Loyalties What would anyone do if respecting their family was illegal, with death as the punishment? This question is answered in the story of “Antigone” by Sophocles. While the discussion of several philosophical and ethical questions is exposed on this ancient play, other themes are as elemental. One of the biggest enigmas is that of how different the reactions of Antigone and her sister, Ismene, when forced to make a stand between the family ties and the country loyalties. This vital subject involves
Role Model but Not a Feminist She was forbidden to bury her own family member, but bravery got the best of her. Antigone had to deal with a man’s rule in the play ‘Antigone’. After Antigone’s brothers Etocles and Polyneices fought to their deaths, their uncle Creon had taken the title of being king. Creon said it was not allowed to bury Polyneices because, he saw him as a tryant for attacking thebes in order to take the crown from his brother Eteocles. Antigone on the other hand believed he deserved
Sophocles’ play Antigone provides the character of Creon who reflects traits that Pericles attributes to Athenian character. The overall character of Creon serves as an example of how there is a fine line between being a ruler and a tyrant and how certain traits in moderation are good for the city-state but should not be taken to excessive lengths. All of Creon’s traits could have been strengths if he had used them with a discerning judgment befitting what the situation might have called for but
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
to be more accepted as people of voice and power within society, having pride in situations of the heart and matter of their people or family. Sometimes these same attributes that were praised can be criticized by the society of their times due to actions that sabotaged their overall goals as powerful women in society. In the works of Sophocles and Virgil, Antigone and Dido are praised for their great qualities as strong and determined women. They are portrayed as women of virtue and strength, which
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
accepted it. Modern readers should read Greek literature to gain understanding about the role fate plays in the lives of the Greeks. Once the reader understands what fate is, they can decide whether or not they believe fate plays a role in their life. In ancient Greek literature, fate reveals the unavoidable outcome of events, but free will has the power to delay or rearrange the events. The literary classic, Antigone, by Sophocles, depicts fate as an unavoidable outcome of events that ends tragically
meeting their husbands every need. Although women had little to no rights in Ancient Greece, there were a couple rights they did have, which was the authority to bury their dead and the right to their own physical sexuality. In Sophocles’ tragedy Antigone, her right to bury her dead brother was taken away so she stood up for what she believed to be morally right and went on to bury her brother. Aristophanes comedy Lysistrata, shows that when Lysistrata wanted to bring an end to the Peloponnesian
Hero There's a certain fascination with fallen heroes. A character who was once considered to be good being brought down by a fatal flaw is something that always has an audience. Antigone, a play written by Sophocles around 441 BC, features a protagonist of the same name that has faced an injustice in their life. Antigone, the princess of Thebes, aims to bring justice to a deceased loved one, but in the end, her fatal flaws bring upon her own downfall, making her a textbook example of a tragic hero
Sophocles’ Antigone the Antigone is portrayed to the reader as a sort of radical character, unable to bend to the law set upon her by the King of Thebes. Though this may at first be believably seen as truth it is an over simplified version of what happened. She was forced to choose between breaking the laws set upon the people of Thebes and breaking Divine law. Antigone acted with reason weighing all of her options and assessing which would be a decision she could stand behind. Had Antigone been a man