Antigone- Theme of Family Loyalty

In Sophocles’ piece, King Kreon prohibited the burial of Polynices, Antigone’s brother, because he was seen as a traitor to his country. Antigone blatantly disobeyed King Kreon’s proclamation because she thought that Polynices ought to be buried not only because he was blood- family, but because the gods law states that burial is a necessary ceremony. Her sister, Ismene, tried to warn her of the trouble she could find herself in, if King Kreon finds out that it was Antigone who had buried her brother, the traitor. (Blondell, 21). In addition, Antigone does not hesitate to admit to this illegal deed when the guards catch her in the act (Blondell, 37,38). While she acted out of respect for her brother and the gods, it was selfish in the fact that she was only thinking of herself. She did not hesitate to disregard King Kreon’s law and did not take any factor into consideration. Antigone accepted that her life was the price to pay for her civil disobedience, but her actions also, unintentionally, led to the death of two other people. Although, in the end, King Kreon sees that Antigone was right, the reason for which she had fought, and ultimately lost her life for, had no significant positive effect on anyone else.

In Antigone, Sophocles introduces the struggle between loyalty to civil law versus familial loyalty and divine law, which is a central conflict in the play. Antigone has a firm belief in upholding family values and honoring the gods and deceased by burying her brother. In contrast, Creon wants to do what is best for the city which is, in his opinion, forbidding the burial of Polynices. Both Antigone and Creon believe that their point of view is more important, and neither is willing to change perspective, causing the chain of destructive events in the plot. Loyalty causes the deadly dispute between Antigone and Creon because of their conflicting perspectives about precedence.

Antigone’s motivation is love for her family- she puts it above all else. In fact, she is willing to sacrifice her life to defend that love. Antigone goes to great lengths to bury her deceased brother, who according to an edict issued by King Creon, died in dishonor, consequently making it illegal for anyone to bury his body. Through her actions to comply with her motivations, it is revealed that Antigone’s actions are also fueled by her strong beliefs that, first, the gods’ laws

In Antigone written by Sophocles and translated by David R. Slavitt, Antigone decides to risk her own life to be able to bury her brother in a respectful way in which she thinks is right. Antigone had an enthusiastic determination about it, approached it without regret, and also choose her destiny and her sisters. Her father’s fate was a big affect on if she was going to precede with burying her brother or to no give him the respect like the rest of the surrounding community. Even though Antigone risked her whole life and her entire future she made the right decision by burying her brother and sticking to her own judgment.

For most people family is the most important thing in their life. But what if you had to choose between honoring your family and obeying the law? What would you do? In the play Antigone by Sophocles, a woman named Antigone is faced with a very difficult decision. If she decides to honor her dead brother she may be persecuted and put to death but if she leaves her brother’s body to decay without performing a ritual he will have a terrible afterlife. Antigone decides that family always comes first and perform the forbidden ritual on her brother. She is eventually prosecuted for her actions and later on kills herself. Personally, I agree with Antigone. To a certain extent, family should come first. In my opinion, family is almost always more important than authority. But, according to the play, it depends. Based on the results of everyone's actions I think that the play believes family is more important than authority. Creon punishes Antigone for choosing family over authority and as a result the members of his family all die.

Sophocles symbolizes family over authority by using Antigone and Creon to conflict each other's core beliefs, showing that Antigone is willing to die to honor the love for her family, while Creon is willing to kill to honor and enforce his own authority at any cost. As we see in the story, when Antigone's brothers die, she chooses to bury Polyneices even though she knows this will cost her her life. In the play when Antigone tells her sister what she’s going to do, ismene says, ”But think of the danger! Think what Creon will do! ANTIGONE: Creon is not enough to stand in my way” This shows Antigone represents family for the great lengths she will go to to honor her brother. By contrast, Sophocles paints Creon to symbolize authority through murder of his own bloodline. In the play he plans to kill Antigone for choosing her love for her brother over his rule, and so he plans out her execution although she is family to Creon. The Choragos asks Creon “Do you really intend to steal this girl from your son?,” which then he responds by saying “No; Death will do that for me.” Which shows the reader that Creon is unsympathetic to who Antigone is in relation to him. He disregards the importance of family to uphold his authoritative values. By the end of the play the author has shown us Creon has come to realize his ways have cost him his family, and he regrets his decisions.

Like Creon, Antigone also never falters in standing up for what she believes in. Although Creon fights for stubborn pride, Antigone is trying to promote what is right and shows her higher reverence for God’s law rather than for Creon’s laws. In the eyes of the townspeople, Chorus, Choragos, and Haimon, Antigone is sacrificing herself to give her brother Polyneices the rightful honors due to the dead. Many side with this brave, honorable girl because she would rather suffer persecution and even death rather than give into Creon’s illogical demands. In the play, the chorus says about her, “You have made your choice, Your death is the doing of your conscious hand”. Antigone knew of the consequences before she acted and in doing so she chose her fate. At the time, she pleaded her sister Ismene to help her bury Polyneices but was rejected. Despite being alone in trying to rebel and perhaps she may have been afraid, Antigone goes out of her way and puts her life on the line to bring her brother respect.

     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

Family is very important and is shown through many ways in society. That family will often be more important than the authority or law. Within the play Antigone, Sophocles shows many situations where the characters are forced to choose between law or family. Throughout Antigone, Sophocles proves his strong devotion to family, even more. Sophocles shows this through the actions of Antigone, Creon and Haimon and the choices that they make throughout the play.

Family is very important and is shown through the many ways in society. That family will often be more important than the authority or law. The tragic Greek play, Antigone written by Sophocles. Within Antigone, Sophocles presents many situations where characters are forced to face their feelings of law or family. Throughout Antigone, Sophocles proves his strong devotion to family, even more. Sophocles presents these through the actions of Antigone, Creon, and Haemon with the choices that they make throughout the play. For instance, Antigone had many chances to obey the law or her own familial bonds. Antigone chooses to obey family, and bury Polynices even though burying breaks Creon's law. Antigone pleads with her sister to help, but when she says no, Antigone responds, “But as for me/ I will bury the brother I love” (Prologue. 192). Antigone was willing to break Creon's authority as a family means much more to her, this presents her as selfless. Along with breaking the law, Antigone also risks execution for that crime. When Antigone learns of her punishment, after Creon discovers, Antigone decides if entombing her brother was worth it. Following Creon's warning, she says, “This death of mine/ is of no importance; but if I had left my brother/ lying in death unburied, I should have suffered. / Now I do not” (Scene II. 208). Antigone shows the courage that even death won't scare her from her goals. Antigone chooses family, when in the face of the capital punishment.

Her core value of commitment of her loyalty to family is an important value for her to have. She believes that family comes first. “But I will bury him, and if I must die, I say that crime is holy.” “But as for me I will bury the brother I love.” “But I will bury him, and if I must die, I say that crime is holy.” This proves that Antigone is loyal to her family because, no matter the consequence she is determined to bury her brother. This is because to her, her brother deserves to be honored. Antigone puts her family before the law. “But as for me I will bury the brother I love.” This proves that Antigone has a

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

Antigone is a very well-developed story that incorporates family structures and conflicts within the text. In this story, tensions seem to rise all because of the arguments within the family. The entire plot of the story can be summarized by the arguments within the family and these arguments sets up the tragic moments of the text. Antigone focuses on the choices of what each family member chooses to follow and how the consequences relates to the choices made. Because of the personalities between the two of the characters are, Creon and Antigone, they set up the main conflicts in the story. They have similar very similar personalities. So, how are the family structures and conflict set up in the story?

Universal themes that are outside of time and space, but are rather applicable to human nature itself, are a key element in Greek tragedy. Antigone has a clearly defined theme of family versus state. In Sophocles's tragedy, he depicts the conflict of Antigone wanting to save her family from dishonor against Creon's obsession with law and civil order. Antigone is portrayed as a headstrong and close-minded woman who is determined on following the rituals Greek gods expect upon death by burying her brother, Polynices. Her sister, Ismene, warns her multiple times to pay her loyalty to the state, especially since they are women and cannot strive against men. However, Antigone wishes to create and live by her own rules. She buries her brother without feeling she owes any obligation to the law. On the contrary, Creon is shown as a very prideful man who eventually brings his own destruction upon himself. He believes his word is the law for he was appointed by the city.

Antigone’s dedication to her family throughout all of their family struggles causes me to sympathize with her more than any other character because she has a noble goal in trying to respect her family in either life or death. I see familial bonds as an integral part of a person’s life so seeing Antigone agonize over it allows me to sympathize more with her than the other characters because the bond she has is not over stated or undercut through killing members of the family. A family broken apart because of a curse is terrible and Antigone is realistically not trying fix the pieces, but maintain as much as possible. Antigone companioned her father in his quest to Colonus for a prophecy. Antigone was there to protect her father from the Chorus’ harsh judgement to throw Oedipus out the land of Colonus by saying “take pity still on my unhappiness; and let me intercede with you for him… I beg mercy for him, the beaten man! O hear me!” (Antigone 157). Taking care of love ones and making sure they are alright is something integral for families making Antigone’s efforts as family friendly. Antigone tries her best to preserve her sister, Ismene by confirming to Creon that Ismene should keep her life since she “did not wish for a part, nor did I give you one” and her death would be meaningless due to “Death and the dead, they know whose act it was” (Antigone 41).