Pride In Antigone

Sophocles’ most famous play, Antigone, is notorious for the role of pride. One of the questions that arises while reading this play is who is in the right when it comes to the burial of Polynices. The German philosopher Hegel claims that "Antigone" is a play that presents a conflict between two equally important moral powers. One a king of royalty that honors the gods by ruling over Thebes but has also just passed a law forbidding anyone to bury Polynices, the brother of Antigone and Ismene. The other a son of Oedipus Rex and Jocasta who feels the need to honor the gods by burying Polynices. Though these two important figures both claim to be heeding the laws of the gods, only one of them are actually acting pious. Antigone’s actions prove

Though both brothers, Polynices and Eteocles, died at the hands of each other at the same time, Creon only paid proper respects for Eteocles because he died protecting the country. However for Polynices, he issued “a proclamation [that forbid] the city to dignify him with burial, morn him at all” and allow “his corpse, carrion for the birds and dogs to tear, an obscenity for the citizens to behold” (lines 227-231). Though it is typical for people of exile to have a different burial than regular Theban citizens, Creon’s barbaric instructions for Polynices burial is beyond immoral. Instead of being buried outside the city, Creon’s order is to not have him buried at all. This is a very torturous ending because when people die they need some type of burial to enter into the underworld, so Creon’s issue of this law meant that Polynices’ soul would be lost and without a home. Creon’s bizarre instructions are rooted in his personality as king and has less to do with Polynices himself. Instead of being a Theban king of honor, Creon let his pride get in the way which spoiled his leadership skills. His arrogance goes so overboard that he mocks the gods more than once. After proclaiming Antigone’s death, he first mocks Zeus by stating “let [Antigone] cry for mercy, sing her hymns to Zeus who defends all bonds of kindred blood” and again when he says “there let her pray to her god she worships” (lines 735-736) (line875). His outrageous mockery here is an example of how obnoxious he is and has no respect for his citizens or the gods they worship. It is safe to assume the Creon thinks he has taken the place of a god because of his position as king. However, in the end Creon finds out that he was wrong for the proclamation and sentencing Antigone for standing up for what was