David Hume once said, “Where men are the most sure and arrogant, they are commonly the most mistaken, and have there given reins to passion, without the proper deliberation and suspense, which can alone secure them from the grossest absurdities.” Hume expresses greatly how arrogant people act; they do not pay attention to other ideas because they want to be the only ones who are right, which can lead to ignorance and terrible actions. Supercilious people do not always know what is best and they do not think rationally of what their actions can lead to, which can lead to horrible behavior and outcome. In the play, “Antigone” by Sophocles, Creon creates a law of not having a burial for Polyneices, Antigone’s brother, and whoever disobeys, will be put to their death. Antigone does not allow this, so she goes against his verdict and gets sentenced to death, which leads to the tragic ending of the play. However, Antigone and Creon share the blame for this tragedy because they are intolerant to other beliefs, make impetuous decisions, and act haughty towards their own beliefs.
Even though one is right and one is wrong, they both share the blame of the tragedy because they are intolerant to other ideas or beliefs. After Ismene refuses Antigone’s idea of burying Polyneices, Antigone argues, “I will bury him; and if I must die,/ I say that this crime is holy: I shall lie down/ With him in death,” (I.Prologue.55-7). Antigone does not listen to Ismene’s thoughts about what could happen if they bury Polyneices. Ismene does not want to bury Polyneices because she does not want to receive the punishment of death for both Antigone and herself since everyone in their family is death except for the two of them. However, Antigone does not listen...
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Antigone and Creon cause the deaths of Haemon and Eurydice because they are intolerant to other beliefs, make impetuous decisions, and act haughty towards their own beliefs. They did not think carefully of what their actions can lead to because all Antigone focuses on is giving justice to Polyneices while Creon only thinks about how he is the king and how he is always correct. In An Unforgivable Secret, J.E.B. wrote, “Choices made, whether bad or good, follow you forever and affect everyone in their path one way or another.” Every decision in one’s life affects them and others. Even the smallest actions can have a huge impact on someone, which is why one should think thoroughly of what their actions can lead to because they can affect other people like how Creon’s law affects the deaths of Antigone, Haemon, and Eurydice.
In the struggle between Creon and Antigone, Sophocles' audience would have recognized a genuine conflict of duties and values. From the Greek point of view, both Creon's and Antigone's positions are flawed, because both oversimplify ethical life by recognizing only one kind of good or duty. By oversimplifying, each ignores the fact that a conflict exists at all, or that deliberation is necessary. Moreover, both Creon and Antigone display the dangerous flaw of pride in the way they justify and carry out their decisions. Antigone admits right from the beginning that she wants to carry out the burial because the action is glorious. Antigone has a savage spirit; she has spent most of her life burying her family members.
In the end, the result or tragedy of not listening to the perspective of others in this case, was the suicide of Antigone. Her trait of being stubborn has allowed for her to act this way. When Antigone demonstrated this behavior, it was when she was talking to her sister, Ismene. As the two sisters were arguing about their brother, she tells Ismene, “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” (1, 77-81). Antigone being stubborn led her to ignore and fail to recognize her own sister’s view on Polyneices’ burial throughout their conversation. She was furious at her sister for not agreeing with her so she didn’t bother to acknowledge what Ismene had to say if it involved not burying Polyneices. Completing this action led her to going to prison and committing suicide which is considered the tragedy of the play. Sometimes you won’t always get what you want to hear, but you should still try and see where the person you are talking to is coming from. After Antigone got caught for somewhat burying Polyneices, Ismene tried to take the blame and says, “You are laughing at me. Why, Antigone? Antigone: It’s a joyless laughter, Ismene” (2,
Creon highlighted as the tragic figure, initially created decisions he thought was for the welfare and well-being of Thebes; however, Antigone, who rebelled against Creon’s decisions, caused Creon’s rage to cloud his rational way of thinking. When Creon decided to forbid the burial of Polynices, as he believed Polynices was a traitor to Thebes, Antigone was outraged. This decision, viewed through the eyes of Creon, was just and fair; on the other hand, Antigone viewed his decision as cruel and selfish, which resulted into a major conflict between these two characters. When Antigone disobeyed his proclamation, Creon became infuriated towards this rebellious act. Those small events within the play expressed Creon as a ruler doing what he believes is right; on the other hand, Antigone’s rebellion expressed otherwise. Antigone was soon shown to cause an evil spark within Creon. This “spark” caused Creon to intensify his punishments towards Antigone, which in turn caused a chain reaction of events and eventually led to his tragic decline. Being portrayed as a menacing villain throughout the play, Creon began as an honorable man; however, overwhelming events and confrontations caused Creon to evolve in to this monstrous figure.
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 ...
The hubris resonating throughout the play, ‘Antigone’ is seen in the characters of Creon and Antigone. Their pride causes them to act impulsively, resulting in their individual downfalls. In his opening speech, Creon makes his motives clear, that “no man who is his country’s enemy shall call himself my friend.” This part of his declaration was kept to the letter, as he refused burial for his nephew, Polynices. However, when the situation arises where it is crucial that Creon takes advice, he neglects the part of the speech where he says “a king... unwilling to seek advice is damned.” This results in Creon’s tragic undoing.
The play Antigone opens up with the dialogue of two sisters, Antigone and Ismene, with two completely different opinions. Antigone believes that as Polyneices' sisters, they are responsible for burying him properly, according to the god's rules. On the contrary, Ismene feels that they should not get involved, they are "women born, unapt to cope with men." (Sophacles, p.3) Antigone disregards this statement and still adamantly insists that they must bury him. She feels that by burying him, she will be following the gods, which is more important than following the ruler. As she says on page 3, “Loving and loved, I will lie by his (Polynices) side. Far longer is there need I satisfy those nether Powers, than powers on earth; for there for ever must I lie.” She believes that in afterlife she ...
Creon, the king and their uncle, issued an edict to the people of Thebes that the rebel Polynices, brother to Ismene and Antigone, should not be buried on pain of death. Antigone explains in what seems to be a rational tone that she and Ismene are bound, as by duty, to bury Polynices and face the execution. She makes it clear to Ismene that there are no two ways about it. "That's the way it is. What do you think we can do to change it?" she says (11). She also tells Ismene that she is not eager to die, but it seems to the audience otherwise throughout the progression of the play.
Creon’s bad decisions made him pay for his actions, as the prophet says, “The time is not far off when you shall pay back corpse for corpse, flesh of your own flesh” (234). Little does Creon know, he will pay flesh for flesh because Creon didn’t have family loyalty. He knew Antigone was haimon’s love, and he was ready to kill her, which lead to Haimon and the queen killing themselves. “And for Haimon dead, her sons; and her last breath was a curse for their father, murderer of her sons” (243). This goes back to Antigone’s statement about her family curse, and now Creon is the curse for his family. If you don’t stay loyal to the most important people and do what’s right, then you will end up lonely and live in regret of what you have
Antigone was dejected with Creon’s ruling and decided to bury Polynices herself. She tried to enlist Ismene to help her, but Ismene was to afraid. Antigone furiously continued with the plan on her own. A sentry discovered Antigone and brought her to Creon. Ismene was also brought to Creon and confessed that she had helped Antigone with the burial rites of Polynices. Antigone stopped Ismene and told her not to admit to an act that she had not committed. Antigone took sole responsibility for the burial and claimed that Creon had no right to forbid the burial of Polynices. Ismene pleaded with Creon to spare Antigone’s life for the sake of Haemon, Creon’s son.
Creon is the tragic character of Antigone because his pride blocks the path of him being wise. He sentences his niece, Antigone, to death because she has buried her brother, Polynices, whom Creon considers a traitor. This leads to an argument to his son, Haimon, who is also Antigone’s fiancé. Haimon disagrees with his father and believes that Antigone should not die because she was only following the divine laws by burying her brother. However, Creon still remains stubborn and disagrees with his son since he believes Antigone should be punished for disobeying the ruler’s law. In return, Haimon says “The city would deny it to a man” (2. 3. 102). He explains that the people of Thebes disagrees with his father regarding Antigone’s punishment and considers her honorable. Unfortunately, the citizens fear Creon and they’re helpless in this situation. This leads Creon to get enraged at his son and his mind is still set on executing Antigone. Haimon responds by saying “Not here, no: She will not die here, King...
Further on in the play, through Teiresias, I started to realize that Creon's ruling would backfire on him in a most fitting way. I don't wish death on anybody but isn't it justice served that Haemon should die because of Creon's killing Antigone. No one can say that Creon wasn't warned, both by Haemon and Teiresias. However, the deaths didn't stop there because after learning of Haemon's death Eurydice kills herself and so Creon is hurt twice over. After a while all this death gets depressing and I started to wonder if anyone would be left alive by the end of the story.
In Sophocles’ Antigone, Creon and Antigone, through their free-willed actions establish their own unavoidable fate. By striving to rule in fairness of judgment, Creon defies the laws guiding the burial of the dead when he declares death to anyone who dared to bury Polynices (Lines 25-43). On the other hand, Antigone, with respect to the laws of the gods, and family honor, defies Creon’s orders and buries her brother Polynices (lines 451-492). In this context, we see that both characters are aware of the consequences of their actions: Creon, with knowledge of how the gods doomed Oedipus’ due to defiance, and Antigone Knowing the price that came with laying her brother to rest. Regardless of knowing these consequences, both characters exercised their desires of free-will, and for that, they paid the price of a tragic hero with Antigone’s death, and the death of Creon’s son. Again, just as in Oedipus Rex, we witness fate being the results of free will, but this time around we also see fate as an outcome generally accepted by the characters when they choose free will in opposition to abiding to the
Antigone was disappointed at first, but decided that she will bury Polynices with or without Ismene’s help.
Creon is the tragic hero in Antigone for many reasons. His stubbornness by not wanting to be proven wrong because of his pride is one of the many reasons Creon is the tragic character. Creon believes it is okay to give Eteocles a proper burial because he died, as a man should, fight for his country. On the other hand, Creon treats Polyneices’ death in a distasteful, uncaring manner. Creon believed Polyneices’ should not receive a proper burial because Polyneices’ broke his exile to come back with fire and sword against his native city and the shrines of his father’s gods, whose idea was to split his blood and sell his own people into slavery. Creon also said that anyone that touches Polyneices’ or says the least prayer for him would be stoned to death. The Choragus attempted to inform Creon that he made a mistake by saying nobody can bury Polyneices, but it is to no avail. When Creon finds out someone has buried Polyneices, he assumes it is the men, the anarchists, that buried him because they want money, but Antigone is really the one that buries Polyneices. When the people of Thebes tried to tell Creon Antigone did the right thing, he did not want to listen to them. Creon believed that if he made an ex...