Ignorance In Antigone
analytical Essay
439 words
Enlightened Ignorance
“You’re too rash. Has Creon not expressly banned that act?”
- (59-60)
Throughout the Greek play, “Antigone”, we see one of the main character’s, Creon, who recently was named King of Thebes due to his Nephews battling to the death for the throne. Creon by the end of the play would eventually develop a theme known as a “Tragic Hero.” His character's emotion and motivations conflict with another main character, his Niece who the play is named after, Antigone. The characteristics of Creon have conflicting motives such as his hierarchy, greed, and vengefulness are highlighted by Antigone’s opposing ethics. Ultimately these conflicting motivations develop Creon as a tragic hero by making him regret his Decree and rash decisions once he has learned of his fate.
Antigone’s words, actions, and ideas contrast with Creon’s character by her going
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In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how creon, named king of thebes due to his nephews fighting to the death for the throne, develops a theme known as "tragic hero." his hierarchy, greed, and vengefulness are highlighted by antigone's opposing ethics.
- Analyzes how antigone's words, actions, and ideas contrast with creon’s character by her going against his decree of not giving her brother, polynices a proper burial.
- Analyzes how creon's character is developed as a tragic hero when he announces the death of the two brothers and speaks highly of etocles and hateful towards polynices' name.
- Analyzes how teresias and creon's interactions advance the plot by denying the prophecies of ter.
- Analyzes how creon realizes his downfall is only caused by his actions, and by the end of the play, he does a full 180 after seeing the effects of his tragedies on himself but learns it is too late to right his wrongs.
Creon’s character is developed as a tragic hero when he announces the death of the two Brothers and speaks highly of Etocles and hateful towards Polynices’ name. He speaks to the chorus about Polynices “For him, the proclamation of the state declares he will have no burial, no funeral rites, and no lament.” (231-235) This passage shows his true hatred and apathy towards the exile Polynices and anyone who would go against their own homeland.
The interactions between Teresias and Creon advance the plot by Creon denying Teresias’ prophecies. We see this near the end of the play where he warns Creon of his disrespectful acts that have upset the gods of the underworld. But when this happens when Creon accuses him of just saying these things for more money, but deep down he knows his prophecies are known to come true and haven’t been wrong before. This motivates him to right his wrongs and undo the decree and go against everything he believes as
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- Analyzes how sophocles' antigone has two tragic heroes, antigone herself and creon, who reveals all the characteristics of a tragic hero.
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In this essay, the author
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- Analyzes how creon abused his power by thinking that he can change or brake the laws of the gods and not allowing other people to brake his laws. he did not want to burry polyneices' body, but god's law is that every human deserves to be buried after death.
- Analyzes creon's actions to cause the downfall of thebes. he broke the burial law of the gods and punished antigone for following their laws.
- Opines that creon's stubbornness and abuse of power caused the downfall of thebes. he believed that he had the right to brake the laws of god and makeup his own for his people.
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In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how sophocles' play, antigone, explores many aspects of a greek tragedy.
- Analyzes how antigone is loyal to her family, and risked her life to save polynices from eternal damnation. her sister, ismene, notes that she is true to the ones who love her.
- Concludes that polynices was justified in attacking thebes because he and etiocles had a timeshare on the crown that was inherited by both of them from their father, oedipus.
- Analyzes how creon was disloyal to his family, but justified because his nephew betrayed him and his beloved city to gain a petty title of nobility.
- Analyzes how creon, a theban loyalist, was dissatisfied with the drama that continuously followed the family, and wanted his city to be clear of it.
- Concludes that both sides clearly have valid points whether they be for the right reasons or not, it is all up to the interpretation of the reader.
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- Analyzes how antigone explores the different ranges of characters: static and dynamic or flat and round. creon, king of thebes, takes on the role of a static character.
- Analyzes how creon's stubborn side rooted from his love of power. he believed in a powerful kingdom and felt everyone should obey his rules as king.
- Analyzes how creon abused his power when he went against the god's law that every human deserved to be buried after death not depending on what that certain person did during their lifetime.
- Analyzes how creon is blinded by his hubris and believes he is doing the right thing for the state. he doesn't listen to anyone, not even the highly respected prophet teiresias.
- Analyzes how creon sees that his judgment is unwise, he fears the god's will punish him, and wants his son haimon to be happy, but it may be too late.
- Analyzes how creon's stubbornness and abuse of power caused a downfall in thebes. he believed he had every right to break the law of god and create his own without their consent.
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In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how antigone's titular character clashes with creon the newly crowned king of thebes over the proper burial rites for her brother polynecias who had raised an army and fought for his rightful claim to the thron
- Analyzes how antigone's argument is that by denying polynecias a proper burial creon denies their customs and the wishes of the gods.
- Analyzes how antigone chose to die for her beliefs, a virtue that is etched into the pillars of society. the assassinations of abraham lincoln and martin luther kind are prime examples of people who faced the machine only to get cut down.
- Opines that if we choose the latter, we need to accept that our most fundamental beliefs about liberty and human rights are a sham and the constitution isn't worth the hemp it's written on.
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In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the two main characters, creon and antigone, both inevitably become tragic heroes.
- Analyzes the first impression that creon made upon them was his stern, ironclad manner and ethical code.
- Explains that they ruled out antigone as a tragic hero when she started questioning her actions. since creon hadn't changed his mind, they were perplexed on who would become the one who regretted their actions later.
- Analyzes how haimon was the "silent" tragic hero of the play, suffering at the hands of his strict father. he remained loyal until the question of whether creon's decision was possibly the right one.
- Explains that antigone's self-righteousness and creon had an egotistical point of view. both realized their mistake and regretted it later.
- Opines that creon is the only tragic hero in the play. the purpose of a greek tragedy is to make the cast suffer, and to establish fear and pity.
- Analyzes how sophocles didn't break "the norm" with the script of this play, but he did break the wills of his characters, by making them suffer the unmentionable, death.
513 wordsRead More - Comparing the Character of Creon in Oedipus and Antigoneanalytical essayIn Antigone, Creon becomes king of Thebes after Polynices and Eteocles commit fratricide in battle. Antigone commits her ‘crime of reverence(74)' by burying Polynices after a direct order from Creon dictating that everyone leave him on the ground, unburied. Creon first accuses the council of elders of being stupid and old (281) when they suggest that the gods were behind Polynices' burial. After this, he goes on a tirade against men who supposedly were not happy with his leadership and therefore paid off the watchmen to bury the body. Creon blames the watchman of burying the body for money and the watchman tells him that, "It's terrible when false judgment guides the judge (323)."
In this essay, the author
- Compares the character of creon in oedipus and antigone. he adapts this bad personality trait, accusing everyone who tries to give advice of betraying him.
- Compares creon's role in oedipus to his character in antigone.
- Analyzes how creon becomes king of thebes after polynices and eteocles commit fratricide in battle.
- Analyzes how creon accuses antigone of breaking the law after the watchman tells him that they found her burying polynices' body a second time.
- Analyzes how creon's tyrannical rule is seen at its climax when his son, haemon, comes to talk to him.
- Analyzes how creon accuses haemon of betraying him for antigone. he tells his father to loosen up and rule in a desert.
- Analyzes how creon accuses tiresias of telling him a false prophecy and wanting nothing but money.
- Analyzes how creon learned nothing about false accusations and bad judgement from oedipus' tragedy. he picks up these traits and takes them farther than he had the chance to do.
825 wordsRead More - Antigone Deserves More Sympathy than Creonanalytical essayIn 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.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the hero who is left in agony at the end of the play, unlike the oedipus tyrannus, is not the title role, but king creon, the newly appointed and tyrannical ruler.
- Analyzes how the new king creon deals with the dead traitor polynices, brother of antigone, from the perspective of a 5th century athenian, watching this play.
- Analyzes how creon's despotic and forceful control over his new city can not have been received well. the right to free speech was a basic principle of athenian democracy and was attacked by the enemies of democracy, oligarchs and tyrants.
- Analyzes how creon's edict is contrary to the gods' laws on burial and he has the arrogance to decide what the gods must believe.
- Analyzes creon's behaviour in his own eyes and the dishonourable actions of antigone to strengthen his case.
- Analyzes how antigone, despite her conduct to her sister, is a loving and passionate person. the pathos from the scene is vivid and contrasts with the harsh words of creon.
- Analyzes how sophocles isolates the girl and extracts pathos from both of them one by one, revealing the unrepresentative nature of the chorus.
- Analyzes how antigone has a death wish and lust for glory. she resigns herself to death before she hears creon's decision, and is outraged when ismene tries to share it with her.
- Analyzes how creon's climactic fall from grace is even more painful by the fact that he is left to live in an empty palace.
- Analyzes how creon's 'hamartia' is that he is too stubborn to change his decision. antigone is doomed by her death wish and lust for glory but she rushed into death head on.
- Explains murray, robert d. jr., and nardo's readings on sophocles.
- Explains segal, charles paul, in sophocles: a collection of critical essays, edited by thomas woodard.
- Introduces woodard, thomas, in sophocles: a collection of critical essays.
2545 wordsRead More