Antigone Character Traits

435 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Antigone ismene character analysis

Character Analysis: Antigone

A desire to earn justice for what is right, to gain a personal sense of pride, and to honor one’s family are all inevitable traits of human nature. Sophocles’ Antigone is such an interesting character because she demonstrates all of these qualities in an attempt to honor the burial rights of her brother, Polynices. Written in 441 BC, Antigone was controversial for its time because the protagonist is a woman who challenges the ideas and power of men. From the beginning of this play, Antigone, the daughter of Oedipus, is seen as a strong-willed woman who won’t take no for an answer in spite of the laws governing the city of Thebes. She will do all that she can to make sure Polynice’s body is properly laid to rest, …show more content…

She is a tragic hero, meaning that she has good intentions of bringing about change, but an error in her judgment ultimately led to her own destruction – or in this case, her death. Antigone believes that the laws of the gods are superior to man’s laws even if the two contradict one another, and testifies this point with Creon, the king, as she is being sentenced to death for burying her brother. Antigone argues, “Nor did I think your edict had such force that you, a mere mortal, could override the gods, the great unwritten, unshakable traditions…. they live forever” (line 503-506). Here she is claiming that the laws of the gods state that Polynice’s body should be buried, and she complied because the god’s laws are the only laws that should govern one’s life. Creon, however, does not buy this philosophy and stands firm in his belief that Antigone should be executed. Not only does Antigone address feminist ideas by challenging man’s law, she also brings up the issue of separation of church and state that is still applicable in today’s society. She questions the legitimateness of mortal laws and especially Creon’s power as king. As a result, stubborn Antigone refuses to stop her quest for justice and honor for her family, and she insists on dying a glorious death in the name of Polynices and the

Show More
Related

  • The Deaths of Antigone and Creon

    1064 Words  | 3 Pages

    Antigone is a powerful character, strong-willed, determined and at times self-righteous. She is contrasted by her sister Ismene, who is weak and powerless. Though Antigone is a powerful character, she has no real political power and is dominated by one man, Creon. Creon is both the ruler of the state as well as the patriarch of her family. Antigone was raised by Creon’s house after her own father went in to exile. Antigone is betrothed to Creon’s son, Haemon, further cementing Creon’s power over her. There is one aspect of life that Antigone does have legitimate power in and that is her family, especially her blood line. In ancient-Greek culture the women’s place was in the home, she was responsible for household things and often wasn’t even allowed to leave the house. It is because of this responsibility that Antigone needed to bury her brother Polynices even though it went against the decree of Creon. Antigone also had the gods on her side. It was an unwritten rule of ancient Greek society that the dead must be buried, otherwise bad things may happen. This rule, because it was unwritten and therefore innate, was protected by the gods, specifically Hades, the god of the underworld and family.

    Read More

  • Creon's Death In Sophocles Antigone

    683 Words  | 2 Pages

    In complete disregard to Creon’s threatening laws, Antigone knowingly risks capital punishment and seals her fate by choosing to bury Polynices out of respect for Theban tradition. Antigone declares her independence by stating that “[she] will bury him [herself]. And even if [she] die[s] in the act, that death will be a glory,” (85–86). She takes full responsibility for her own actions, and recognizes that her inevitable death may come sooner than planned due to this deed. Antigone’s self-governing demeanor and ability to make her own decisions allows her to establish the course of her future. She self-determines her destiny by not sitting idle and working hard to honor her family. Antigone’s bluntness towards Ismene while trying to convince

    Read More

  • Compare Antigone And The Bible

    762 Words  | 2 Pages

    Antigone, as a character, is extremely strong-willed and loyal to her faith. Creon is similarly loyal, but rather to his homeland, the city of Thebes, instead of the gods. Both characters are dedicated to a fault, a certain stubbornness that effectively blinds them from the repercussions of their actions. Preceding the story, Antigone has been left to deal with the burden of her parents’ and both her brothers’ deaths. Merely a young child, intense grief is to be expected; however, Antigone’s emotional state is portrayed as frivolous when it leads her to directly disobey Creon’s orders. She buries her brother Polynices because of her obedience to family and to the gods, claiming to follow “the gods’ unfailing, unwritten laws” (Sophocles 456-457). CONTINUE

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Oedipus Rex And Antigone

    888 Words  | 2 Pages

    Antigone’s pride caused her to go against Creon’s will and break the law to bury her brother, Polyneicês’s body. Antigone tells her sister Ismene of Creon’s decision about the burial of their brothers. She asks Ismene to help her bury Polyneicês’s body. When Ismene refuses Antigone tells her sister “But I will bury him; and if I must die, I say that this crime is holy: I shall lie down with him in death, and I shall be as dear to him as he to me,” (193).

    Read More

  • Antigone, by Sophocles

    857 Words  | 2 Pages

    Also, women at that time were not considered equal citizens, but Antigone’s actions left people to rethink the extent of the equality in Athenian democracy. In Antigone, King Creon gives an edict against burying Polynices since he was seen as a traitor. Despite death being the punishment for breaking this edict, Antigone goes ahead and buries Polynices. She feels that, as a citizen and her sister, it is her right and responsibility to do so. Creon was undermining the principles of democracy by taking away peoples’ freedoms based on his personal opinions.

    Read More

  • The Characters Of Antigone And King Creon

    1511 Words  | 4 Pages

    Antigone is a strong willed character who is not afraid to defend her beliefs. After learning that Creon has denied Polyneices of a proper burial she uses her free will to decide that she must lay her brother to rest, as she strongly believes he should be honored like the other fallen soldiers. Unable to

    Read More

  • p

    844 Words  | 2 Pages

    After studying the critical excerpts following Antigone, I found two to be beneficial to the understanding Antigone. When first reading this play I found I could relate to Antigone and the way she stood up for what she believes in. Going against any King during this time, and facing death, to act upon what she believed to be right was pure admiration in my eyes. There was one part of the play, however, that I had a little trouble relating to Antigone. Before she is led to the tomb of her death, Creon and Antigone have one final conversation where Antigone is explaining her reasoning for the defiance of her king’s laws. She speaks as if speaking to her dead brother Polyneices saying, “Had I been a mother of children, and my husband been dead and rotten, I would not have taken this weary task upon me against the will of the city” (Sophocles 1587). I believed Antigone to have stood up for the rights of what was right by burying her brother with the sacred ash and water, as any blood relative would in my opinion do for another; however, if this were the case then why would she have not done for her children or her beloved husband what she fought so hard to do for her brother?

    Read More

  • The Role of Women in Antigone

    596 Words  | 2 Pages

    Antigone believes that a woman should be intrepid and strong, even at the risk of challenging men’s authority. When she proposes to bury Polynices, Ismene answers, “we’re not born to contend with men”. (75) Antigone’s response, “that death will be a glory” (86), does not directly address gender issues, but it expresses her fury at Ismene’s passivity. After the burial of Polynices, Antigone defiantly states, “I did it. I don’t deny a thing,” while being interrogated by Creon (492) and later comments that she was “not ashamed for a moment, not to honor my brother”. (572-3) Antigone’s gallant speech and defiance toward traditional gender identities audaciously shows her revolutionary desire for gender equality.

    Read More

  • Antigone Character Analysis Essay

    627 Words  | 2 Pages

    Antigone, a story written by Sophocles, is about a young woman, Antigone, choosing whether she will not bury her brother, Polyneices, to not break the law or disobey Creon’s law and bury him; however choosing to bury her brother does not derail her moral development.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Femininity In Antigone

    903 Words  | 2 Pages

    When Antigone buries her brother against the state’s laws, she finds herself in front of Creon suffering “at the hands of what breed of men- all for [her] reverence for the gods” (1033-34). By following only the laws of the gods and not of men too Antigone demonstrates her loyalty to only her femininity. But holding feminine ideals above rational actions does not stop masculine duties from falling onto her. In consequence, soon Antigone wonders if “[she would] never have taken this ordeal upon [herself]” if she would have had a child or husband, after the reality of her actions comes to light as she is about to face her death sentence (998). Femininity means more than what Antigone was willing to stand up against the government for and she finally realizes that her decisions to focus only on the feminine laws she wanted. Only at the doors of death does she see that by taking a side so diligently like her counterpart Creon is not worth the pain it brings. Although Antigone does not regret her actions, she begins to see that she covets the feminine laws rather than seeing the sides equally brings about suffering rather than

    Read More

  • The Immense Character Development in Antigone by Sophocles

    1542 Words  | 4 Pages

    Brad Moore, a famous athlete once said, “Pride would be a lot easier to swallow if it didn’t taste so bad.” In Sophocles’ well known Greek tragedy, Antigone, the main character undergoes immense character development. Antigone transforms from being stubborn and underestimated to courageous and open-minded. In reality, it is Antigone’s insular persistence that leads to her ultimate decline in the play as well as others around her. After the death of her two brothers, Eteocles and Polynices, Creon becomes the new ruler of Thebes. With this, he grants Eteocles an honorable funeral service for his brave fighting. Claiming that Polynices was a traitor, he shows complete refusal to grant Polynices a respectable and worthy service. Clearly disagreeing with Creon’s inexcusable demands, Antigone declares she will bury Polynices herself so that his soul can be at peace. Entirely aware of the consequences and dangers of this action, which include death, she goes forward vowing her love for her family. Antigone shows strength and determination towards her brother. However, her growing sense of pride leads to her downfall as she sacrifices everything for her family. Antigone develops into an admirable character in which she portrays her defiance and courage, pride and open mindedness, and sense of moral righteousness to show vital character growth as the play progresses.

    Read More

  • charant Character Changes in Sophocles' Antigone

    1452 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Sophocles' Greek tragedy, Antigone, two characters undergo character changes. During the play the audience sees these two characters' attitudes change from close-minded to open-minded. It is their close-minded, stubborn attitudes, which lead to their decline in the play, and ultimately to a series of deaths. In the beginning Antigone is a close minded character who later becomes open minded. After the death of her brothers, Eteocles and Polyneices, Creon becomes the ruler of Thebes. He decides that Eteocles will receive a funeral with military honors because he fought for his country. However, Polyneices, who broke his exile to " spill the blood of his father and sell his own people into slavery", will have no burial. Antigone disagrees with Creon's unjust actions and says, " Creon is not strong enough to stand in my way." She vows to bury her brother so that his soul may gain the peace of the underworld. Antigone is torn between the law placed against burying her brother and her own thoughts of doing what she feels should be done for her family. Her intent is simply to give her brother, Polyneices, a proper burial so that she will follow "the laws of the gods." Antigone knows that she is in danger of being killed for her actions and she says, "I say that this crime is holy: I shall lie down with him in death, and I shall be as dear to him as he to me." Her own laws, or morals, drive her to break Creon's law placed against Polyneices burial. Even after she realizes that she will have to bury Polyneices without the help of her sister, Ismene, she says: Go away, Ismene: I shall be hating you soon, and the dead will too, For your words are hateful. Leave me my foolish plan: I am not afraid of the danger; if it means death, It will not be the worst of deaths-death without honor. Here Ismene is trying to reason with Antigone by saying that she cannot disobey the law because of the consequences. Antigone is close-minded when she immediately tells her to go away and refuses to listen to her. Later in the play, Antigone is sorrowful for her actions and the consequences yet she is not regretful for her crime. She says her crime is just, yet she does regret being forced to commit it.

    Read More

  • Antigone Moral Law

    1161 Words  | 3 Pages

    Creon has declared that anyone who goes against him and buries Polyneices, will be killed. Antigone knows that it is her moral duty to give her brother a proper burial, despite what Creon believes. Disregarding Creon’s threats, Antigone holds her duty to the gods and to her family higher than her duty to Creon. The strong willed and determined Antigone decides to grant her brother a proper burial, in spite of Ismene’s cautious advice and Creon’s threats. As reported by the sentry, “ She was not afraid, not even when we charged her with what she had done. She denied nothing…To escape from death.” Antigone’s actions show the satisfaction she feels by fulfilling her moral duty. She declares, “This death of mind is of no importance; but if I had left my bother lying in death unburied, I should have suffered. Now I do not.” Antigone’s disregard for laws made by man and Creon, gave her peace of mind because she regards her moral duty and divine law above anything

    Read More

  • Antigone: The Theme of Family Loyalty

    902 Words  | 2 Pages

    The notion of honor and justice is prevalent throughout all types of literature. In Greek culture, honor is essential for creating a solid foundation within a society and family. Honor will follow you until the day you perish, and beyond. The honor for men in Greece is spiritual in that loved ones show respect to the deceased by giving them a proper burial. Nevertheless, when a man acts upon betrayal of the city, that man looses the privilege to die in such honor. This is evident in the life of Antigone when her two brothers, Polyneices and Eteocles, both die at each other’s hands at war when deciding the ruler of Thebes. Polyneices cannot have a proper burial, because the new king, Antigone’s uncle, Creon created a law that decrees that anyone who tries to give Polyneices a proper burial will have a dire consequence: death. In Sophocles’ Antigone, the quest that Antigone endures to stay true to her pure intentions of honoring Polyneices by giving him a proper burial is in juxtaposition with the fact that her defiance towards Creon is not only to do with Polyneices, but also to show appeasement to the gods.

    Read More

  • Religion vs. State in “Antigone"

    829 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the play Creon goes against the Gods by making it illegal to bury Polyneices, Antigone’s brother because he is deemed a traitor. The burying of a dead body is seen as a necessity by all of Greece as it is an unspoken law of the Gods. Antigone goes to bury her brother so his afterlife will be better. She does it in spite of the law that Creon has made. “It is the dead, not the living, who make the longest demands” (192) She tries to explain to her sister, Ismene, that they must bury Polyneices, but even that close relationship has trouble because of the law. Ismene is unwilling to suffer the consequences of the law, to save her brother’s soul “Forgive me but I am helpless: I must yield to those in authority” (192) Even the two sisters who have just lost both of their brothers have different views on the matter. One will not stray from the law and what is deemed right by their king, while the other will accept any punishment, even death just to do what she believes is right.

    Read More

More about Antigone Character Traits

Open Document