Antigone’s strength allows her to defend her brother’s honor against Creon, who wants to make a statement about traitors. However, both Antigone and King Creon commit faults while trying to protect the things they love. Antigone should not have died for her beliefs as it puts her loved ones and community in danger, and Creon should not have forbidden the burial of Polyneices as it angers the Gods and causes him great suffering in the end. Antigone is a strong willed character who is not afraid to defend her beliefs. After learning that Creon has denied Polyneices of a proper burial she uses her free will to decide that she must lay her brother to rest, as she strongly believes he should be honored like the other fallen soldiers. Unable to …show more content…
She reminds Antigone that they are the only family members left and pleads with her not to commit such a crime, but Antigone refuses to accept the logic in her sister’s argument and will not be swayed, even though the idea of her death clearly upsets her sister. Ismene later has a change of heart and wishes to die alongside her sister in order to honor the dead as well, she even confesses to Creon, but Antigone rejects her idea of being a martyr, saying that her own death “will suffice” (Sophocles 136). Ismene then imagines life without her sister. The idea of losing the only kin she has left on Earth terrifies Ismene. She pleads to Antigone, “what life is dear to me bereft of you?” (Sophocles 136). Ismene would rather die than live without Antigone. In deciding to give her life for her brother, Antigone neglects her sister, and acts selfishly. She therefore should not have signed herself over to death as it has severely negative effects on her only living …show more content…
He anxiously awaits the day when he can call Antigone his wife, but because she defies King Creon, she deprives him of that opportunity. At first, Haemon tries to be loyal to his father. He tells Creon that he supports his decision to execute Antigone. However, as the conversation continues, he reveals that the community members are starting to renounce Creon’s decision. As the pain of potentially losing his fiancé becomes too much, he also renounces his father’s decision, arguing that the Gods would not condone it. In an act against his father, Haemon hurries to the cave Antigone was exiled to, in hopes to save her, but instead finds her hanging from the veil she was supposed to wear on her wedding day. Instantly overwhelmed with grief, Haemon, “[bewails] the loss of his bride” (Sophocles 152). Similarly, to Ismene’s case, Haemon cannot picture himself living on Earth without Antigone by his side, and commits suicide. In Antigone’s desire to appease the Gods, she abandons her loved ones, and causes them great suffering. This could have been avoided has she not pursued her desire to bury
Antigone makes the decision to go against the king, Creon, and bury her brother. The king declares that this man, Polyneices, shall have no burial because he fought against his country; however, this decision goes
When Creon decided to forbid the burial of Polynices, as he believed Polynices was a traitor to Thebes, Antigone was outraged. This decision, viewed through the eyes of Creon, was just and fair; on the other hand, Antigone viewed his decision as cruel and selfish, which resulted into a major conflict between these two characters. When Antigone disobeyed his proclamation, Creon became infuriated towards this rebellious act. Those small events within the play expressed Creon as a ruler doing what he believes is right; on the other hand, Antigone’s rebellion expressed otherwise. Antigone was soon shown to cause an evil spark within Creon.
After being locked up in a dark, damp cave, Antigone was fed up with wallowing in her own pity, and takes her own life by “hang[ing] by the neck in a fine linen noose, strangled in her veils,” (1347–1348). Seeing the graceful young woman embraced in the arms of his own son, Creon immediately swells with anger towards un-masculine Haemon because of his display of love, and the significance of Antigone’s death goes straight over his head. Her strong sense of self – knowing who she is, what she values, and what makes her happy – enables her to make regretless decisions that alter her time to come. One of those decisions instigated Haemon’s fate to be sealed as well, prompting Eurydice, mother of the prince, to join her son in the underworld. Not long after becoming aware of her child’s downfall, Eurydice sacrifices her life at the heart of the palace, and “raised a cry for the noble fate of Megareus, the hero killed in the first assault, then for Haemon, then with her dying breath she called down torments on [Creon’s] head–[Creon] killed her sons,” (1429–1432). Creon’s heart fills with grief, for the fault of these three deaths lies with him, and pathetic self-pities are the only thoughts running through his mind. Despite the three-deceased’s blood lying
At the beginning of the play, Antigone brought Ismene outside the city gates at night for a top secret meeting. Antigone wanted to bury her brother Polyneices' body because even though he died in dishonor he was her brother. Ismene refused to disobey the king which is also their Uncle Creon, and she failed to talk Antigone out of doing the act herself. "Consider, sister, how our father died,/hated and infamous; how he brought to light/his own offenses..Then, mother...did shame/violently on her life, with twisted cords. Third, our two brothers, on a single day...Each killed the other, hand against brother's hand." (Antigone, Lines 59-65) In this quote, Antigone justified her reasons for going against the law describing how her parents went through so much, how their father was banished and due to this their mother had committed suicide because her reputation went down to the drain, even after all that their two brothers went into battle against one another and died in the process. Ismene was sympathetic, but still she was noble and afraid of Creon so she did not offer her help to Antigone.
Third, Antigone is a wonderful example of a martyr. Her legacy will live on, and inspire many other rebels to stand up for their beliefs. Antigone dared to defy the King’s threat of death to bury her brother, and shows true family pride. The people take pity on Antigone, and feel that she should be let alone. Haemon, Creon's son and Antigone's betrothed, states how the people of Thebes feel. “On every side I hear voices of pity for this poor girl doomed to the cruelest death…for an honorable action-burying a brother who was killed in battle…has she not rather earned a crown of gold” (
At first she tries to convince her sister Ismene to join her in her plans, but Ismene refuses, she is not willing to give up her life at all, when Antigone is not only risking her life but also her marriage with Haemon. When Antigone meets Creon she proves her strength and spiritual power. Some say she is not a saint but a martyr. She combats Creon with insolence towards the civil authority, following always the laws of heaven.
Antigone’s pride caused her to go against Creon’s will and break the law to bury her brother, Polyneicês’s body. Antigone tells her sister Ismene of Creon’s decision about the burial of their brothers. She asks Ismene to help her bury Polyneicês’s body. When Ismene refuses Antigone tells her sister “But I will bury him; and if I must die, I say that this crime is holy: I shall lie down with him in death, and I shall be as dear to him as he to me,” (193).
In her reaction to Creon’s defamation of Polynices, Antigone says, “I will bury him myself. And even if I die in the act, that death will be a glory. I will lie with the one I love and loved by him – an outrage sacred to the gods!” (63). In this statement, Antigone commits herself to giving her brother a proper burial, even if it means facing death as a result of her actions. It is this commitment to achieving “glory” that makes Antigone willing to die for what she believes is
She is a pious, autonomous individual who likes to take matters into her own hands. When it comes to her plan to give her brother a proper burial, “Creon is not enough to stand in [her] way,” and she is “not afraid of the danger; if it means death, it will not be the worst of deaths – death without honor,” (Antigone 15, 80-81). To Antigone, family and honor are of highest priority, and she will not let anything or anyone prevent her from carrying out her duties. From the beginning of the play until her death, she holds onto these principles. Even the way in which she dies is reflective of this self-ruling ideal; she killed herself before anyone else could, not allowing anyone other than herself to have control over her fate. And because of these principles, her misfortunes were self-inflicted. She knew what misfortunes awaited her if she were to go through with her plan; she knew “the penalty [for burying Polyneices] – stoning to death in the public square,” (Antigone 23-24). She was fully aware that she would get killed for carrying out this act, but she did not allow those consequences to stop her from doing what she believed was honorable. Because Antigone’s misfortunes occurred with her full conscious knowledge and acceptance of her consequences, she is not considered a tragic
When Creon leaves Antigone in the vault to die, she believes “I have not sinned before God. Or if I have, I shall know the truth in death. But if the guilt lies upon Creon who judged me, then, I pray, may his punishment equal my own.”(Antigone 227-228). Antigone sees her actions as only helping a loved one who was in the right deserving a proper burial as much as King of Thebes Eteocles, but if Creon is guilty for his wrongs his punishment should be equal. When Teiresias enters to speak with Creon, Teiresias tells of his vision, but Creon believes his prophet has also been bribed with gold. Putting his foolish thoughts aside Creon learns he must “ free Antigone from her vault And build a tomb for the body of Polyneices.”(Antigone 235). Creon begins to listen to those around him seeing “The laws of the gods are mighty, and a man must serve them To the last day of his life!”(Antigone 236). Creon sees the Gods do impact society and finally realizes listening to them benefits everyone as a whole. Creon arrives too late to save Antigone, who has hung herself and along with her is his son Haimon, who fights with Creon in the vault ultimately kills himself in the process. Creon's wife, Eurydice, founds out of her son's death and also commits suicide. Creon inflexibility within rules have lead to those he loved the most to have passed away. He now has nothing to
“Make these excuses, I will heap/ The earth over my brother’s body” (63). Although no one would help her, Antigone took a stand against injustice and honored her brother by burying him, even though Creon said this act would be punishable by death if anyone committed this act of insubordination. Especially in the age that Antigone lived in, it was considered foolish to simply go against a man’s orders, let alone the Kings. Not to mention that Antigone was related to the King, making the situation even worse. She committed a supremely precarious action, especially for a woman. Not only does she bravely follow her morals, but she does a great job of justifying them in her arguments. Antigone was a civil disobedient by disobeying Creon’s orders and accepting the consequences, but she did a great job of justifying them through her arguments throughout Antigone.
In Sophocles' Greek tragedy, Antigone, two characters undergo character changes. During the play the audience sees these two characters' attitudes change from close-minded to open-minded. It is their close-minded, stubborn attitudes, which lead to their decline in the play, and ultimately to a series of deaths. In the beginning Antigone is a close minded character who later becomes open minded. After the death of her brothers, Eteocles and Polyneices, Creon becomes the ruler of Thebes. He decides that Eteocles will receive a funeral with military honors because he fought for his country. However, Polyneices, who broke his exile to " spill the blood of his father and sell his own people into slavery", will have no burial. Antigone disagrees with Creon's unjust actions and says, " Creon is not strong enough to stand in my way." She vows to bury her brother so that his soul may gain the peace of the underworld. Antigone is torn between the law placed against burying her brother and her own thoughts of doing what she feels should be done for her family. Her intent is simply to give her brother, Polyneices, a proper burial so that she will follow "the laws of the gods." Antigone knows that she is in danger of being killed for her actions and she says, "I say that this crime is holy: I shall lie down with him in death, and I shall be as dear to him as he to me." Her own laws, or morals, drive her to break Creon's law placed against Polyneices burial. Even after she realizes that she will have to bury Polyneices without the help of her sister, Ismene, she says: Go away, Ismene: I shall be hating you soon, and the dead will too, For your words are hateful. Leave me my foolish plan: I am not afraid of the danger; if it means death, It will not be the worst of deaths-death without honor. Here Ismene is trying to reason with Antigone by saying that she cannot disobey the law because of the consequences. Antigone is close-minded when she immediately tells her to go away and refuses to listen to her. Later in the play, Antigone is sorrowful for her actions and the consequences yet she is not regretful for her crime. She says her crime is just, yet she does regret being forced to commit it.
Ismene was the other sister of Antigone and Polynices. She however, did not think that her family was important to her. Antigone told Ismene, “is he not my brother, and yours, whether you like it or not?, I shall never desert him, never,” (1.1.39) but still Ismene didn’t want to help. Well, maybe she did but she refused to help Antigone bury their brother because she didn’t want to sacrifice her life. She didn’t like the idea of going against her uncle’s orders like as she says here “ you cannot mean....to bury him? Against the order,” (1.1.38). That showed that she didn’t have enough courage to go against the orders. However, towards the ending of the story she wanted to be a part of the burial but she wasn’t so she didn’t get any credit for it. Antigone however, did bury Polynices all by herself and then later committed suicide.
Antigone also demonstrates loyalty towards her sister, Ismene. At first when the two sisters quarrel over the burial of Polyneices, Antigone demonstrates hatred and resentment towards Ismene. Antigone accuses her of dishonoring her brother and dishonoring the gods. She also attacks Ismene’s morals by calling her weak and...
Antigone is so driven to bury her brother than she is not concerned about if anyone will help her. Antigone asked Ismene to help bury the body and when Ismene refuses Antigone says, “I won’t insist, no, even if you should have a change of heart, I’d never welcome you in the labor, not with me. So, do as you like, whatever suits you best- I’ll bury him myself.” Ismene is able to act and understand the consequences of helping Antigone and refuses. However, Antigone knows that consequences and goes about burying the body anyways without her sisters help. Antigone does this because it is what she feels as the right thing to do regardless of anyone else’s opinion. Her desire to be independent is what lands her in trouble with Creon. While the rest of the city is too afraid to be punished, Antigone attempts to bury the body anyways. Even in the end, when she believes that she is going to be left to die, she chooses to create her own death instead of suffering the death others want for her. She refuses to accept and do what others want. She does her own, independent things regardless of the consequences or the effect on other