Comparing the Tragic Heros in Antigone and Julius Caesar

555 Words2 Pages

The Tragic Heros in Antigone and Julius Caesar

The two plays, "Antigone" and "Julius Caesar" both contained two very similar characters. In Antigone the nobleman, Creon, claimed the thrown after his nephews, heirs to Thebes killed each other in battle. Assuming that the populous was going to find him inadequate he laid a strict rule in order to keep the people under his control. Creon wanted Thebes to prosper and grow and was willing to do anything to achieve this. Through a chain of events Creon killed his entire family.

Brutus, a senator in William Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar, claims the life of Julius Caesar in order to preserve Rome, his country and home. He puts aside his love for his comrade; Caesar to do what he felt was best. Both of these characters, Creon and Brutus, clearly felt compelled to do what each felt was preeminent for their country.

Creon and Brutus both shared high position in the governments of their countries, maintaining power and some level of control. Both of the two, when faced with the threat of losing control turned to unjustified courses of action. Creon threatened death to anyone who defied his rule, fearing that mass hysteria would follow. Brutus on the other had, while less extreme, found that when an overly ambitious ruler threatened Rome the only possible answer was murder. They resorted to the actions with true zeal and completely believed in their cause. Sincerity makes each character share the same beliefs in what they were doing. The country's well-being was the only thing on the leaders' mind.

The drive for excellence, in all areas of life, such as honesty was prevalent in both Brutus and Creon. Based upon the fact that each was open with the citizens in their cities and the way they dictated their decisions. When Brutus comes to the people with the body of Caesar he never claims innocence, but asks the plebeians if he has offended anyone. The law that Creon provides for his people is straightforward; do not disturb the body of Polyneices. The citizens of each play were torn between accepting the truth of what each man offers to the country and justice for murder.

Show More
Related

  • The Tragic Heros in Sophocles' Antigone

    644 Words  | 2 Pages

    Creon would qualify as the tragic hero if the only condition were not being excessively moral or immoral. Antigone's “immoral” side is shown by her (thought-to-be) incestuous behavior with her brother, Polyneicês. In contrast, Antigone’s positive side is shown by the way the she persistent on respecting her brother’s right to be buried in the religious tradition of the time in Greece, so that his soul can live on in the afterlife. “Listen, Ismenê: Creon buried our brother Eteoclês with military honors, gave him a soldier’s funeral, and it was right that he should; but Polyneicês, they fought as bravely and died as miserably, - they say that Creon has sworn no one shall bury him, no one mourn for him, but this body must lie in the fields, a sweet treasure for carrion birds to find as they search for food. That is what they say, and our good Creon is coming here to announce it publicly; and the penalty- stoning to death I the public squarel. There it is, and now you can prove what you are: a true sister, or a traitor to your family.” (Sophocles; Antigone, 3)

    Read More

  • Julius Caesar Loyalty Quotes

    848 Words  | 2 Pages

    Brutus appears to be a selfless, thoughtful man who only wants the best for Rome, and is tormented by his fears towards Caesar ruling Rome.

    Read More

  • Honesty Fairness In The Tragedy Of Julius Caesar And Butus

    1043 Words  | 3 Pages

    Both Caesar and Brutus have a tragic flaw. In the beginning of the play a soothsayer is telling Caesar to beware the ides of march Caesar Responds “He is a dreamer; Brutus leave him. Pass” (shakespeare page??? line????) When Caesar tells the soothsayer this it shows that he does not believe that he could be harmed. Just like caesar, Brutus suffered a tragic flaw, his being trusting everyone. After Caesar is dead Antony wants to say a speech at Caesar 's funeral, after making the crowd violent says “Now let it work. Mischief, thou art afoot, take thou the course thou wilt.”(shakespeare3.2.266-264). Brutus trusted Antony to say some nice words about Caesar, instead he turn the crowd violent. Caesar and Brutus love the roman people and would sacrifice anything for them. after Caesar dies Antony reads “ to every roman citizen he gives, to every several man, seventy-five drachmas”( page lines title). Caesar loved the romans so much he gave them all a bit of his money after he died. Even though he was prideful he loved the romans as much as Brutus. Brutus saw that under Caesar 's rule romans were suffering and says” Not that i love Caesar less, but that I loved/Rome more”(?) He Explains why he felt

    Read More

  • Sophocles' Antigone - Creon's Flaws

    525 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the play Antigone, I choose Creon to be the tragic hero because he is the King of Thebes and he looses everything he has. Creon being King makes the audience believe that something like that can happen to the King then what can happen to us. Antigone the niece of Creon, The sister of Polyneices was punished by Creon for burying Polyneces after his death, Creon has forbidden anybody to do so. Once Creon punished Antigone the blind prophet Teiresias told him that the Gods will take revenge for his actions, then Creon tried to change everything but he is too late. Creon's tragic flaws were his stubbornness, the abuse of power and the actions he took to cause the downfall of the Thebes.

    Read More

  • Julius Caesar Quotes

    925 Words  | 2 Pages

    Minor characteristics involved in virtue are honorability, respectability, dignity, integrity, nobility, purity, and rectitude. Brutus clearly shows all of these characteristics throughout the play. For example, he killed his friend Caesar, but only to protect Rome from Caesar. He clearly did this out of love and respect for Rome and out of dignity and nobility. But this action was slightly unconsciously hypocritical. Brutus believed that in spite of Caesar being his friend, assassinating him was the right thing to do for his country. But only because Cassius put it in his mind that is was. All of the other conspirators stabbed Caesar before Brutus. But when Brutus stabbed him, it was literally like getting stabbed in the back by your best friend. “Et tu, Bruté?—Then fall, Caesar.” (3.1.84) Caesar asks “You too Brutus?”, as if he didn’t expect Brutus to be the one to kill him. But even though this affected Brutus, he had to do this for his country. Unconscious hypocrisy is also an important characteristic of Brutus. There are many instances in which Brutus said that something was cowardly but he had the same thing or something similar. The reason he did those things is because Cassius manipulated him to do them. So he was expressing his beliefs but acting out Cassius’ manipulations on

    Read More

  • Comparing Antigone and Oedipus The King

    868 Words  | 2 Pages

    Antigone is a play about the tension caused when two individuals have conflicting claims regarding law. In this case, the moral superiority of the laws of the city, represented by Creon, and the laws of the gods, represented bt Antigone. In contrast, Oedipus The King is driven by the tensions within Oedipus himself. That play both begins and concludes within the public domain, the plot being driven by the plague that troubles the city, and which is so graphically brought to life by the Priest. In both Antigone (ll179-82) and Oedipus The King (ll29-31) the city is likened to a storm tossed ship, and it cannot be merely coincidence that Oedipus The King was written at the beginning of the Peloponnesian War, a time when Athens itself was suffering the effects of plague. Oedipus The King reaches its climax with a now blinded Oedipus daring to show himself to the people of Thebes, forgetting that he is no longer the leader of the state. In Antigone, it is Creons abuse of absolute power that leads to his tragic downfall. Whilst Oedipus determinedly tried to get to the root of his peoples ills, ultimately discovering that he was in fact the cause of them, Creon morphs from a supposedly caring leader into a tyrannical despot, eager to take the law into his own hands. It is the actions of Antigone that helps to bring about Creons fall from grace, as her steadfast refusal to accept th...

    Read More

  • Hitler´s Rise to Power

    577 Words  | 2 Pages

    According to en.wikipedia.org and historyplace.cpm, Hitlers rise to power began in Germany when he joined the Nazi party in September, 1919. Deep anger about the first world war and the treaty of Versalies created an underlying bitterness in the German people which Hitlers viciousness and expansionism appealed, so the perty gave him support. He was imprisioned after the 1923 unich Bear hall putsch. The Bear hall putsch resulted in the deaths of four officers. He was sentenced to five years, during that time he wrote Mein Kampf. He was named chancellor on January 30, 1933 by president Paul Van Hidenburg. His rise to power could have ended if the Enabling Act of 1933 was not adopted. The Enabling Act of 1933 meant that Hitler could enact laws and endemocract in Germany. The Nazi party used force to scare the German Governmant into voting for the act. The day the voting for the Nazi troopers gathered outside the opera house, chanting,"Full power or else." under Hitlers rule, Germany was transformed into a racist totlaitarian state which controlled nearly all aspects for everyones life.

    Read More

  • Is Marcus Brutus An Honorable Man?

    521 Words  | 2 Pages

    Brutus was a very selfish and self-centered person. He continually ignored Cassius’ and the conspirators’ ideas. He was the leader and everyone was supposed to go along with them. Not to mention that all of his decisions went against Cassius and they were all the wrong moves. Brutus refused to admit that he was wrong or listen to other people.

    Read More

  • Creon and Antigone as Tragic Heroes in Sophocles' Antigone

    560 Words  | 2 Pages

    Creon and Antigone, main characters in the Greek tragedy Antigone by Sophocles share some of the same characteristics that make up a tragic hero, but to varying degrees. Antigone, daughter of her mother/grandmother, Jocasta, and father, Oedipus is head strong, proud, and stubborn. She had three siblings, Ismene her sister, and two brothers Eteocles and Polyneices who found there deaths at the end of each others sword in battle over which would become king of Thebes. Antigone's pride fullness and loyalty is revealed when Polyneices is denied proper burial by her uncle and king Creon. The two buttheads in the political for Creon and personal for Antigone situation and bring about the downfall of the royal family.

    Read More

  • The Tragedy Of Julius Caesar - Tragic Hero

    488 Words  | 1 Pages

    In the play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, I saw two main characters as tragic heroes. First, I saw Julius Caesar as a tragic hero because his will to gain power was so strong that he ended up losing his life for it. The fact that he could have been such a strong leader was destroyed when he was killed by conspirators. I saw Marcus Brutus as a second tragic hero in this play. Brutus was such a noble character that did not deserve to die. The main reason why he did die, however, was because he had led a conspiracy against Caesar and eventually killed him. These two characters were the tragic heroes of the play in my opinion.

    Read More

  • Brutus, the Noblest Roman of them All

    1845 Words  | 4 Pages

    The noblest ones take risks and face the consequences and challenges to prove what is right. Brutus loved Rome and when Cassius asks him to join the conspiracy, he only agrees knowing that Caesar`s death would make Rome a better place. Killing Caesar was hard for him to do, but it was a risk he was willing to take, knowing it would bring democracy to Rome. After Brutus forces himself to make the last stab in Caesar`s heart, he mentions in his speech, “Not that I loved Caesar / less, but that I have loved Rome more” (iii. ii. 21-22). Brutus` quote shows how much he loved Rome and the things he was willing to do for it, even if i...

    Read More

  • Cassius vs. Brutus in Julius Caesar

    829 Words  | 2 Pages

    Both Cassius and Brutus play major roles in the play Julius Caesar. Cassius and Brutus both plan Caesar’s death. Although they are working towards a common goal, Cassius and Brutus have very different motivations for doing this. On the one hand, Cassius sees it as a way to gain more power for himself while destroying the king and all his power. On the other hand, Brutus believes that in killing Caesar he is preserving peace for the Romans’ future years. Throughout the play, Shakespeare uses different techniques to create biased characterizations of the two men so that readers and viewers develop identical attitudes towards each of them. In Julius Caesar, Cassius is portrayed as a greedy villain while Brutus is depicted as an honorable hero.

    Read More

  • Honor And Honor In Shakespeare's Julius Caesar

    1109 Words  | 3 Pages

    His honor and loyalty shape the world around him. You can see how honor and loyalty shaped the world around him when Cassius comes to him to ask him for help in dealing with Caesar. Even thou Brutus love 's Caesar and knows that Caesar is a good man, he lets Cassius talk him into looking deeper and see that Rome can 't have a tyrant as a leader. He tells Cassius "Into what dangers would you lead me, Cassius, That you would have me seek into myself, for that which is not in me?" (1.2.65-67). Brutus knows that killing his best friend is not something he wants to do, but he 's ready to commit such crime because it 's for the good of the Rome and the people of

    Read More

  • The Rise Of Adolf Hitler And The Power Of Hitler

    646 Words  | 2 Pages

    In November, 1923, a German veteran, Adolf Hitler, tried following Mussolini’s example in staging a small coupe in Munich. This coupe failed and Hitler tried seizing Munich but failed and became imprisoned. Within the next decade, Hitler became a legal ruler. Hitler’s rise to power cause questioning, how did this ruthless leader gain the utter support of Germans? The answer to this question is still unknown to this day.

    Read More

  • Julius Caesar Leadership Essay

    1068 Words  | 3 Pages

    Two powerful leaders, one power hungry whose ambitious ideas lead to his downfall, the other mindful of people who deserve their higher positions. A true leader is someone who has a vision, a drive and commitment to achieve what's best. In the play written by William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, Brutus and Caesar are one of the main characters. They demonstrate leadership qualities that are still relevant to today. They are both very ambitious characters; however, they do so for different reasons and differ in their openness to others. There are many similarities and differences that lie between them. Both are noble and great men with loyal followers and neither man questions the rightness of his own path. Both made crucial mistakes that resulted in their death. However, Caesar acts out of love for for himself, his country, and to retain his power as ruler of Rome. Brutus on the other hand acts out of love for freedom of Rome. This essay will discuss and compare their qualities as leaders as well as their styles and how they are effective/ineffective in the play.

    Read More

More about Comparing the Tragic Heros in Antigone and Julius Caesar

Open Document