Antigone Essay examples

Full of drama and tragedy, Antigone can be used to relate to current conflicts. One such conflict is that between Haemon and his father Creon. Haemon looks up to Creon with honor and pride, but as conflict arises, that relation is disassociated and new feelings grow. The first conversation between them is what initiates the downfall of their bond. While it seems that Creon is the most important person in Haemon’s life, Antigone is in fact the one that has won Haemon over.

Antigone has the strong belief that loyalty to the dead and to the gods has precedence over all other opinions, specifically those of Creon. Antigone does not at all care that the one with all governing power has the most disagreement with her decision to remain devoted to her family below. “Since I must please those below a longer time than the people here, for I shall lie there forever” (Sophocles 16). She knows and understands that time in the mortal world has a limit, however time in the underworld is eternal. Pleasing Creon and his belief to only stay true to civil laws are of no concern to Antigone, for all she wants is to please her family below and the gods above. An example of this is the burial of Polynices, because while it is right in Antigone’s eyes, Creon believes it is foolish and a sin

     Creon and Antigone also demonstrated a similarity in their loyalty to their own views. They both had different views, but they both remained loyal to them throughout the entire play. Creon and Antigone did not give in to others’ views, but relied on their own for survival. Creon was extremely loyal to his laws that he had made, and Antigone was loyal to her beliefs. Nothing was going to change either of them. When Antigone was brought in by the sentry, Creon was disturbed to find out Antigone was the person burying Polynices. He was extremely upset

Firstly, perhaps no character in the entire story of Antigone was more stubborn than King Creon. He absolutely refused to waver in his beliefs. In fact, it was Creon’s irrational decision to forbid the body of his nephew, Polyneices, to be properly buried that caused the very conflict of the story. But Creon’s dilemma came when the Greek gods informed him that he himself would be punished for his cruel punishments toward his own family.

Neither character accepted their faults or offered to find common ground, so both fell to a tragic fate: Antigone was killed and Creon was left with nothing and no one.

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

In my opinion, Antigone is right. I say this because she stood up for her beliefs. She had to go through the death of her brother Polyneices. Antigone was willing to die and be punished by King Creon because she wanted a proper burial for her brother. According to the movie, it states, "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. You will give no support to whoever breaks this law." King Creon thinks that what Antigone did was wrong because she disobeyed his law. Antigone knows that King Creon forbidden and clearly did not allow anyone to bury Polyneices. I believe that King Creon is wrong in that regard because she obviously loved and cared for her brother no matter what. Antigone felt disrespected, she did not want to sit there allowing her brother to not be properly buried.

Many believe that the divine word holds more power than man, Antigone is one of these people and hold the divines laws higher than man's laws. On the other hand, Creon believes that holding power is the way of life and tries to uphold his laws over the deity laws. Creon does this when the brothers Polyneices and Eteocles kill each other and Polyneices is designated as a traitor. Creon decides to prohibit the people from burying Polyneices properly and follow the god's law to prevent more rebellions. Antigone on the other hand believes that a Creon's law holds no power over her from giving a proper burial. As Antigone is talking to Ismene she states "No one shall say I failed him! I will bury my brother -- and yours too, if you will not"( Sophocles ). This statement shows

She is the opposite of Creon in those sociological views. This shows that she is very committed to her family and may be stubborn at times to fight for what she believes in. Women in ancient Greek society were looked down upon and did not have as many rights as the men and that may be a reason that their views are complete opposites. However, the sociological beliefs that Creon and Antigone both believed strongly in were the protection of personal dignity and freedom.

Frank Marini says “Creon has pridefully, inappropriately, and stubbornly set himself above all that is decent, [and] also Antigone has pridefully, inappropriately, and stubbornly set herself above duly-constituted authority and the need for order” (Marini 422). Creon believes that his position as king gives him the right over others burial proceedings while Antigone argues that divine law is on her side. After all Creon too is a mortal who will one day die and will go to the underworld, if he is to die one day what right does he have to deny someone their burial rights when he will experience those same rights too. Antigone sees Polyneices’ burial as something that should be provided for all regardless of circumstance. Of course when the guards discovered that Polyneices’ body had been covered with a little dust the guards who had been assigned to guard his body were terrified.

Creon's actions are guided by the ideal that states "man is the measure of all things." The chorus emphasizes this point during the play by stating that "There is nothing beyond (man's) power" (Sophocles page #). Creon believes that the good of man comes before the gods. Setting the example using Polynices' body left unburied is a symbol of Creon's belief. "No man who is his country's enemy shall call himself my friend" (Sophocles page #). 

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.

Antigone herself represents the highest ideals of human life -- courage and respect for the gods. In the mythical story "Antigone", Antigone first demonstrates feminist logic when she chooses to challenge a powerful male establishment. This establishment is personified by her uncle Creon, who is newly crowned as the King of Thebes, and it is usually challenged by whole city-state. She believed that the law of the gods (to give proper burial rights to every dead body) was more important than the law of the King. Creon became angry that a woman questioned his sovereignty and commanded her to death even though she was the daughter of Jocasta, his sister.

1. What is Creon’s motivation for forbidding the burial of his own nephew Polyneicês? Why would he issue an edict that runs so contrary to his family obligations?

Creon is characterized as an authoritarian tyrannical ruler. He created the law stating that nobody was to bury the body of Polynices because he betrayed the city of Thebes. Creon was right to make his law because Polynices was a turncoat and died on Theban soil. Although his law was harsh, he believed that he was in the right because a villain such as Polynices did not deserve a proper burial. Creon was especially enraged when Antigone disregarded his law because Polynices was her brother, “Oh but I hate it more / when a traitor, caught red-handed, / tries to glorify his crimes (Creon 552-554).”