How Does Oedipus Change In Antigone

Antigone lost both of her brothers, but only one, Eteocles, was allowed by Creon to receive a proper burial. No matter what shame someone may have caused, they are deserving of a respectful and proper burial. This is especially important, for the afterlife and respect for the dead are of great importance and significance Ancient Greek culture. Antigone should have been able to bury both brothers with equal consideration and honor. Creon degrees that the burial of Polynices is prohibited. Regarding Creon’s decree, Antigone says that there is “a city-wide proclamation, rumor has it, forbids anyone to bury him, even mourn him,” (Sophocles, lines 33-34). Creon declares that Polynices

He is both logical and ethical. Creon is talking to his “people” and he says that he knows that no one will just follow a person around like a mindless drone. He says that his rules are the law and if you fight for your country you will die in honor and will be praised for it, but if you betray your country for another you will be left for the dogs and birds to feed on you. He says that, that is his command is a wise decision. “I am aware, of course, that no ruler can expect complete loyalty from his subjects until he has been tested in office.” “These are my principles, at any rate, and that is why I have made the following decision concerning the sons of Oedipus: Eteocles, who died as a man should die, fighting for his country, is to be buried with full military honors, with all the ceremony that is usual when the greatest heroes die; but his brother Polyneices, who broke his exile to come back with fire and sword against his native city and the shrines of his fathers’ gods, whose one idea was to spill the blood of his blood and sell his own people into slavery–– Polyneices, I say, is to have no burial: no man is to touch him or say the least prayer for him; he shall lie on the plain, unburied; and the birds and the scavenging dogs can do with him whatever they like.This is my command, and you can see the wisdom behind it”(196). Creon is being logical. He is being logical because he is setting an example to the people of his country. His

Foreshadowing is a significant device in the play where it helps the reader understand the theme of fate in the play. An example of foreshadowing is when Oedipus speaks to his children and says, “I weep for you, though sight is mine no more, Picturing in mind the sad and dreary life which waits you in the world in years to come”. This informs the reader that Antigone will have a similar fate to her father’s, however she deals with it differently. Antigone is fully aware of her fate and therefore she accepts it. She decides to obey the laws of the gods instead of Creon’s laws by giving her brother a proper burial. Even when she faces death, she still holds on to her beliefs knowing that her fate is inevitable and this is shown when she says, “my fate prompts no tears.”. Therefore both Oedipus and Antigone discovered their fates, but one of them decided to fight against it while the other decided to obey the gods by accepting it. Even when they had similar destinies, Oedipus was seen as a leader who brought shame to Thebes, while Antigone was recognized for her heroicness and courage because she respected the gods enough to follow her

     At first glance, Oedipus and Creon are two very different people. But as time progresses their personalities and even their fates grow more and more similar. In Sophocles’s play “Oedipus the King”, Oedipus and Creon are two completely opposite people. Oedipus is brash and thoughtless, whilst Creon is wise and prudent. In “Oedipus the King”, Oedipus effectively portrays the idea of the classic “flawed hero”. He becomes arrogant and brash. He accuses Creon and Tiresias of treachery. Even worse however, Oedipus goes against the gods. This causes them to punish him severely. Creon is the exact antithesis of Oedipus. He thinks before he acts. Creon is wise and loyal. In Sophocles’ other

To him, Eteocles is a hero to Thebes who died defending the city’s honor. On the other hand, he would not overlook Polyneices’ alliance with other city-states to attack his hometown. Creon feels that the only reasonable way to promote peace in Thebes is to be strict on those who attacked Thebes. His edict read, “Eteocles, who died as a man should die, fighting for his country, is to be buried with full military honors, with all the ceremony that is usual when the greatest heroes die; but his brother Polyneices. . . I say, is to have no burial: no man is to touch him or say the least prayer for him; he shall lie on the plain, unburied; and the birds and the scavenging dogs can do with him whatever they like” (163-173). Once he finds out Antigone has disobeyed his orders, he considers her an ‘ungovernable young woman’ and sentences her to be buried alive. He disliked Antigone’s reasoning and thought that the God’s were on his side, seeing Polyneices as a traitor. It is ironic to see him behave the way Oedipus does when he was once king. Creon accuses everybody of conspiracy, including the blind prophet Teiresias. He predicts that Creon’s actions will result in the death of his family. Creon indicts him of being

Antigone retaliates by saying that his law is not that of the Gods so it does not stand. He wants to have Antigone killed, but his son his her fiancé. He tries to explain to the king that the gods would have wanted Polyneices to be buried and that Antigone did the right thing that she should not be punished for it. Creon’s hubris however comes out yet again. He will not even listen to a word his son has to say; however now he does not want to kill her, but to send her away into a tomb, where the Gods can determine her fate.

In the first paragraph of the play it reads, "My darling sister Ismene, we have had a fine inheritance from Oedipus. God has gone through the whole range of sufferings and piled them all on us, -grief upon grief, humiliation upon humiliation"(1042). This just shows how terrible fate has treated the family of Oedipus. Creon has a different fate, one that he brought upon himself but it is much more dour than anyone else's. Creon's fate was to lose all of all of his family and the rest of his life knowing it was his entire fault because of his selfish actions and his stubborn ways. In the end of the play Creon says, "Nobody else to share the blame. Just me . . . I killed you. I killed you my dear"(1078-1079).

To begin, Antigone demonstrates her head-strong and determined behaviour throughout the play; through her actions and many dialogues, Antigone proves to be inflexible and unshakable at times. In addition, A World Enclosed outlines that the hero in the tragedy is not admirable or heroic at all, but rather, they have a destructive flaw to their character that sparks tragedy to unfold. By the same token, Antigone's determination and stubbornness, and arguably many more flaws, ignite tragedy in this story as well. This is demonstrated when Antigone is

     Antigone's decision to bury her brother caused harm to many people. First, she tried to convince her sister Ismene to help her. She did this by trying to make Ismene feel guilty if she did not; stating it was Ismene's brother too. She says after Ismene tells her she is on a hopeless quest "If you say so, you will make me hate you and the hatred of the dead, by all rights, will haunt you day and night."(Act I: Scene I: Line 57) This threat brings Antigone farther apart from the only living family member that she has left. She has her mind set so much on burying her brother that she will stop at nothing, not even threatening her opposing sister to do it. Since Ismene has been through the same

In the two plays written by Sophocles (Oedipus the King and Antigone),Creon displays hypocritical mannerisms in Antigone, the sequel of Oedipus Rex. In the First play of the Oedipus Cycle, Oedipus the King Creon acts humane wishing peace from the Gods and eluding controversy with their punishment of the plagues. He listens more than

In the play Creon rejects the burial of Polyneices but still seems to value family heavily. When Creon speaks with Haemon he expresses that he should listen to his father’s choice over anything else “Stand by your father’s ideas in all things.” (Page 37), showing that Creon values family honor. Sophocles shows moments of family love throughout the play, Creon knows letting Antigone go after burying her brother is the right thing to do so he makes the decision to let her go free for the action she performed “I myself, since my judgement has turned and seen better ways, I bound her up and I will go and release her.” (Page 54), this shows that Creon truly loves Antigone and chose family over authority by freeing her. As Haemon finds out Antigone has hanged herself, in

            To identify the tragic hero in Sophocles’ renowned play “Antigone”, we should first consider both the elements present in Greek tragedies and what characteristics define a tragic hero. Aristotle’s definition of tragedy is: “Tragedy is a story taking the hero from happiness to misery because of a fatal flaw or mistake on his part. To be a true tragic hero he must also elicit a strong emotional response of pity and fear from the audience. This is known as catharsis or purging of emotion.” In most cases the tragic hero begins

Creon's motivation for forbidding the burial of his own nephew Polyneices is because he fought over the throne of Thebes which was rightfully to be given to his brother who was next in line. He and his brother both killed each other which is why Polyneices brother is having a proper burial and Polyneices was left out in the wilderness. Creon would issue an edict that runs so contrary to his family obligations because he feels that if he allows this to happen within his family then it makes it acceptable for his citizens to get away with following the law.

Each character arouses fear and pity from the reader or audience. Antigone makes the reader fear for her when she goes out in the middle of the field to bury Polyneices, her brother, because she could get caught by Creon’s guards and sentenced to death. Antigone also makes the reader pity her when she said, “Then let me go, since all your words are bitter, and the very light of the sun is cold to me. Lead me to my vigil, were I must have neither love nor lamentation; no song, but silence” (Sc. 4, lns. 49-52). Creon makes the reader fear for him when he doesn’t give Polyneices a soldier’s funeral, because the gods could punish him. He makes the reader pity him when all his

He flouts religious law by refusing Polyneices a burial and then forces death upon Antigone by entombing her. The seer Tiresias chastises him for his hubris, telling him “you took one who dwells above and tossed her below/You reject a living soul and peopled a tomb with her./And you took one who belongs down there and kept him/here,/Untouched by gods, unburied, unholy, a corpse exposed” (Sophocles 46). If he was acting with proper reverence towards the power of fate and its embodiment--death--he would have allowed Polyneices to have a proper burial and cross over to the realm of dead, and he would have not taken control of Antigone’s fate by mandating her death. Tiresias further censures Creon, telling him “the dead are no business of yours; not even the gods above/Own any part of them. You’ve committed violence against/them” (Sophocles 46). Tiresias’ statement further crucifies Creon because he emphasizes the gravity of Creon’s crime by noting that not even “the gods above” have power over their fate of the dead. Creon allowed his hubris to guide him and asserted himself above even the