Family is an integral part of human life, a part of each of our lives, a part of each life in the past and future. To some, family is simply one’s parents and one’s siblings. To more, family includes extended relatives. To others, family extends to close friends, tied by everything but blood. Throughout history, writers have analyzed the questions of what it really means to be a part of a family. Does it require unrelenting devotion? Can family pressure one to act in a certain way? Can the duty to family be a source of personal torture? What lies in the domain of the definition of family? Familial duty is defined as a moral obligation to one’s family.
Antigone by Sophocles’ central conflict is a strong dedication to family and the conflict
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In times past, Polyneices and his brother Eteocles, both Antigone’s brothers, fought and killed each other in Thebes’ civil war. Against her uncle’s, the ruler of Thebes’, royal orders, and even against the gods, she declares that she will bury the brother that her uncle decrees an enemy to the state, Polyneices. In Antigone, the two main characters do not agree on the meaning of blood devotion, and the entire play is Antigone’s realization of what matters more - family or personal beliefs and pride. Antigone believes that there is no “greater glory [that she could win]/ than to give [her] own brother decent burial.” (Line 561-62), but Creon thinks that “[she] alone, of all the people in Thebes,/ see things that way” (568-69). In the historical context, it is expected of Antigone to bury her brother, an integral part of Greek society; not doing so is a terrifying prospect. Antigone is “not ashamed for a moment,… to honor [her] brother, [her] own flesh and blood,” (573), even if one brother fought as an enemy to the other and lost, an idea that is in conflict with her uncle’s ideals and honor. Yes, “Eteocles [may have] died fighting [on Thebes’] behalf,”, but “no matter - Death longs for the same rites for all” (583-84). To Creon, he is a statesman with a duty to family but even more so the city (so he claims, but he clearly questions the authority of his people with his question “And is Thebes about to tell me how to rule?” in line 821) - it would be an insult to Thebans to allow Polyneices to be buried - not only is Polyneices a traitor to the city, he killed his own brother for a cause Creon deems treacherous. She “was born to join in love, not hate -/ that is [her nature],” (590-591), and she is condemned to “serve the dead” in order to fight for her brother
Antigone is the niece of a king and goes against her uncle’s command when he says that Polyneices isn’t allowed to have a soldier’s burial and his body must be left in the desert to rot. Antigone decides to bury him anyway because she values god’s law of burial over her uncle’s rule. Antigone tells her sister “Ismene, I am going to bury him. Will you come?... He is my brother. And he is your brother, too… Creon is not strong enough to stand in my way” (Sophocles 694). Antigone values her brother over her uncle & she believes in god’s law over Creon’s decision. King values equality and common law. He dictates “It is unfortunate that demonstrations are taking place in Birmingham, but it is even more unfortunate that the city’s white power structure left the
Like her parents, Antigone defies a powerful authority. Unlike her parents though, that authority is not of the gods, but rather of a person who thinks he is a god: Creon, Antigone's uncle, great-uncle, and king. He proclaims that the body of Polyneices, Antigone's brother who fought against Thebes in war, would be left to rot unburied on the field, “He must be left unwept, unsepulchered, a vulture's prize....” (ANTIGONE, Antigone, 192). Antigone, enraged by the injustice done to her family, defies Creon's direct order and buries her brother.
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 duty family 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.
In the play, Antigone, two brothers are killed in battle. One of them, Polyneices, is considered to be a rebel by the new ruler of Thebes, Creon. The corrupt and prideful king, Creon, created an edict that states that nobody could bury Polynices’s body because he was a traitor to Thebes and his family and denies the sanctification and burial of Polyneices's body because of his rebellion and intends to leave him to become the meal of wild animals. Polyneices's sister, Antigone, defies Creon by giving her brother a proper burial, no matter the consequences. Both King and Antigone sought to do what they thought was the right thing to do, even if it was against the law. Though King and Antigone are two completely different people from two completely different times, they were actually quite similar in that they both were minorities at a disadvantage, and lacking power and credibility among those in control. King and Antigone both fought for injustice and what they believed in, however, not necessarily in the same
At the start of Antigone, the new king Creon has declared the law that while Antigone’s brother Eteocles will be buried with honor for his defense of Thebes, however the other brother, Polynices will be left to rot in the field of battle for helping lead the siege of the city. Antigone discusses with her sister Ismene that she shall go and pay respects to her now dead brother, and give him the burial that she feels that he deserves. Her sister tries to persuade her otherwise, but Antigone claims she is going to follow her determined fate, not the law of ...
We come to know of Antigone's plan to bury her brother in the prologue. She confides to Ismene that she knows of Creon's edict, but that she intends to defy it. At Ismene's protests of not defying the king's orders, Antigone states that there are higher obligations to the dead and the gods. She points out (lines 85 - 91): "I will bury him myself, and even if I die in the act the death will be a glory. I will lie with the one I love and loved by him - an outrage sacred to the gods! I have longer to please the dead than please the living here: in the kingdom down below I will lie forever. Do as you like, dishonor the laws the gods hold in honor." Antigone feels it is her duty to bury her brother and is in her view fulfilling a higher law. She believes that she is acting according to her religious duty and that she cannot dishonor the laws the gods have established. Here Antigone appears to be a selfless and compassionate individual, willin...
She wants to give her brother, Polyneices, a proper burial. Antigone explains to Ismene that she will not die a coward's death and that she will bury her brother, whether Ismene wants to help her or not. “Let me be, me and my folly! I will face the danger that so dismays you, for it cannot be so dreadful to die a coward’s death.” (94-96). This shows that Antigone will do whatever it takes to give her brother a proper burial. Antigone tells Ismene that if she dies, at least she will not “die a coward's death.” This tells readers that Antigone is fearless as well as strong-minded. Ismene does not want to help because she knows that it is against the law to bury Polyneices. Antigone feels that Creon is holding her back from what the gods want her to do, which is give Polyneices a proper burial. “He has no right to keep me from my own!” (48). Antigone shows her bravery in this quote because she speaks out against Creon. This quote shows one of the main themes in the play, female
In Antigone, her brother Polynices, turned against his own city by attacking his own brother just so he could become king. On this day, both brothers died. One, Eteocles, was given funeral honors, but the other, Polynices, was not. This decision was made by Creon, Antigone’s uncle and the current King of Thebes. Creon said “He is to have no grave, no burial, no mourning from anyone; it is forbidden.'; (Pg. 432; l. 165) He also announced that anyone who should attempt to bury him would be put to death. After hearing this decision, Antigone said that Creon couldn’t do that and that the Gods would want Polynices to have a proper burial, therefore Antigone promised to her sister Ismene that she would be the one to defy Creon and bury her brother; and she didn’t care if the whole city knew of her plans. After being caught in the act, she was taken to the palace and when asked by Creon why she did it. Knowing the punishment that would come from it, she replied by saying that she didn’t think Creon had the power to overrule the u...
At the beginning of the play, Antigone is upset about a decree Creon, the king, made (190). The decree states that her brother, Polyneices, was not allowed to be buried, because Creon believes that Polyneices was a “traitor who made war on his country” (211). Antigone has a very strong love for her brother and the gods, therefore she believes Polyneices deserves a proper burial according to the laws of the gods (192). Antigone says to Ismene that she [Antigone] will go against Creon’s decree-which states that if anyone buries Polyneices they will be killed (190). Antigone is extremely angry with Creon for creating the decree, to the point where she decides to make a big deal about the burial, instead of lying low and doing it in secret (192). Antigone even tells Ismene to “Tell everyone!” that she [Antigone] buried Polyneices when everyone finds out, and not keep it a secret-although Ismene doesn’t listen (193). Antigone’s decision not to do the bur...
From the beginning of the play this conflict is set out as the chorus conveys “When he weaves in the laws of the land, and the justice of the gods that binds his oaths together.” They explain how the people of Thebes should honour both the laws of the state and the laws of the gods. However, this is clearly not the case as the conflict between the justice systems starts with the different views on the burial of Polynices the brother of Antigone. “Why not our own brothers’ burial! Hasn’t Creon graced one with all the rites, disgraced the other?...the body of Polynices, who died miserably-why a city-wide proclamation, rumor has it, forbids anyone to bury him, even mourn him.” From the beginning Antigone wants to bury her brother because she thinks that is her right, but her society disagrees. Antigone is defiant of the consequences of her actions as she is breaking the law. She elevates divine law above the law of Creon as she believes only the gods can judge her actions. However, Creon wants to defend his city because he thinks that’s right, which the gods disagree with. As he is the king everybody should listen to what he says. “Polynices…a proclamation has forbidden the city to dignify him with burial, mourn him at all. No, he must be left unburied…never at my hands will a traitor be honoured above.” He represents the city-state as he is the
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.
A tragedy is defined as a dramatic composition, often in verse, dealing with a serious or somber theme, typically that of a great person destined through a flaw of character or conflict with some overpowering force, as fate or society, to downfall or destruction. The play Antigone by Sophocles displays many qualities that prove to form into the epitome of a tragedy. Tragedy is usually marked with a person of great standing—in this case, a King—who falls because of hubris, or extreme pride. Antigone proves to live up to both of these definitions which is proven through its themes. Sophocles uses many techniques in this tragedy to contribute to the overall theme. This theme is accomplished by creating emotions in the readers to evoke the understanding of the theme. In the play Antigone, Sophocles uses the themes of pride, power, and femininity to convey his overall theme of tragedy.
Antigone’s firm belief that her brother Polyneices should have a proper burial is established by her conviction in that the law of the gods is above all else. This law proclaims that all men be mourned and honored by family and friends through means of a suitable burial. Antigone’s need to put honor upon Polyneices’ soul is so grand that she ignores the advice of everyone around her, including her sister Ismene, who tries to pull her away from performing this criminal act because it will disobey the law set by King Creon, and lead to her demise. However, Antigone does not care about the repercussions because even though “[s...
From the beginning, Antigone is willing to endanger her life to honor the death of her brother. When Antigone’s brother, Polynices, is defeated and killed, Creon orders that the burying of his body is punishable by death. Knowing the consequences, Antigone says to her sister, “I will bury him myself, and so die nobly” (Sophocles 72). Antigone knows very well about the decree of Creon, but she will disobey the law to do what she thinks is a noble cause. Clearly, she thinks that giving her brother a proper burial is worth risking her life.
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.