Theme Of Tragedy In Antigone

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Power is defined as “the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or

the course of events.” by the dictionary. Unfortunately, these influences paved the way for

certain events that followed, leading to tragedy in Antigone. Antigone is a strong female

character that choses to go against the decree of the King Creon by refusing to let her brother,

Polynices, remain unburied and without traditional burial rituals. Tiresias, a blind prophet,

advises King Creon against his stubbornness and challenges Creon’s power by predicting the

outcome of tragedy if King Creon does not adhere to his words. King Creon lastly declares that

not even the Gods above can save the unburied body of Polynices, thus exercising his mortal
I and my better judgment/ have come

round to this- I shackled her,/ Ill set her free myself I am afraid…(1233-1236). He quickly

realizes that it is better to listen to Tiresias prophecy then risk the chance of tragedy upon

himself and his family.

In conclusion, as a result of King Creon’s pride, Antigone is found dead by handing and

his son Haemon kills himself upon seeing her dead body. King Creon’s wife also kills herself

shortly after learning of the death of her son. In the end, King Creon directly caused these actions

because these characters were influenced by his decision. The power of influence affectively

impacted everyone in this play. Antigone was first affected by her brothers’ inability to be buried

with ritual because King Creon branded him a traitor. Because of this, she affected King Creon’s

refusal to bury Polynices and he paid for his pride and arrogance with the lives of his son, wife

and niece. If King Creon had listened to Tiresias warnings, he would have avoided tragedy

within his household. Tiresias was his second chance to rid himself of tragedy because he

refused to first listen to Antigone’s

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