Antigone
Antigone is a very interesting play that was enjoyable to read. This play is somewhat long but reads quickly as the characters in the play are interesting to learn about and understand. Antigone is a strong female character that is rare as she holds the position of a heroine in a time when heroes were more common.
The exposition of this play, that is spoken through the chorus right after Ismene and Antigone first dialogue at the beginning of the play, is that a civil war went on lead by their two brothers Polyneices and Eteocles. The war has now ended with both of the brother’s deaths and Creon in charge. The death and tragedy of King Oedipus also marks as a part of the exposition. The inciting incident in Antigone is when Creon orders that Polyneices is not to be buried. This happens right before the play begins and is addressed along with the exposition at the start of the play. This incident triggers Antigone to make a decision that provides the plot of the story. Antigone decides to disobey Creon’s orders and makes a plan to bury her brother Polyneices anyways. From this point in the play, foreshadowing is made through Ismene’s warning for Antigone of the repercussions of her decision. Later, Teiresias, also foreshadows this play, while Antigone is in prison, when he has a prophecy proclaiming that Creon’s fate is that of tragedy, that the gods are angry with him for his decrees and his actions. This comes true at the end when the tragedy of Antigone, Haemon and Creon’s wife occurs.
As the inciting incident affects the actions and decision of Antigone, she declared as the protagonist of this play. She is also recognized as the heroine that is not only following the laws of the gods and fighting against Creon’s tyranny, she is also beloved by the people. This is told through the chorus and Haemon right after her arrest. Through Antigone, the point of attack is when she goes to bury her brother against Creon’s laws. This happens during the time that Creon is speaking with the chorus after Antigone and Ismene’s talk. Complications then arise when it is noticed that someone has been burying Polyneices, this then leads to the complication that Antigone is caught committing the crime. Then Creon’s
Although Antigone shows equality for women and rights, each character in the play has different views and believes. As a tragic hero of the play, Antigone has a tragic flaw and is very brave, as she defies Creon’s law and buries her brother, despite the fact she knows she will have to face consequences. Ismene and Creon on the other hand, do not appreciate
Antigone, written by the Athenian Sophocles, is about a woman named Antigone who lives in a city named Thebes. The play’s plot is based on her attempt to successfully bury her brother Polynices whom perished in a battle with his brother that also assumed the role of
Antigone takes place just after a war between Antigone’s two brothers, Eteocles and Polynices. Eteocles fought on the side of Thebes whereas Polynices resembled an invader. Afterwards, Eteocles is buried and seen as honorable. However, Polynices is denied a proper burial because he is considered a traitor to Thebes. In this play, Sophocles uses Antigone and Creon as foils by characterizing Antigone as a martyr and Creon as a tyrant to urge the reader to realize that one’s own morals are more significant than the decrees of any government.
Written by the Greek writer Sophocles, the play Antigone continues to touch audiences around the world with themes that are relevant to this day. In the play, Antigone, daughter of Oedipus, and his wife Jocasta, is confronted with conflict as both of her brothers had slain each other after Polynices was exiled from Thebes, then marched back to regain his throne. Creon, the now ruler of Thebes, put forth a declaration stating that only Eteocles was to be buried, while Polynices had been barred from burial as he was considered a traitor. During the play, Antigone fights back and forth on her decision of putting the unwritten law of the gods before the law posted Creon. Two important themes that are showcased throughout the story
There is no such thing as an accident; an accident fate misnamed. Outside the city gates, Antigone tells Ismene that Creon has ordered that Eteocles, who died defending the city, is to be buried with full honors, while the body of Polynices, the invader, is left to rot. Furthermore, Creon has declared that anyone attempting to bury Polynices shall be publicly stoned to death. Outraged, Antigone reveals to Ismene a plan to bury Polynices in secret, despite Creon 's order. When Ismene timidly refuses to defy the king, Antigone angrily rejects her and goes off alone to bury her brother. This play creates an underlying theme or moral, the moral of a story is often an implied lesson you can learn from a character 's experience. In Antigone, the moral of the story is that of fate. This moral is incorporated through the actions of both Creon and Antigone. The moral also corresponds with a recurring theme of the abuse of power, something that Creon is more than guilty of. This theme is incorporated in the many words and actions brought forward by Creon, the king of Thebes.
Creon not allowing Polynecies to have a proper burial is when the real tragedy of the play takes place. As a result of Creon’s orders, Antigone defies him and buries her brother. When Creon discovers what Antigone did, he sentenced her to death.
The opening events of the play Antigone, written by Sophocles, quickly establish the central conflict between Antigone and Creon. Creon has decreed that the traitor Polynices, who tried to burn down the temple of gods in Thebes, must not be given proper burial. Antigone is the only one who will speak against this decree and insists on the sacredness of family and a symbolic burial for her brother. Whereas Antigone sees no validity in a law that disregards the duty family members owe one another, Creon's point of view is exactly opposite. He has no use for anyone who places private ties above the common good, as he proclaims firmly to the Chorus and the audience as he revels in his victory over Polynices. He sees Polynices as an enemy to
The play Antigone by Sophocles is a play like no other. There are three major themes or ideas which have a very important role in the play. The first major theme is fate, on how the play comes about and the turn of events that come about throughout it. Another main theme or idea is the pride the characters have and their unwillingness they have to change their minds once they are set on something. The last major theme is loyalty and the practical problem of conduct involving which is a higher law between the divine laws and those of the humans. It is an issue of which law is the "right" law, and if Creon and Antigone's acts are justifiable or not. The issues that Antigone and Creon have between them
Intro: A quick synopsis of Sophocles’ Antigone is specifically a play centered on the character of Antigone who is a described as strong-willed woman with obvious fate and misfortune from the beginning. Antigone’s only wish is to perform a proper burial for her brother Polyneices who is left unburied after battling to death for the throne of Thebes, however her other brother Eteocles is granted an honorable burial. Antigone is determined to do what she feel is rightful. Ismene is the sister who differs from Antigone. Ismene knows what is right, but has a slight hence of fear of Creon. Ismene knows it’s appropriate to bury her brother Polyneices, but decides that she wants no part of it
Antigone is a play about a woman who disobeyed the King's order to not bury her brother. The play was written by the famous Greek tragedian, Sophocles, in 441 B.C. The story took place in the city of Thebes and the time period is not mentioned. The main characters introduced in the play are of Antigone, Ismene, Creon, and Haemon. The primary focus was centered on Antigone and the consequences she faces after breaking the King's orders.
As the play begins Antigone is just meeting up with her sister and is telling her about the decree of King Creon. Antigone and her sister, Ismene, had two brothers who had killed each other on the battlefield. One of their brothers, Eteocles, was buried with the military honors of a soldier’s funeral, and yet the other, Polyneices, was to be left out to be food for the carrion birds since he died fighting against the city of Thebes. King Creon forbade publicly for anyone to bury the body of Polyneices under the penalty of death. Antigone is now determined to bury her brother and wants Ismene to help her. Ismene does not want to go against what the king has ordered and is fearful of what may become of her if she
The play Antigone, written by Sophocles is the last book of his trilogy called The Oedipus Play of Sophocle. Antigone take places in the city of Thebes, the play open “some days later” there have been an edict by King Creon regarding the burials of Eteocles and Polyneices; Eteocles, will get a proper burial for defending the senate, Polyneices will not. The King Creon had declared Polyneice is a traitor and forbid anyone in the city to bury him. Here where we are being presented with the main characters of this story Antigone and Ismene; the two
Dramatic structure is the sequencing of events, or the plot in the story. In the prologue, Antigone is talking to her sister about how “[Creon]'s honoring one [brother] with a full funeral and treating the other one disgracefully! Eteocles, they say, has had his burial... to win him honor with the dead below. But as for Polyneices, who perished so miserably, an order has gone out throughout the city...He’s to have no funeral or lament, but to be left unburied and unwept...” This gives us the idea of how Antigone is choosing family loyalty over civil obedience because she wants to bury her brother, even though, Creon, the ruler, made it illegal to bury Polyneices. In the parados, the chorus leader tells the story of the war in which “all but that pair of wretched men, born of one father and one mother, too— who set their conquering spears against each other and then both shared a common death.” Within the exposition, we have already established the background of past family tragedies, military conflict, the fate of brothers, and the goal/ conflict of protagonist. These four important dramatic structures are going to help to find theme in Antigone, along with dramatic
The opening events of the play quickly establish the central conflict. Creon has decreed that the traitor Polynices must not be given proper burial, and Antigone is the only one who will speak against this decree and insist on the sacredness of family. Whereas Antigone sees no validity in a law that disregards the duty family members owe one another, Creon’s point of view is exactly opposite. He has no use for anyone who places private ties above the common good, as he proclaims firmly to the Chorus and the audience as he revels in his victory over Polynices. Creon’s first speech, which is dominated by words such as “principle,” “law,” “policy,” and “decree,” shows the extent to which Creon fixates on government and law as the
Antigone is a play that was written in ancient Greece by the playwright Sophocles. It is the third play in a trilogy of tragedies about the city-state of Thebes, revolving around Oedipus Rex. Antigone starts the day after a civil war fought between the two sons of Oedipus Rex after his death. The civil war ended in death for both brothers, so their uncle, Creon, assumed the role of King of Thebes. The main conflict of the play begins when Creon gives one brother, Eteocles, a burial with honors, but passes a law forbidding a burial for the other brother, Polyneices with the penalty of death. One of the sisters of Eteocles and Polyneices, Antigone disagrees with this law, and decides to bury Polyneices, resulting in Creon sentencing Antigone to death. A conflict emerges between Antigone and Creon, who appear to be opposites. However, despite Antigone and Creon’s different stances on law, they are ultimately more similar than different because of their shared value of loyalty and their shared characteristic, hubris.