Essay on Antigone - The Tragic Flaw

Sophocles’ play Antigone continues the calamitous story of the Theban royal family, recounting the conflict between Creon’s authority as king and Antigone’s sense of justice. While many of the events of the play are certainly tragic, whether or not Antigone and its characters should be considered tragic is less definite. Aristotle’s theory of a tragic hero calls for a basically good character who experiences a fall due to some flaw or error, experiencing a transformative realization and catharsis as a result. When considered together, the traits of both Antigone and Creon come together to fulfill all of the requirements for the play to be a tragedy, but neither character can be considered an Aristotelian tragic hero standing alone.

During the eighth line he says “shall be constrained to honor us though dead” this implies that even if we die when we die we will be free. Free from the racism and abuse as we would have died in a noble manner and in such a way that even our killer will still respect us, though we are

While Antigone represents a full devotion to humanism, her sister, Ismene, represents not only the rejection of it, but also passivity towards the notion of morality which, in a sense, is equivalent to Creon’s treachery towards what we hold morally sacred. Ismene has long been used as a symbol of both anti-politics and anti-humanism, which creates a dynamic plot by contrasting the cowardly fear to stand up for one’s concept of what is right with a brazen display of self-fulfilled justice. (2) What’s worse may be Ismene’s knowledge of her cowardliness and complete complacency, as seen when talking to Antigone about her plan to bury their slain brother when sharing her fear of punishment, " Think how we’ll die far worse than all the rest, if we defy the law and move against the

Furthermore, Antigone condemns Ismene for not participating alongside her in the burial of their brother by exclaiming, “Are you true to your birth? Or a coward?” (Ant. 38). Antigone makes it evident that she regards her own actions to be brave, and her

First off, Ismene, Antigone’s sister, actually was the one that incited Antigone's actions that led to everything else that happened in the story. Without Ismene, there would not be a plot. In lines 52-59, Ismene said to Antigone “What? You'd bury him— when a law forbids the city?” Antigone replied “Yes! He is my brother and—deny it as you will—your brother too. No one will ever convict me for a traitor.” Ismene said “So desperate, and Creon has expressly—” and Antigone interrupted with “He has no right to keep me from my own.” Here Ismene is telling Antigone that her actions are not something that are legal and that comply with Creon’s laws. Antigone, being hard-headed, decides that she is not going to let a law determine what she does for

Antigone’s words, actions and ideas contrast with Creon’s characters to the point of these two characters having conflicting motivations. These Conflicting motivations cause the characteristics of abomination, discourteous, and egocentric to be highlighted within Creon’s character. Ultimately, these conflicting motivations develop Creon a tragic hero by his downfalls, how he’s been aggressive, and also when Haemon and Antigone killed their selves.

Even though Antigone exhibits a blamable pride and a hunger for glory, her disobedience is less serious than those of Creon. It is evident that Antigone’s actions are driven by a love for her brother, and a desire to please the gods. While Creon’s actions are

Throughout Antigone, Antigone's actions and emotions are better understood after carefully analysing what led her to defy Creon. In the opening scene of Antigone, Antigone displays traits of a strong willed woman who plans on defying the decree made by King Creon. Despite their being severe consequences for defying his decree , Antigone's strong belief in the gods lead her to plan the defying actions that will honor her brother in the eyes of the gods. In the prologue Antigone tells Ismene "Yes.

A stubborn man may rule the land, but what's in the hearts of his people will shift what's in his beloved’s hands. King Creon’s ego will be overturned when his family’s lives begin to diminish all for his own selfishness when justifying laws. As seen in Antigone by Sophocles, King Creon is a tragic figure that through his own stubbornness and pride, he promotes the suffering of not only his son, Haemon, but as well as Antigone herself, which shapes Creon’s character development and will function as a platform for the play’s tragedy to unveil . A tragedy is more than deaths and suffering, it's at the moment where one realizes that everything they've done has further doomed themselves.

To die, to sleep-- / No more—and by a sleep to say we end / The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks / That flesh is heir to! ‘Tis a consummation / Devoutly to be wished. To die, to sleep-- / To sleep—perchance to dream. (III. i. 60-65)

Antigone won't listen though, She just tells her "Go away Ismene. I will be hating you soon" (Sophocles page #), in a striking example of her cruelty. Ismene and Antigone have been caring sisters until suddenly Antigone abandons her because she does not agree to help bury their brother. Creon also is cruel to his old friend and prophet, Teirsesias. Teirsesias comes to warn him that if he does not free Antigone bad things will happen, but Creon doesn't believe him. He claims that Teirsesias has "sold out" as a prophet and shows how foolish he is not to trust a long-standing friend who has never been wrong. Creon and Antigone are both plagued by hubris. Creon wants to stand by the law he has made.

The Laws of Tradition are more important than The Laws of the state. Antigone has a choice to break the law of her religion or break the law of Creon. Her religion would say that it is against the law to not bury polyneices but it would be against Creon’s law to bury polyneices. The laws of the gods are more important to Antigone than the laws of Creon. Antigone wants Ismene to go with her to bury their brother, but Ismene doesn’t want to Creon to kill her.

Creon, who received the throne after the banishment of Oedipus, begins “Antigone” with high status as the king of Thebes. He is fortunate to be honored as Thebes’ appointed king during her triumph over the army of Polynices, “Creon, son of Menoeceus, Whom the gods have appointed for us in our recent change of fortune” (Antigone, 130).

Additionally, Ismene also gets punished due to Antigone’s actions even after obeying her superior’s orders. As a result, Creon states that “[he will] execute them” (43). Moreover, Ismene is punished with the shame of the actions she has caused. She stood up to Antigone and partially blamed herself for their brother’s burial as she didn’t want to be left alone. Ismene therefore “bear(s) [her] share of blame” (45) and suffers from Antigone’s actions. Ismene wasn’t the only character who embodied a traditional attitude as Sophocles introduces a similar male character.

In contrary Ismene is docile and someone who follow the laws at all costs. She said, “we are women” stating a woman’s position in society and obligated to obey by the law. She doesn’t agree with her sister Antigone, since is prohibiting for women to have a voice during those times. Ismene believe that women should never violate the laws of man who were guide by the gods. Antigone will carry out the forbidden burial alone, nevertheless she seeks futilely the complicity of her sister Ismene. Ismene without endorsing the established power by King Creon, discreetly folds to it, became a passive collaborator of the system implemented by him.