “Am I to rule this land at someone else’s whim or by myself?” (Lines 840-841) Creon questioning to Haemon.. Creon’s character is developed as a tragic hero when Haemon says something to enrage and anger Creon. We see evidence from the text when Haemon starts to side with Antigone and disobeys his father
characters, King Creon and Antigone are in Sophocles' play, "Antigone," and they both possess hamartias. Antigone is an adolescent woman who is fighting the urge to do what is right even though it might cost her life. Her brother, Polyneices, rebelled against Thebes, which would result in the penalty of death. Antigone's brother perished, and she wanted to bury him, and give him a ceremony. King Creon is the king of Thebes, who denied Antigone's desire to bury her brother. Antigone was engaged to King Creon's
Antigone Essay “There are perhaps many causes worth dying for, but to me certainly there are none with killing for”, Albert Dietrich. Many people who have read Antigone by Sophocles would say Antigone’s tragic death was for a respectable cause. Antigone is determined to do what she believes is right resulting in her downfall. Three reasons why Antigone caused her own downfall is her protection on personal dignity, observance to religious laws, and her loyalty and obligation to family.
author Hipponax who lived in the fifth century BC expressed this opinion about women. In the Greek play Antigone, written by Sophocles in 441 BC, the daughter of Oedipus, the king of Thebes, Antigone, is condemned by King Creon, for illegally performing a proper burial for her deceased brother, Polyneices, whose body has been left in the battlefield, without the help of even her sister, Ismene. Antigone tries to fulfill the law of the god’s, by breaking the law of men, and ends up killing herself after