Shakespearian definition describes a tragedy as a series of work, with the downfall of an otherwise heroic figure. Many of the tragedies that we are familiar with, describes the evolution of a conflict between the protagonist of the play and a superior force such as fate or society. These characters usually reach a sorrowful or a disastrous conclusion. Written by Sophocles, Antigone is a tragedy based in the state of Thebes. The title character Antigone is the daughter of Oedipus, the former king of Thebes. The play illustrates her fight to bury her brother polyneices against the edict of her uncle, Creon, the current king of Thebes. The story explains the struggle of a God fearing protagonist, at the hands of human law. Where her love for family was chosen over her civic duty and gender differences.
This essay will firstly discuss the extent to which Antigone is responsible for her tragic death. This issue will be addressed with the aid of a few major and minor themes explained in this play.
Antigone is responsible for her tragic end
Every state, every country has its own rules. These rules are generated in order to create a better society and to have control over an otherwise messed up society. Regardless of the importance of these rules, they are created in order to be followed and obeyed. At the time of Eteocles and Polyneices’ death, Creon was the ruler of Thebes. He decides that Eteocles loyalty should be honoured in his death, while Polyneices should be left to rot for his disloyalty. Due to the fact that Polyneices was viewed as a traitor and brought shame and dishonesty, the best way to make him pay for the state’s loss is to not bury Polyneices. "When the laws are kept, how proudly his city stands!, when the laws are...
... middle of paper ...
... Declaration of independence. Therefore the play Antigone remains relevant to the modern society as well as the old Greek societies.
In conclusion, Antigone is portrayed as such a strong, defiant and stubborn woman for a play written during the Greek epock. Her love for her family drives her to perform an act against the edicts of the state of Thebes.
When considering all major themes and individual actions and reasonings.The play writer Sophocles may try to show Antigone’s innocence. Antigone was subjected to the darkest things of the society through which she stood strongly and confidently. I would say even though there are some parts where she caused her own downfall it was mainly the gender biased society she grew up in that was responsible for her death. All in all it’s fair to say that the protagonist in this play was not responsible for her tragic death.
Antigone is a great Greek tragedy by Sophocles. The story is about a young woman who has buried her brother by breaking king’s decree, and now she is punished for obeying God’s law. There are many arguments about who is the tragic hero in Sophocles’ Antigone. Some believe that it is Creon because he also has the characteristics of a tragic hero. Others believe that it is Antigone because the play bears her name. Antigone is the perfect hero, to exemplify the meaning of a tragic hero. In order to determine whether Antigone is the tragic hero, one will have to answer the question, what is a tragic hero? According to Aristotle, “The tragic hero is a character of noble stature and has greatness, he/she is not perfect, the hero's downfall and it is partially his/her own fault, and the hero's misfortunate is not wholly deserved.” (Aristotle) Antigone is a tragic hero because she has a high social standing in Thebes, she neither good nor bad, and her suffering appears to be unjust and unfair to the audience.
In the Antigone, unlike the Oedipus Tyrannus, paradoxically, the hero who is left in agony at the end of the play is not the title role. Instead King Creon, the newly appointed and tyrannical ruler, is left all alone in his empty palace with his wife's corpse in his hands, having just seen the suicide of his son. However, despite this pitiable fate for the character, his actions and behavior earlier in the play leave the final scene evoking more satisfaction than pity at his torment. The way the martyr Antigone went against the King and the city of Thebes was not entirely honorable or without ulterior motives of fulfilling pious concerns but it is difficult to lose sight of the fact that this passionate and pious young woman was condemned to living imprisonment.
Ultimately, Antigone can be viewed as evil due to the fact that she went against King Creon’s rules by burying her brother without permission. For example, in the play Antigone by Sophocles, Antigone says, “Will you help these hands take up Polyneices’ corpse and bury it?” and Ismene responds, “What? You’re going to bury Polyneices, when that’s been made a crime for all in Thebes?” and Antigone replies, “Yes. I’ll do my duty to my brother— and yours as well…” (Lines 55-60). This shows that Antigone is going
In Sophocles’ classic play Antigone the main character Antigone faces the impactful and controversial choice between god’s laws and man’s laws, fate and free-will, and family versus government. With her heroic and ultimately fatal decisions, Antigone would normally be the character everyone defines as a stereotypical tragic hero, however, not many people take into consideration that her counterpart Creon, is the real tragic hero. Creon is often portrayed as the antagonist within the play, yet he has all the qualities that make an ideal tragic hero.
Antigone could also be referred to as a tragedy sub-genre. Tragedy "recounts casually related series of events in the life of a person of significance, culminating in an unhappy catastrophe, the whole treated with dignity and seriousness" (554). Antigone is one of Sophocles' many famous tragedies. It is centered around the tragic outcome that may take place in the occurrence of being prideful. Sophocles portrays that pride can result in tragedy and in disaster. In the story, Creon is prideful as his position of King and he ultimately brings his city to ruins. "Tragedy" played a major role in the story.
It is generally held that the tragic essence of Antigone lies in the state’s brutal suppression of individual emotions and humanity. However, it is not only individual emotions and humanity, but also family honor and responsibilities that Antigone tries to defend and fulfill. So it is not completely true that what Antigone stands for is timeless and universal justice. The tragic conflict of the play consists in the extremist attitude Creon and Antigone hold towards the state law and the family honor. The fundamentalist ideas of the state ...
Antigone was a selfless person with pride as a strong characteristic of her personality. She possibly had feelings of loneliness and anger from the way society has looked upon her family from their past. It took a strong willed person who has no fear of the repercussions to stand up to a king as she did. To make everything all the worst she stood up to a king who was her Uncle and she being a female back in those time, standing up and speaking out for herself was not heard of.
“Antigone” is a drama that was written by Sophocles. Sophocles was one of the great writers of tragedies during the ancient Greece era. For this reason, there is no debate as to whether this story is a tragedy or not. A tragedy is defined as a play that contains dismal events and has an unhappy ending, it typically involves the downfall of the protagonist. Focus on that last part; the downfall of the main character. If “Antigone” is definitely a tragedy, and a tragedy involves the destruction of the main character, than the drama must portray the hero being brought to ruin. Now, most readers would agree that it is obvious who the protagonist of the play is. Antigone, whom the play is named for, is brought to a tragic end. I completely agree; however, there is another character who could fit the role of the protagonist. That miserable definition could also be used to describe Creon, Antigone’s uncle. Due to the definitions of characters and the format of how the tragedy was written, I believe that Creon is the true protagonist of this play.
Antigone, a resolute and heroic female protagonist, pits her individual free will against the intractable forces of fate and against the irrational and unjust laws of tyrannical man like Creon.
“Antigone” is a great Greek tragedy by Sophocles. The story is about a young woman who has brother by breaking king’s decree, and now she is punished for obeying God’s law. In the classic model of dramatic structure, two characters move the action of the play from introduction to climax to resolution with their conflict. One of these characters is the protagonist, and the other is the antagonist. The protagonist is a “good guy” and the antagonist is the “bad guy”. In Sophocles’ play Antigone , the lines between protagonist and antagonist are blurred. In the Greek tradition , the title character is the protagonist, but in this play the supposed antagonist, Creon also displays characteristics of protagonist.
The play “Antigone” by Sophocles displays many qualities that make it a great tragedy. A tragedy is defined as a dramatic or literary work in which the principal character engages in a morally significant struggle ending in ruin or profound disappointment. In creating his tragedy “Antigone”, Sophocles uses many techniques to create the feelings of fear and pity in his readers. This in turn creates an excellent tragedy.
rights and everything they believe is correct. Antigone's strong feminist stance in defying a patriarchal tyrant shows how individualistic ideas and actions can be very effectual.
In the play Antigone, the debate over who is the real tragic hero is and the controversy of Greek ideals in the Antigone continues on to this day. Who is the tragic hero in Antigone? Is it Antigone herself or is it Creon the ruler of Thebes? The belief that Antigone is, is a strong one. Still there are people who think Creon is the tragic hero. Antigone is widely thought as the tragic her. The play is named after her. In addition, she is the antagonist in it. Many people usually associate the antagonist, the good guy as a tragic hero. Look at much television shows, especially cartoons, the good person usually wins. Then there are those who might think Creon was the tragic hero because the gods were against him, and that he truly loved his country. There are five criteria or standards you must meet first in order to be a tragic hero. First, you must be a person of high character or status. The character must not be too overwhelmingly evil or good. Then they must be brought from happiness to misery. Then brought from happiness to misery. Second, the hero enacts a harmartia, "wrong act." This either may be a flaw in judgment or an error. Third, the hero experiences a perpateia, reversal of fortune. This is the tragic downfall or plot twist in the story. Fourth, the hero recognizes his or her responsibility. Fifth, the story ends with a catastrophe. The catastrophe either may be an emotional event, this even may be a death.
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.
The play “Antigone” is a tragedy by Sophocles. One main theme of the play is Religion vs. the state. This theme is seen throughout the play. Antigone is the supporter of religion and following the laws of the gods and the king of Thebes, Creon, is the state. In the play Creon has made it against the law to bury Antigone’s brother, something that goes against the laws of the gods, this is the cause of most conflict in the story. This struggle helps to develop the tragic form by giving the reader parts of the form through different characters.