Change Within Characters in Sophocles' Antigone

Change Within Characters in Sophocles' Antigone

Antigone is about how King Creon rules that Polynices the traitor is

not to be buried, but his sister Antigone defies the order. She is

caught, and sentenced by Creon to be buried alive - even though she is

betrothed to his son Haemon. After the blind prophet Tiresias proves

that the gods are on Antigone's side, Creon changes his mind - but too

late. He goes first to bury Polynices, but Antigone has already hanged

herself. When Creon arrives at the tomb, Haemon attacks him and then

kills himself. When the news of their death is reported, Creon's wife

Eurydice takes her own life. Creon is alone in his life, full of

guilt.

The major characters in Antigone in my opinion are Antigone and Creon.

Both undergo very major dramatic changes in their life. Antigone’s

changes are mainly linked to the themes of the position of women as a

Greek and the theme of the individual versus the state and divine law

versus human law. Creon’s changes are mainly linked to the themes

Conscience versus Law and the threat of tyranny. Both of their changes

to themselves also inflict a change on the other. Both also undergo

changes because of their pride and what actions it causes them to do.

Pride and its effects are a central part of Antigone. It is a trait

despised by the gods, who bring suffering to the proud, but to the

Greek mind pride is also a part of greatness. Both Antigone and Creon

are incredibly proud, making it impossible for either one of them to

back down once they have taken a stand. Pride is part of what makes

Antigone heroic. Creon realizes that in the end when he is completely

alone in his life because everyone is dead. His pride had caused him

to lose everyth...

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... despicable if the order of the state demands

it. Antigone's insistence on her desire in face of state power brings

ruin into Thebes and to Creon specifically. With the death of his

family, Creon is left utterly alone in the palace. His throne even

robs him of his mourning, the king and his pace sadly shuttling off to

a cabinet meeting after the announcement of the family's deaths.

Antigone and Creon both undergo many changes to their personality,

their beliefs, and their ways of living. But in the end it is only

Creon who has the ability to change his life and keep on living it in

a more respectable and more understanding way. But Creon has to live

with the deaths and his fatal mistakes that he has made. Antigone has

a very short time to adapt to the changes in her life but she does not

see much point because she has been sentenced to a very slow death.