Antigone Essay
In any story or piece of literature, there will always be the main characters to fill the pages with incessant adventure. The characters whose names appear on almost every page and the characters whose actions the story revolves around. However, a story will also always have its minor characters. These are the characters that contribute heavily to the plot, yet aren't mentioned quite as often and are underestimated regarding their importance in the story. In the Greek masterpiece, Antigone, the author Sophocles construed a myriad of minor characters that contributed to the story in numerous ways.
Ismene, one of Oedipus' daughters, was created to foil the main character, Antigone. Haemon, the son of Creon, took
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However, Antigone is portrayed as gaunt, washed out, and unattractive. With such antagonism between the sisters, Sophocles presents drama by developing another form of rivalry and another reason for Antigone to rebel against the law.
At the end of the story when Antigone was listening to her punishment for burying Polynices, Ismene speaks up and attempts to be held responsible for the crime. She pleads with Antigone to let her die alongside her, however, Antigone did not want her sister to take any blame in something she had nothing to do with, so she disregarded her sister's pleas. Sophocles included this situation because it was another disagreement between the sisters and added more controversy to the plot.
Sophocles included the rivalry between the personalities because it gave each character something to act off of. Ismene's role was important to the plot because she played the vigilant girl and provided the story with drama and second-guessing by having contradictory opinions.
Secondly, another character that affected the story with such a minor part was Haemon. Haemon, being the king's son, had a lot of expectations and generalizations to live up to, but he dispersed them when he stood up to his father.
One thing Haemon did that influenced the plot was to rebut his father's opinions. Prior to conversing with Creon, Haemon had a positive outlook about his father. He felt he was a good ruler and was fair, yet those beliefs were
Antigone is a Greek tragedy by Sophocles. ONE OF THE three surviving tragedians of classical Athens, along with Aeschylus and Euripides, and one of the great dramatists of world literature, Sophocles spanned in his long life (497-406 B.C.) the cultural flowering of Athens in the fifth century(Segal 1). Antigone is named after the daughter of King Oedipus of Thebes, a young woman who stood against the king’s decision and believed in the gods’ law. There are many arguments regarding who is the real protagonist and antagonist in this play. The protagonist is generally regarded as the good guy and antagonist is the bad guy. Antigone is a protagonist as she is the title character in the
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
A tragic play called Antigone; written by Sophocles, who has created a stubborn, hubris, and cursed king; king of Thebes- a man named Creon. He had a son, Haimon, who fell in love, and was engaged to his cousin, Antigone. Antigone was royalty, with characteristics like her father. She was strong-headed, hubris and loyal to her family. Creon’s respect for Antigone vanished, because she buried her brother, Polyneices with pride and love. One of Creon’s law was not to bury Polyneices or even pray for him, and whoever does will be punished. Antigone did not deny her deeds, family or not, Creon, her uncle, still punished her for her crime that she has committed. Creon and Antigone, who are both hubris and stubborn people, who’s plan ended their lives; either in a cruse or a rope around their neck. However the true tragic hero is someone who has
I'm doing this essay on the story antigone by sophocles. Antigones' brother polyneices rebels against creon and the city of thebes while her other brother etheocles is a leader in the thebian army. the two brothers battle and kill each other. creon decrees that if anyone buries polyneices they will be killed. creon only buries ethiocles because he is a respected leader in then thebian army but he leaves polyneices body laying on the ground to be eaten by wild animals. antigone gives polyneices a full funeral ceremony and buries him but she gets caught by a guard. antigone is then brought before creon and interogated. he decides to go ahead and kill her, but antigone is creons' son haemon's bride to be. after he has antigone killed his son tries
With that being said, Antigone is having more of an internal battle, which later becomes an external as well. Antigone loses her brothers, and she feels that she must take measures to make sure her brothers both equally receive the proper burial. “Listen, Ismene: Creon buried our brother, Eteocles, with military honors, gave him a soldier's funeral, and it was right that he should--but Polyneices, who fought as bravely and died as miserably--they say that Creon has sworn no one shall bury him, no one mourn for him, but his body must lie in the fields, a sweet treasure for carrion birds to find as they search for food. That is what they say, and our good Creon is coming here to announce it publicly; and the penalty--stoning to death in the public square! There it is, and now you can prove what you are: a true sister, or a traitor to your family” (Sophocles’ Line 9-14). Antigone is struggling to cope with the perception that her own uncle is choosing to go against the family will. Antigone fairly declares her opposition to her sister, but she finds herself standing alone through her journey. Creon can restrict her life, because he is the overhead of her. Even though he is her uncle; he can still take away her freedom, because he is king of Thebes. Similar to Thoreau’s hardship, Antigone is convinced that the supervision
Antigone essay prompt 1 Rough draft When is it okay to break the law?, the story Antigone by Sophocles is about a girl who struggle over a king`s law to bury her dead brother to please god . King creon stated that the penalty for whom buries polyneices(dead brother) he or she will be “stoning to death in the public square” (PG 190). Ismene sister of Antigone refuses to help, due to her fear of creon law she states that by saying “But you think of the danger”(PG 191). Antigone responds was that she believes that god satisfaction is more important and creon crime is holy “The laws of the Gods mean nothing to you” (PG 192). Subsequently Antigone made her choice to leave and go to bury her dead brother and is ready to suck in the consequences “I'm not afraid of the danger, if it means death”(PG193).
Haemon, his son even ends up coming into the story because of his arguments with Ismene. The son is one of the less spoken about characters since he does not play a big role but is rather thrown into the story without much context. The first two lines in the fourth part of the play Ismene says “You're going to kill your own sons bride?” And as Creon replies in return “Why not? There are other fields for him to plough.”
In Sophocle's Antigone, the characters show a variety of traits. However, Antigone's life of aspiration, family of noble rank, and display of good mentality portray her as the tragic hero of the story. A tragic hero has haughty,
The actions presented by Ismene convey the importance of family to Sophocles. For example, Antigone argues the proper burial for her fallen brother, Polynices, to her sister Ismene who, “cannot act [a]gainst the State” (128). While Ismene is initially siding with authority, she eventually converts to family. After Antigone is caught in the act of burying her brother and is sentenced to death, Ismene, “can [not] bear to live, if [Antigone] must die ” (141). If Sophocles believed authority held more importance, Ismene would not feel guilty for
She takes it upon herself to bury him. Her sister, Ismene, doesn’t agree that Antigone should bury him. Ismene doesn’t think that it is the right decision to make. Antigone still goes through with her plan even though her sister doesn’t agree with her. While burying her brother, Antigone gets caught by the Guard.
Through the development of Antigone’s character, we
Sophocles created Antigone in part to draw attention to this restricted role by Antigone’s defiance of Creon’s orders. Tossing aside her traditional responsibilities, she disregards his orders by burying her brother and suffering the consequences. Sophocles sees Antigone as an example to what women should do. Antigone and her sister, Ismene, suffer a great loss right out of the gate.
This story is marked by tragedy after tragedy; Antigone and Ismene are presented with a father, that dare to killed his father to married his own mother. Two brother that followed the similar example, and consequently killed each other to for throne to have power. We don’t know what age they were when her parents died, but by inference we can argue that they were young. Although, Antigone and Ismene experience some life-hard moments together, their view on certain situation are shaped differently throughout the play. Antigone, see the situation with her brother Polynieces as outrageous offense to her and her family values, especially after being an active member of leadership in the city of Thebes. Antigone, experiences had made her a stronger than other women, she doesn’t fear man, and is
The Importance of family and cultural values is proved in the Greek playwright written by Sophocles. Sophocles helped us understand each character as we meet them in the first scene. Antigone, we learn that she is the antagonist as she rebels against her uncle, Creon, and her love of her own blood, and that she is not one to stand down for any man. Antigone, Ismene and Creon are characters that are of discussion in the play of gender roles.
Despite Antigone being written in an ancient patriarchal society that viewed women as the weaker sex, the character of Antigone defies what would have been her role as a female. Instead of quietly submitting to Creon after he gives his decree about burying Polynices, Antigone states, “he has no right to keep me from my own” (49). Even after Ismene warns Antigone about the consequences and reminds her of her status as a woman, she buries Polynices. Throughout the play, Antigone doesn’t show “womanly” characteristics; she demonstrates stubbornness, cheekiness, and pride. Therefore, she talks back and scoffs at Ismene and Creon, a male to whom she should be respectful and reverential. Because of her single-mindedness, she inadvertently destroys her life and the lives of the people around her.