Creon Foil In Antigone

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.

When Creon passes his law, it is used to protect Thebes from being betrayed again. But Creon betrays the gods’ law and does not bury Polyneices, his nephew. As a result Tiresias, a blind prophet approaches Creon and says that if Polyneices, that “before you have surrendered / one of your born flesh and blood, / a corpse for a corpse given in return”(1183-1185). Shortly afterward, Creon realizes that his authority has overstepped into his family and now will go honor his family, by going against his own law. But little did Creon know things were not going to be that simple. When Creon and Haemon arrive at Antigone’s tomb, they are greeted with a hanged Antigone. As a result Haemon lunges at his father and kills himself after he misses. Creon’s authority led to his son ending his own life because he saw the woman of his dreams, hang lifelessly due to his father's action. Creon realizes that Tiresias was correct about the prophecy, but it was too late. Shortly afterwards, Creon finds out his wife, Eurydice, had also killed herself because of her son’s recent suicide. This would lead Creon alone without any family members except his own law to comfort him. He then realizes that “the guilt is all [his]” and he must repent (1442). Creon’s authority led to him being alone without any other family members to comfort him,and also lifetime of guilt

Sophocles’ play “Antigone” illustrates the conflict between obeying human and divine law. The play opens after Oedipus’ two sons Eteocles and Polyneices have killed each other in a civil war for the throne of Thebes. Oedipus’ brother in law Creon then assumes the throne. He dictates that Eteocles shall receive a state funeral and honors, while Polyneices shall be left in the streets to rot away. Creon believes that Polyneices’ body shall be condemned to this because of his civil disobedience and treachery against the city. Polyneices’ sister, Antigone, upon hearing this exclaims that an improper burial for Polyneices would be an insult to the Gods. She vows that Polyneices’ body will be buried, and Creon declares that anyone who

In Antigone, Antigone and her sister Ismene return to Thebes in an attempt to reconcile their brothers—Eteocles, who was defending the city and his crown, and Polyneices, who was attacking Thebes. However, both brothers were killed, and their uncle Creon became the king. He forbade burial is the corpse of Polyneices, declaring him a traitor. Antigone, moved by love for her brother and convinced that the command went against the law of the gods, she buried Polyneices secretly. Antigone lines 72-74 “And if I have to die for this pure crime,/ I am content, for I shall rest beside him;/ His love will answer mine”. It was Antigone’s fate to die after burying her brother. It also was her fate to be Oedipus’ daughter/sister.

Antigone is the sister of Eteocles and Polyneices. Both Eteocles and Polyneices agree to jointly rule Thebes as mutual kings. After one year, Polynices distrusts his brother, resulting in Polyneices fleeing from Thebes, only to later return with an army. In the battle, both sides are massacred. Eteocles and Polyneices kill one another, consequently giving their power up as king to in Creon, Antigone’s uncle. As acting king, Creon orders that, “Eteocles who died as a man should die, fighting for his country, is to be buried with full military honors, with all the ceremony that is usual when the greatest heros die” (Sophocles, line 160). As for Polyneices, Creon passes a law for Polyneices to be left unburied, to rot for every citizen to witness. Antigone viewed this law as immoral and unjust, for one brother to be buried with military honor and not the other. Antigone, expressing her love for Polynices, rises against Creon's higher authority command

Antigone versus Creon In the play Antigone, the character Antigone serves as a foil character for Creon in an attempt to show Creon the wrong in his judgement. The play is based around the belief of right by burial which Creon so happens to be denying a certain man of that right, Polynices, one of Antigone's brothers. Antigone serves a foil for Creon through most of her actions throughout the play. She buries her brother not once but twice, she argues with Creon over the right by burial belief, and Creon has a chain reaction of loss that was caused by Antigone’s death.

In the prologue of the play, Antigone, by Sophocles, Antigone and Ismene (sisters) are debating between burying their late brother, Polyneices, and the consequences they may end up facing. In Antigone’s eyes, family comes before the law of burying a traitor. When disputing between the burial, Antigone says, “...but Polyneices, who fought bravely and died as miserably, - they say that Creon has sworn no one shall bury him…” (Prologue.17-20) Antigone just wants to put her brother to peace, but Creon refuses to allow anyone who tries to ruin the well-being of his new society to be buried. She believes that Polyneices fought just as bravely as their brother, Eteocles, and his spirit deserves to be put to rest instead of lying in the public square.

At the beginning of the play, Antigone and her sister Ismene are having a conversation about both of their brothers being killed within minutes of each other. Antigone then proceeds to tell her sister that King Creon has issued a new order that no one shall bury one of her brothers Polyneices. Her other brother Eteocles was buried with full military honors, but Polyneices is considered a traitor, so he is not allowed to be laid to rest. If someone were to bury him, they would be sentenced to death by stoning in the public square. Antigone wants to give her brother a proper funeral and wants her sister to

Creon uses his power to create fear and to hurt his opposition. Creon made a decree to ban the burial of Polyneices. Antigone ,Polyneices sister, had to break the law to ler her brother to the underworld and to bring honor to her family. Crean thens kills her ,his own niece, for morning and helping her brother. Creon says “She is already dead” to the crying sister of antigone. All the rebels feared creon when he said Polyneices couldn't be buried because they thought they wouldn't be allowed to

Yet, “[Haimon, Antigone and Eurydice] are dead, [Creon is] guilty [for] their death.” (733, 170). But once Choragos is able to convince Creon to bury Polyneices and free Antigone, because of what Teiresias’s prophecy had said. When they reach Antigone’s vault they saw, “She had made a noose of her fine linen veil// And hanged herself,” (734, 59-60). Haimon was found by her side, he was furious with his father. This brought him to, “suddenly [draw] his sword,” (735, 690) and go at his father with the intention of killing him. But Haimon, “desperate against himself, drove it half its length// Into his own side,” (735, 71-72), he had killed himself. Creon’s wife, Eurydice, could not live with herself knowing that her husband had been the reason for her son's death, so she took her own life. Creon realizes then how his arrogance caused all the issues in his

In the play Antigone by Sophocles, Creon is a foil to Antigone. A foil is when one character contrasts with another character. Antigone and Creon are complete opposites (besides them both being very stubborn). Antigone is very loyal to her family, and buries Polyneices even though she knew she would be punished. Antigone is also very independent. She stood for what she believed in on her own, while those around her were too scared. Creon has no loyalty to his family, and refuses to honor Polyneices because he sees him as a traitor. He also revolves around power and believes his laws comes over God's laws. Creon suffers from too much pride. Antigone and Creon come in contrast with each other, therefore this is a foil relationship.

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.

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

Even though Antigone has familial love toward her brother, she expresses sympathy toward him. Antigone does this by telling her sister that Creon “Promotes one of them and shames the other” by denying his burial rights (22). In this part of her speech, Antigone chooses her words carefully to describe the situation to her sister and express the sympathy she has for Polyneices, especially when she uses the phrase “shames the other” and “miserable corpse” (22-26). Antigone is sympathetic of her brother Polyneices because he is not given a proper burial and is left to the “vultures, unwept, unburied” like he is forgotten (29). It is also intriguing to see how Antigone’s sympathetic response to the lack of her brother’s burial is actually the familial love she has for him. Because she loves and considers him a part of her family, she is emotionally sorrowful for the way he has been treated.

The play begins as Antigone and her sister Ismene speak of the death of their brothers Polyneices and Eteocles. However, it is important to note that what events precluded this scene, which was sparked by Eteocles's taking reign of the Thebes after Oedipus had died. It ultimately caused Polyneices to wage a battle against his former city and drove the two brothers to kill one another (Sophocles 8). Thus, leaving Creon who was both of brother's uncle in control of the city of Thebes. Antigone and Ismene discuss the proclamation newly put forth by Creon which was due to the fact that Polyneices committed treason against Thebes he would not be granted a burial, thus foregoing the "Unwritten Law protecting the rights of the dead" (Sophocles 9). It was this decree that provoked Antigone to opposed Creon as she decides to bury Polyneices herself and she attempts to recruit Ismene to help her with this action, however, Ismene tried to persuade Antigone not to go through with the burial.