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Suffering in Antigone

2006-02-07T18:57:33-05:00

Nothing of magnitude comes into the life of mortals without suffering and disaster.” This deeply pessimistic statement by Charles Segal sums up the theme of tragedy in “Antigone”. This play is truly the example that “nothing comes into the life of mortals without suffering and disaster”; there are many significant events occurring, none of which stem from prosperity or success. All of the characters are affected by these tragic events, because agony, adversity, and distress are conditions of humanity. It is evident that the characters of “Antigone” have accepted the facts in the quote as made by Charles Segal. Many important events took place in the play: the burial and law to illegalize burial of two brothers, the death of Antigone, implied death of Ismene and Haemon, and the death of Eurydice. These tragic events also led to the change of perspective on behalf of Creon. Obviously, his sizable change and realizations could not have been attained without all of this disaster. At the end, it can be assumed that Creon will change his hurtful ways, as he says, “That have unwittingly killed my son, my wife. I know not where I should turn, where look for help. My hands have done amiss, my head is bowed with fate too heavy for me” (162). Creon has realized the error of his ways, affected only by the extreme tragedy that he had caused within his family. If there had not been the suffering and disaster, Creon never would have changed. The main character, Antigone seems to cause much of the action and reaction of this play. She decides to bury her brother Polynices because she has accepted her fate. She realizes that this burial is very important to her, and that if she wishes to bury him and also effect change in others, she must suffer and ultimately die for her cause. As Creon states that he wishes to kill her, Antigone states, “Why then delay? There is nothing more that you can say that I should wish to hear, as nothing I say can weigh you. I have given my brother burial. What greater could I wish?”(139). Here, she have come to terms with the fact the Creon will not change his mind and that she must die in order to uphold the honor of her beliefs. Her great decision to do as she believes is right not only affected her future

Absolute power struggle

2002-08-17T14:00:00-04:00

In the story Antigone, the King of Thebes, Creon, showed that too much power will corrupt anyone. As Creon became the one with total control, his character, judgment, and his principals deteriorated. Antigone was written by Sophocles. He did an excellent job of showing how absolute power will corrupt absolutely. Using Creon's utmost authority, Sophocles told of how everything he once stood for had crumbled. Antigone begins by telling of a Theban royal family which is in much turmoil. There are many characters focused upon in Antigone, but only a few are worth mentioning. Antigone starts with Antigone (niece of Creon) and her sister Ismene talking about how their father Oedipus died, and because of his death, the family undertook some very hard times. Their brothers Eteocles and Polynices have just died in a fight against each other; Eteocles, fighting for the city; Polynices, fighting against the city and crowned the supposed 'traitor'. When the two died Eteocles, because he fought for the city, was given full burial rites, while Polynices was given absolutely no burial rites of any kind because he was a traitor. Creon decreed his burial forbidden along with any mourning throughout the city. Because of the deaths of Eteocles and Polynices, Creon took his rightful seat in the throne. He insisted that the body of Polynices lay to rot for the entire city to see as a punishment to Polynices and example to all those who dare fight against Thebes. Antigone, being his sister, could not stand to see this happen. She did her best to cover her brother’s body, but got caught while doing so. She then was brought before her uncle the king. She denied nothing, and was proud to admit to the crime, stating, 'Yes, because I did not believe that Zeus was the one who proclaimed it; neither did Justice, or the gods of the dead whom Justice lives among. The laws they have made for men are well marked out. I didn't suppose your decree had strength enough, or you, who are human, to violate the lawful traditions the gods have not written merely, but made infallible.' (550-558). Her stubborn uncle insisted that she pay the price for her crime, a crime which was to be punishable by death. He took her to a rocky vault and walled her inside where she was to die for her crime. When Creon got back,

Antigone - Selfish

2002-05-19T14:00:00-04:00

Through the many centuries and numerous civilizations, men have clearly taken the role as dominator. For many generations of men, their names and property pass down to an eligible male member of the family. Those men that favor these hierarchical systems are Patriarchies. Patriarchy refers to a social situation where men are dominant over women in wealth, status and power. Antigone, a Greek tragedy by Sophocles, is a classic example of patriarchy. The drama tells of how a daughter of Oedipus, Antigone, rebels against the civil law of a single man, Creon. Every word and action Antigone makes affects the system of patriarchy. In the tragedy, Antigone egoistically violates Creon’s law, causing her own disrepute downfall. In the beginning Scene, Antigone relates her plans of burying her brother, Polyneices, to her sister. No person was to bury Polyneices for the penalty was a public stoning to death. Ismene, Antigone’s sister, pleads Antigone to refrain from her he plans for they were only women. When Antigone declines her sister’s begging, Ismene claims that she will keep it secret. However, Antigone unkindly informs Ismene that she wants Ismene to tell, “Oh tell it! Tell everyone! Think how they’ll hate you when it comes out…” (1024). Because of Ismene’s refusal to help, Antigone unfairly turns against her own sister. Antigone thought only of her own desires. Antigone’s cruelty sealed Ismene’s fate the moment that she told her. After giving Polyneices a decent burial, Antigone was caught and taken to see Creon. Creon was surprised that a women, let alone Antigone, would break his decree. Creon and Antigone argue back and forth about who is vindicated. Antigone stubbornly would not give into Creon’s reasoning. She was so derogatory, she thought she thought she should be honored, “I should have praise and honor for what I have done. All these men here would praise me…” (1036) Antigone foolishly believed that she could gain the support of the people, but as Antigone herself said, the people were too afraid of the law. Antigone believed she was above the law of man, when the law of man states that she was below them. Antigone was too sure that she would win over the law, but then her plan failed her. Creon sentenced Antigone to imprisonment, to live alone until starvation eventually kill her. After all that Antigone argued for, she contradicted her actions by pleading to be set free.

Antigone: Creon’s Flaws

2002-03-28T13:00:00-04:00

In the play Antigone I choose Creon to be the tragic hero because he is the King of Thebes and he looses everything he has. Creon being King makes the audience believe that something like that can happen to the King then what can happen to us. Antigone the niece of Creon, The sister of Polyneices was punished by Creon for burying Polyneces after his death, Creon has forbidden anybody to do so. Once Creon punished Antigone the blind prophet Teiresias told him that the Gods will take revenge for his actions, then Creon tried to change everything but he is too late. Creon’s tragic flaws were his stubbornness, the abuse of power and the actions he took to cause the downfall of the Thebes. Creon showed his stubbornness by not wanting to be proved wrong because of pride. When the Choragos tried to tell Creon that he made a mistake by telling that nobody can burry the body of Polyneices. Creon did not want to listen to the people of Thebes who tried to tell him that Antigone did the right thing, but of fear to Creon the could not really say anything. Creon thought by making an example of Antigone’s execution, everybody would get scared and won’t try to brake his laws. It actually worked for a while. Creon abused his power by thinking that he can change or brake the laws of the Gods and not allowing other people to brake his laws. He did not want to burry Polyneices’ body, but one of the God’s law is that every human deserves to be buried after death not depending what that certain person did in his lifetime. Creon caused fear among his people by making a public announcement that nobody is allowed to burry Polyneices. He said that the state of Thebes consists of only him, and that there are no other laws then his. According to the play the major actions that Creon took to cause the downfall of Thebes are that he did not want to burry Polyneices nor did allow any body to do it. Creon broke the burial law of the Gods and punished Antigone for following their laws. The people of Thebes knew that Creon made a mistake but still were too afraid to speak up. Antigone thought that she should get honored for that what she did, but Creon did not think that way. The

Antigone - Importance of gender in the opening scene

2001-12-12T13:00:00-05:00

In looking at the first few exchanges between Ismene and Antigone by Sophocles, it is greatly apparent that there are plenty of social issues surrounding women from ancient Greece. In looking at the contextual background of the playwright, the representation of the women within the play and at the imagined response of a contemporary and ancient audience; we can see that this play raises many gender and socially related issues. Looking briefly at the contextual element to the play in terms of the playwright, it is worth considering that Sophocles himself was a political writer. He was elected by lot to become one of nine generals to command during an ancient skirmish. This took place the same year he wrote the play 'Antigone'. His fame for writing this play propelled him into fame among his peers and fellow citizens. Even within the play itself we can see that there is a political effort. This comes directly from the protagonist King Creon. He wants to rule fairly but firmly. His power as, not only a King, but as a human being come into focus to an audience as he must decided whether or not to go against his heart by killing his niece for disobeying a law he laid down. This is also a law he could quite simply change, but he doesn't. This would directly give any audience the notion that the ideal ruler is someone who can put the matters of their heart to one side and put the greater good of the people first. When we meet the characters in the first scene, it is important to note what they actually say about each other and their knowledge of their own social status. When we meet Antigone, she is the first character to speak. The audience later learns that she is the antagonist of the play as she rebels against the protagonist, Creon. It is also worth noting that there is a similarity between the name of the heroine Antigone and the term antagonist. This gives the audience, especially of ancient Greece the feeling that Antigone has been fated to be the antagonist and to die for it in a tragic manner. Her sister Ismene who is the second character the audience will meet initially describes Antigone. "You seem so dark and grim" (25) says Ismene of her sister. This tells us that the mood of the other character is somber;

Sophocles vs. Euripides

2001-11-07T13:00:00-05:00

While both Sophocles and Euripides are considered writers of Greek tragedy, their plays (Antigone, Oedipus Rex, Medea) have some subtle and some profound differences. In both Antigone and Oedipus Rex, the ‘tragic heroes’ suffer from a major character flaw- hubris.

Tragic Hero

2001-10-07T14:00:00-04:00

Aristotle described a tragic hero as being a person who, through a flaw, in their own character, is brought from a high position and learns to “see the light” before their own destruction. In the Theban play. ‘King Oedipus’, Oedipus is considered to be a tragic hero after his mother and father try to cheat fate, then later when Oedipus discovered his own fate, he tried to cheat his fate also only in truth ending up where destiny had planned. Another Theban play, ‘Antigone’, also written by Sophocles includes Oedipus’ daughter, Antigone, as the tragic hero when she dies for what she believes in. When Laius and Jocasta discovered the fate of their unborn child, Oedipus, was to kill his father and marry his mother, Laius and Jocasta tried to cheat fate. By placing Oedipus on a hill and inserting a spike into his foot and through the ground Jocasta and Laius had hoped to kill their child, and cheat their fate. However, a shepherd man discovered this neglected child he brought him to the home of a king who was trying to conceive children without any success. This king took Oedipus into his family never telling him about his tragic past. After Oedipus grew up knowing only of one family he too tried to cheat his fate. Oedipus had learned by means of a prophet that his fate was to kill his father and marry his mother, so he left the town in which he had lived his whole life, and traveled to Thebes. On the way to Thebes, Oedipus had killed a man and saved the town by solving the riddle of the Sphinx. (The Sphinx was an awful sea monster who would eat everyone crossing his way who would not correctly answer his riddle.) Upon arriving in Thebes the town praised him and the Queen, Jocasta, married hi. Unaware of what had happened and his fate coming true without his own realization was Oedipus’ downfall. Prior to realizing what he had done, Oedipus promised Jocasta that he would kill the man who had killed her husband. When Oedipus recognized that he had been the one who had killed Laius, he took a knife to his eyes leaving himself blind, as to symbolize himself not seeing his own doom coming true. Oedipus himself exclaimed, “Cone, feel you brother’s hands. It was their work that darkened these clear eyes –

The Tragic Hero in Antigone

2001-08-11T14:00:00-04:00

Antigone is a Greek tragic piece that stresses the use of power and morality versus the law written by Sophocles. Both Antigone and Creon, the main characters in the play, could represent the tragic hero. A tragic hero is a character who is known for being dignified and has a flaw that assists to his or her downfall. In my opinion, Creon best qualifies for being the tragic hero and fitting the definition read in the previous sentence. The things he said, did, and the comments that were made by those around him show how a man with everything could lose it all due to his own behavior. To open, the things he said showed how he changed and became the tragic hero of the play. Many of his statements reveal his personality including his admirable parts and his flaws. When Creon says: “I call to God to witness that if I saw my country headed for ruin, I should not be afraid to speak out plainly,” (Sophocles, scene 1,24-26), it shows his strong sense of nationalism and leadership which catches up with him in the end. “The inflexible heart breaks first, the toughest iron cracks first, and the wildest horses bend their necks at the pull of the smallest curb” (scene 2,76-79) is what Creon says to Antigone after finding out she is the one who buried Polynieces. He thinks that if Antigone wasn’t so headstrong and arrogant then she could have avoided the consequence he was about to give her. I think Creon was being a hypocrite because he is just as stubborn as she is. The reason why Creon and Antigone come in to so much conflict is because their ways of thinking are almost exactly alike. “It is hard to deny the heart! But I will do it: I will not fight with destiny” (scene 5, 100), is a statement that shows Creon detecting his fault and how he needs to correct it. After talking to Teiresias, the blind prophet, he realizes in order for the higher powers to forgive him he needs to release Antigone. “Fate has brought all my pride to a thought of dust” (exodos, 138). Creon recognizes his flaw and its consequences but it is too late because fate has already occurred. Moreover, many people say that actions speak louder than words. In scene 2 line 164, Creon orders the guards to take Antigone

Sisters

2001-08-06T14:00:00-04:00

Two sisters destined to love each other, but conflict interrupts their paths. The first’s journey is one of self-exploration and discovery; the other’s of continual oppression and hardships. Ismene and Antigone are the troubled sisters whose decisions take them on different courses, but these same choices also brought them together. Even though their actions show differently, Antigone and Ismene’s morals and philosophies show that they are true sisters at heart. Antigone shows the attribute of boldness. She is constantly going her own direction. She is a leader, not a follower. “Ismene: What? You’d bury him when a law forbids the city? Antigone: Yes! He is my brother and- deny it as you will- your brother too.”(61). This is where Antigone’s boldness begins to surface. She is expressing her disagreement with King Creon’s law. This is extremely daring of her to do because she is defying the law of the land. On the other hand, Ismene displays the quality of being a coward. She says, “Remember, we are women, we’re not born to contend with men.”(62). On the contrary to what Ismene’s brain tells her to do, her heart is screaming to go and bury her brother, and defy Creon’s dishonorable law. It is not until the middle to end of the play that Ismene’s true self emerges and she agrees with Antigone. This is just one of the ways Antigone and Ismene are the same at heart, but take different paths to get to their real inner person. Another outstanding attribute of Antigone is her cleverness. “Antigone: Dear god, shout it from the rooftops. I’ll hate you all the more for silence- tell the world.”(64). This is in response to Ismene’s promise to keep Antigone’s burying of her brother a secret. Antigone’s cleverness appears here because she found a way to publicly defy Creon and tell others how unjust he really is. Likewise, Ismene is intelligent and comes quick to understanding. In reply to Antigone’s above statement she says, “Then go if you must, but rest assured, wild, irrational as you are, my sister, you are truly dear to the ones who love you.”(64). Even though Ismene at this moment disagrees with her sister’s action, she wittily understood Antigone’s notion to want to collectively show her defiance of Creon. These to personalities of Antigone and Ismene also show their similarities in their philosophies. Antigone and Ismene are both loyal in their own

Antigone - Pride and Conflict of Law

2001-05-18T14:00:00-04:00

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 of God. Knowing and comprehending the consequences of defying Creon’s ruling do not restrain the intensity of Antigone’s self will, yet it feeds her hunger to achieve her principles. Losing sight of her future, Antigone allows her stubbornness to consume her life, taking with it, the prospect of marriage, motherhood and friendship. As the story continues, we find that Antigone focuses more on the need to establish her human ethics in spite of Creon, rather than proving the incorrectness of man defying god’s laws. Following the unlawful burial of Polynices, Antigone openly admits to Creon the knowledge of the following punishment by carrying out such a defying act. “I knew it naturally, It was plain enough.” Antigone pg.138. With the intention of gratifying the laws of the gods, Antigone holds neither guilt nor regret as she feels that she has brought justice to the eternal rest of her brother. Antigone rejects her life in a deeply heroic yet tragic

Creon: A monarch within his rights

2000-12-01T13:00:00-05:00

Defending Creon: a monarch within his rights to rule In Antigone, especially with the feminist movement now holding the title character, as prototypical downtrodden woman, the king Creon is often villified. While accepting the fact that Creon has misogynist tendencies, the gender issues can cause the pure argument of validity of actions, to fall by the wayside. So supposing for a moment, that Antigone's rebellion had been undertaken by a male, would Creon's choices have been different. Did he choose such harsh punishment and intractable course because Antigone was a woman ? As I read him, this is not the case. He has made a value judgement as to who is traitor and who is worthy. He has made a secondary judgement as to the rights of traitors, and the need of the people to know the consequences of traitorous acts. While one may disagree, with the value judgements he has made, as king he is well within his rights, indeed his obligation, to rule according to what he believes best at the time. Outcomes are not always the best vantage point from which to judge a man. Creon did not have the advantage the reader has of seeing final outcomes, indeed we must remember these outcomes were contrived by Sophocles, to illustrate his point of view. Is it not conceivable that in real life, these outcomes are far from assured, indeed a bit preposterous ? So then to summarize, Creon simply made his best decision, and that decision was with in his right to rule as the recognized sovereign. On the surface, Antigone is the classic tragic hero, it is she that Sophocles wants us to be drawn to. It is Creon against who he stacks the cards. A writer's value judgement, nothing more. So then, once more assuming Antigone is a male instead, are her or his actions noble or foolhardy, and irresponsible. While on the surface it appears noble to risk death for a principle, is it really ? Aren't relationships more important than principles ? Much is made of Creon sentencing his own son's fiance to death, did she not by her foolhardy, kneejerk reaction sentence herself. Where is her consideration for her husband to be ? And her sister, who has lost so much, and now clings to her so desparately, is rebuffed and dismissed as not worthy of the glorious Antigone. Her actions seem motivated as

Antigone: Gender Issues

2000-10-26T14:00:00-04:00

One of the most devastating problems for the Classical Greeks was the women's issue. Women in Classical Greece were not citizens, held no property, and indeed were not even allowed out of the house except under guard. Their status differed from that of the slaves of Greece only in name. This alone, however was not a problem -- the problem was that the Greeks knew, in their hearts, that this was wrong. Indeed, their playwrights harangued them about it from the stage of Athens continually. All of the great Grecian playwrights -- Sophocles, Euripedes, Aristophenes -- dealt with the women's issue. All of them argued, in their various ways, that the women of Greece were not nearly as incapable and weak as the culture believed them to be. All of them created female characters of strength and intelligence. But in "Antigone," the discussion reached its peak. Antigone herself, as she stands upon the Grecian stage, represents the highest ideals of human life -- courage and resp! ect for the gods. A woman, she is nevertheless the exemplum for her society. But how are we to know this? Does the author let the audience know that it is Antigone herself, not Creon, the "noble-eyed imperator" (453), who is to be believed? It is almost inconceivable that the audience would be meant to ignore Creon's apparently skillful arguments, for he appears to represent all that the Athenian should strive for. He stands for obedience to the State. Surely it is his voice we should obey. Sophocles does let us know where the truth lies, and he does this, amazingly, partly through his characterization of Creon. Though Creon seemingly says intelligent things, there are clues that he is not to be trusted. One would be his discussion of incest with Ismene. Torn between her duty to God and her duty to the State, Ismene, in the third act, has run to Creon, planning to tell him of Antigone's actions in the graveyard: "O, not for me the dusty hair of youth, / But let us now unto the palace go" (465), she cries. But Creon, ignoring the supposedly important information she has to tell -- he has, after all, emptied the Theban coffers, spending money on his advanced spy network in search of the miscreant

Empathy for Characters in Sophocle's Antigone

2000-08-09T14:00:00-04:00

Sophocle's tragic play Antigone, written in 441 BC, is a theatrical piece of drama in which an audience is compelled to empathize with its character's. When empathizing with characters in Antigone the audience can, in imaginative and cognitive ways, participate in the understanding of a character's feelings, ideas as well as their situations. Antigone, Creon and Ismene all struggle with decisions that concern the laws of their city and the cosmic law of religion and moral judgement. Characters such as Haemon and Eurydice ultimately show the consequences of the decision formed by the two protagonists. Amongst the audience, empathy is created for both; characters faced with agonizing decisions and characters inflicted with tormenting consequences. The levels of empathy felt for each character changes as the story develops and as different qualities are revealed about each character. The amount of empathy felt for a character effects not only the reading of that character but also the meaning of the play. The first scene of the play involves Antigone asking her sister to go against the laws of the state to help her give the proper burial rites to their brother Polynices. In the first scene there is an immediate sense of empathy felt towards Antigone as she express her feelings of misfortune to Ismene. 'My own flesh and blood - dear sister, dear Ismene, how many griefs our father Oedipus handed down! Do you know one, I ask you, one grief that Zeus will not perfect for the two of us… (p59) By introducing Antigone to the audience as the daughter of the Oedipus the empathy felt toward the tragic hero Oedipus is somewhat inherited by Antigone. The audience reflects on the hardships that the incestuous family of Oedipus have already endured and realizes that the wretched fate of Oedipus is still bringing grief in to Antigone's life. This immediately gives the audience an insight into Antiogne's personal feelings and gives the audience the opportunity to feel empathy for the pain that plagues her life simply because she was born as the daughter of an ill-fated man. Because the audience has been put into a position where they feel empathy for Antigone her character is read with a sympathetic understanding, allowing any of her actions to be considered rational in her situation. Despite the immediate empathy felt toward Antigone because of the connection between herself and Oedipus, the audience is obliged to feel empathy for Antigone because her

Antigone

2000-05-11T14:00:00-04:00

In our society today, movies and television shows are being

How the Choices of the Characters Affected Each Other

1999-12-13T13:00:00-05:00

In everyday life, the outcome of your day can be altered by the simplest or most complicating choices. Antigone's decision to bury her brother, Creon's choice to sentence Antigone to death, and again Antigone's choice to end her life were important decisions that other characters based their conclusions around. The choices of the characters in Antigone change the outcome of the play

Antigone

1999-11-18T13:00:00-05:00

Antigone did the right thing by defileing Creon's strict orders on burying Polynices because the unalterable laws of the gods and our morals are higher than the blasphemous laws of man. Creon gave strict orders not to bury Polynices because he lead a rebellion, which turned to rout, in Thebes against Creon, their omnipotent king. Antigone could not bare to watch her brother become consumed by vultures' talons and dogs. Creon finds out that somebody buried Polynices' body and sent people out to get the person who preformed the burial. Antigone is guilty and although she is to be wed to Creon's son, Haemon. He sentences her to be put in a cave with food and water and let the gods decide what to do with her. He was warned by a blind profit not to do this, but he chooses to anyway, leaving him with a dead son, a dead wife, and self-imposed exile. Antigone had good reasons for her actions. She did obey the rules of her gods, which were that any dead body must be given a proper burial, with libatations. This would prevent the soul from being lost between worlds forever, along with wine as an offering to the gods (page 518- side note). Nor could Antigone let Creon's edicts go against her morals (lines 392-394). She chooses to share her love, not her hate (line 443). She couldn't bare to see one family member be chosen over the other because of what a king had decided was right, which she contravened. Why condemn somebody who stood up for what they believed in and is now dead for it anyway? Bringing homage to the family was very important to Antigone (line 422-423). The gods' laws come before mortal laws in Antigone's point-of-view, which is how I believe also. In death, you will answer to your god and no man will have control of your fate in the world that lies hereafter. Therefore by obeying the gods, hopefully, will result in a happy afterlife, which are what most people strive for in ancient times and now. If man does not honor you for noble efforts, your gods' will. Antigone's act was honorable. She stood up to the highest of powers so she could honor her brother, knowing the consequence would be death. Most likely she figured there is only a certain amount man can do to you, so

Antigone

1999-11-18T13:00:00-05:00

The debate over who is the tragic hero in Antigone continue on to this day. The belief that Antigone is the hero is a strong one. There are many critics who believe, however, that Creon, the Ruler of Thebes, is the true protagonist. I have made my own judgments also, based on what I have researched of this work by Sophocles. Antigone is widely thought of as the tragic hero of the play bearing her name. She would seem to fit the part in light of the fact that she dies in doing what is right. She buries her brother without worrying what might happen to her. She "Takes into consideration death and the reality that may be beyond death" (Hathorn 59). Those who do believe that Antigone was meant to be the true tragic hero argue against others who believe that Creon deserves that honor. They say that the Gods were against Creon, and that he did not truly love his country. "His patriotism is to narrow and negative and his conception of justice is too exclusive... to be dignified by the name of love for the state" (Hathorn 59). These arguments, and many others, make many people believe the Antigone is the rightful protagonist. Many critics argue that Creon is the tragic hero of Antigone. They say that his noble quality is his caring for Antigone and Ismene when thier father was persecuted. Those who stand behind Creon also argue that Antigone never had a true epiphany, a key element in being a tragic hero. Creon, on the other hand, realized his mistake when Teiresias made his prophecy. He is forced to live, knowing that three people are dead because of his ignorance, which is a punishment worse than death. My opinion on this debate is that Antigone is the tragic hero. She tries to help her brother without worrying about what will happen to her. She says, "I intend to give my brother burial. I'll be glad to die in the attempt, -if it's a crime, then it's a crime that God commands" (Sophocles 4). She was also punished for doing what was right. Her epiphany came, hidden from the audience, before she hung herself. Creon's "nobleness" of taking in young Antigone and Ismene is overshadowed by his egotistical nature. He will not allow justice to come about simply because he wants to protect his image. He says, "If she

Antigone

1999-11-18T13:00:00-05:00

This poem is quite successful in getting the plot across to the reader. Unfortunatly, that is all he can get across because of his beleif that, "inside every fat book is a skinny book trying to get out." Sargoff cannot have character descriptions, themes, or any real detail in his "skinny book" because of his beleifs. Sargoff leaves off why Polynices should not be burried and why his brother, who is not even menchoned, can be burried. This is important to building the feelings of contempt towards Creon and an understanding of what Antigone is doing. Also, because this is a "Humorous Distillation," the tone of the play is lost. Instead of being a dramatic play about obeying a higher law, it is a comical, rhyming poem about what happened. This may cause it to lose the impact it had. Sargoff reduces important and pivotal points in the story to a sentence such as, "Creon wilts, and tries to bang a U-ee." This sentence does not tell of Creon's attempt to repent for what he has done by burrying Polynices and then going to free Antigone. Even if Sargoff gets all of the plot across, that is not enough to tell the whole story. Aristotelian Unities Yes, Antigone does follow the Aristotelian Unities. The play occurs in the same place and roughly the same time. Things that happened before the play or outside of the place, was told by a messenger or a character themself. The action was all centered around Antigone's actions. Her actions were the sole cause of everything that happened. Greek Tragedy Antigone does follow the Greek definition of tragedy. Tragedy is a story or play that has a signifigant conflict of morals, with a noble protagonist displaying a tragic flaw that is their strength but leads to their downfall. The exposition of the story is when Antigone is talking with her sister and we learn of what has happened. The turning point of this play is when Creon tries to mend his wrongs by burying Polynices and freeing Antigone. Antigone herself is the tragic hero because she dies for what she believes morally right. Antigone's tragic flaw is that she has only sees her point of view which leads to her death. The denouement of this story is everybody dying and then Creon realizing what he has caused. The song of the story is attenden to throuhg the chorus'

Theme in Antigone

1999-10-25T14:00:00-04:00

Antigone, by Sophocles, is a play that has three major themes. All three of these themes play a very important part in this play. The three major themes are fate, love, and pride. Oedipus had killed his father, king of Thebes, not knowing it was his father and then took over Thebes. He married Iocaste, queen of Thebes (his mother), and had four children; one was a girl named Antigone. When Oedipus had figured out who he was and what he had done he moved away and cut out his eyes. Iocaste's cousin, Creon, had taken over as king of Thebes. He had made Oedipus' two sons, Eteocles and Polyneices, enemies of each other and they killed each other. Creon denied Polyneices proper burial because he was an enemy and that where this play begins.Fate is what had gotten the family of Oedipus where we begin this play. Fate is why Oedipus had killed his father, marry his mother, and then find out all about it. Fate then tortured Oedipus and he cut out his eyes. Fate had made Creon new king of Thebes and then have Oedipus' sons kill each other. Antigone's fate was to die trying to honor her dead brother and be loyal her family. In the first paragraph of the play it reads, "My darling sister Ismene, we have had a fine inheritance from Oedipus. God has gone through the whole range of sufferings and piled them all on us, -grief upon grief, humiliation upon humiliation". This tells just how bad fate had treated the family of Oedipus. Creon's fate though was to lose all of his family and live the rest of his life knowing it was his entire fault. In the end of the play Creon says, " Nobody else to share the blame. Just me... I killed you. I killed you my dear.Love is what had gotten Antigone in this problem. Her love for her brother was so great that she sacrificed her life for the respect that his deserved. Haemon's love for Antigone had made him kill himself when he found her dead body. Creon's wife's love for Haemon had made her kill herself when she found out Haemon had killed himself. In the end because of all this Creon was the one that was denied love.Pride is what had gotten Creon in the mess that he was in. His pride was

Antigone: Divine Law vs. Human Law

1999-09-26T14:00:00-04:00

The play entitled Antigone was written by a man named Sophocles, a scholarly author of philosophy and logic. The play Antigone is probably one of the most prominent interpretations of a tragic drama. The two main characters of the play are Antigone and Creon. There is much conflict between Antigone and Creon throughout the play, both of them having their own ideas and opinions regarding divine law versus human law. The theme that I am going to analyze is the conflict of divine law vs. human law. The reason for this is because this theme seems to control the whole play. It is an issue of which law is the "right" law, and if Creon's and Antigone's acts were justifiable. The play Antigone can be summarized by the following: King Creon lets it be known that Polyneices the traitor is not to be buried, but his sister Antigone defies the order because of the values she holds. She is caught, and sentenced by Creon to be buried alive - even though she is to be married to his son Haemon. After the blind prophet Tiresias proves that the gods are on Antigone's side, Creon changes his mind - but too late. He goes first to bury Polyneices, but Antigone has already hanged herself. When Creon arrives at the tomb, Haemon attacks him and then kills himself. When the news of their death is reported, Creon's wife Eurydice takes her own life. Creon ends up being all alone due to the fact that his family members took their own lives. Creon blames himself for all of these tragedies occurring, mainly because it was his wrong doings that caused them. The concept of divine law can be described as the law of God. Divine law involves morals and beliefs that are presented by God. Charles Segal describes the idea of divine law as being the "unwritten laws of the Gods" (Sophocles 64). This type of law is most likely in effect when the idea of morals are apparent, such as when a moral decision must be made. This type of decision would probably be considered right or wrong. Divine law is not only in decisions, but also in the everyday actions of people. Things that are morally "right" are in accordance with the law of God, while things that are morally "wrong" tend to be actions that go against the law of God. Divine

The True Tragic Hero in Sophocles' Antigone

1999-09-13T14:00:00-04:00

In Master Sophocles' Antigone, the question of who the tragic hero really is has been a subject of debate for a great number years. Creon does possess some of the qualities that constitute a tragic hero but unfortunately does not completely fit into the role. Antigone, however, possesses all the aspects of a tragic hero. These are, in no particular order, having a high social position, not being overly good or bad, being tenacious in their actions, arousing pity in the audience, a revelatory manifestation, and having a single flaw that brings about their own demise and the demise of others around them. Antigone possesses all of these traits therefore qualifying as the tragic hero. The first qualifying aspect is that Antigone is of a high social standing in Thebes. Creon himself refers to her as a princess though she is technically no longer one. Because of her high standing she is capable of great suffering, in that she has a lot of fame and regard to lose. Those who say Creon is the tragic hero state say that Antigone is no longer in a high position in the society, therefore does not qualify on that account. If the character had needed to be in a high political position this would be true, but they need only have a great deal to lose in their downfall. Although she may no longer hold political power Antigone is still a powerful figure in Thebes, since she was to be married to Creon's son Haemon and the whole city seemed to know how tragic her life had become. Antigone and Creon would qualify as the tragic hero if the only requirement was not being overly good or bad. Creon shows his negative side when he refuses to bury Polyneices and when he speaks to the sentry. His positive side is shown in his obvious affection for Antigone and Ismene, whom he has attempted to raise since their fathers death. Antigone's ungodly side is shown by her incestuous behavior with her brother Polyneices. Her positive side is shown by the way the she insists on respecting his right to be buried in the religious tradition of Greece so that his soul may live on in the afterlife. Another aspect of a tragic hero is an unwavering course of action, most likely caused by their flaw, that brings about their demise and the demise of those around them.

Gender Issues in Antigone

1999-07-06T14:00:00-04:00

One of the most devastating problems for the Classical Greeks was the women's issue. Women in Classical Greece were not citizens, held no property, and indeed were not even allowed out of the house except under guard. Their status differed from that of the slaves of Greece only in name. This alone, however was not a problem -- the problem was that the Greeks knew, in their hearts, that this was wrong. Indeed, their playwrights harangued them about it from the stage of Athens continually. All of the great Grecian playwrights -- Sophocles, Euripedes, Aristophenes -- dealt with the women's issue. All of them argued, in their various ways, that the women of Greece were not nearly as incapable and weak as the culture believed them to be. All of them created female characters of strength and intelligence. But in "Antigone," the discussion reached its peak. Antigone herself, as she stands upon the Grecian stage, represents the highest ideals of human life -- courage and respect for the gods. A woman, she is nevertheless the exemplum for her society. But how are we to know this? Does the author let the audience know that it is Antigone herself, not Creon, the "noble-eyed imperator" (453), who is to be believed? It is almost inconceivable that the audience would be meant to ignore Creon's apparently skillful arguments, for he appears to represent all that the Athenian should strive for. He stands for obedience to the State. Surely it is his voice we should obey. Sophocles does let us know where the truth lies, and he does this, amazingly, partly through his characterization of Creon. Though Creon seemingly says intelligent things, there are clues that he is not to be trusted. One would be his discussion of incest with Ismene. Torn between her duty to God and her duty to the State, Ismene, in the third act, has run to Creon, planning to tell him of Antigone's actions in the graveyard: "O, not for me the dusty hair of youth, / But let us now unto the palace go" (465), she cries. But Creon, ignoring the supposedly important information she has to tell -- he has, after all, emptied the Theban coffers, spending money on his advanced spy network in search of the miscreant -- asks her, instead, to come home with him. "How long, O Princess, O! How long!" he states, suggesting a