In the play Antigone, the author, Sophocles, has incorporated many themes and questions that leaves the reader wondering. One of these questions is, what is the difference between honor and disgrace? Well, in this play, Oedipus and Jocasta’s four children are ideal examples of both. This essay is going to be talking about honor and disgrace between the four Theban siblings. Antigone is the main character, and she has shown significant honorability; probably the most honorable character in this story. She has shown honor in many ways throughout the play. For example, when she heard about her brother Polyneices not getting any burial at all, she immediately stood up and made a plan to honor him in some way, despite the rules and harsh consequences
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.
The outstanding play “Antigone” written by Sophocles introduces how Antigone can reveal the honor within a family. “Antigone” produces a tragic hero, which is Antigone because of her pride and imitation of action.
“No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave.” is a quote by Calvin Coolidge about honor. This quote explains that one is not given honor, but earns it by making sacrifices. This is shown in texts Julius Caesar, A Tale of Two Cities, and Antigone, where characters Brutus, Sydney Carton, and Antigone make sacrifices for what they believe in.
The honor that Antigone wants to maintain for her family, coupled with the irreplaceable nature of family, outweigh her
The different characteristics of different people can cause certain people to be negatively affected because of the actions they take. This is shown in Antigone, which is a tragedy about how pride can get the best of you and if law or moral code is more important. Sophocles showed the reader that not all the decisions made by people by his or her conscience because in hindsight it is not the most intelligent resolution. When Creon does not take the advice of Haimon or Tiresias he obstinately refused because he believed his thoughts were always correct. In like manner, Creon had no real reason to make the law against burying Polynices because no one in the country wanted it but him. Furthermore, King Creon did not go through with his law because Antigone wanted to die and his felt that if she died feeling that way, it would not feel that he would be pleased that his law worked. No matter who assumes major leadership, the abuse of power is inevitable because power always corrupts.
Compassion can be seen clearly in Antigone’s actions. Her loyalty and devotion to her family is unquestionable.
Violence is within the majority of the story, from killing, to threatening, and to suicide. It begins with two people who love each other, killing one another. To threatening those who dare to give peace to the dead traiter left to rot on the battlefield. Ending in the ultimate suicide. One person is surrounded by all of this violence; Antigone is going against the not only man’s law but the law that if you were to disobey would only end in violence.
Imagine being put in a situation where honor towards your own blood opposes the law. In the city-state of Thebes, King Creon issues a law that bans the burial of Polyneices. The dead man’s sister, a young woman named Antigone, buries her brother against King Creon’s blessings. Antigone’s courageous actions lead her to her own fatal death. Sophocles emphasizes the importance of choosing family over authority in his play “Antigone”.
Pride is a vital facet in the multi-sided diamond1 that is human psychology. In Sophocles’(n.d.) Antigone, the famous philosopher demonstrates how the mind can be clouded so effortlessly and bear such tragic repercussions when influenced by pride. In this dismal sequel to Oedipus Rex, also written by Sophocles(n.d.), both sides of the moral battle have plenty of justification for their actions.
Although honor may be seen as a harbinger of respect, possessing a great sense of self respect is true honor. To truly be honored, you must respect yourself in your morals and values. This may be interpreted as a series of actions that inflict harm to yourself. In Antigone by Sophocles, Ismene states, "think how much more than these our own death would be if we should go against Creon and do what he has forbidden!” This quotation means that going against Creon will result in a devastating death. Her sister, Antigone, is willing to die because she feels that this would bring her honor. However, Antigone doesn’t truly understand the value of her own life. Antigone states, "I am not afraid of the danger; if it means death." Essentially,
What’s the overall message that Peter J. Ahrensdorf and Thomas L. Pangle are trying to portray to their audience.? Well, after reading the play and being able to analyze the story a little more in depth, I came up with two probable answers. First, I think the author’s trying to describe Antigone as this antagonist, who’s against all odds throughout the play. She’s a young girl who refuses to let anyone tell her what to do. Her self-morals of loyalty and courage outweigh any consequence that’s willing to come her way. Antigone ends up pushing her limits by finally forcing Creon to punish her by sticking her in a cave and locking her in there, but in the end Creon changes his. He finally understands what needs to be done; He finally kind of sees eye to eye and allows Antigone to bury her brother. So, in the end, I interpreted this as the author telling us don’t give up for what we believe in, no matter how big or small of a stretch it is, because in the
The major moral conflict in Antigone by Sophocles is the conflict over which value is most fundamental. The play presents the moral conflict over whether the god's law or the city's law is more powerful. This seems to be the most prominent theme. The conflict arises mainly between the tragic heroes Antigone and her uncle-in-law Creon, King of Thebes. The city of Thebes had been through a war in which Antigone and her sister Ismene have lost both of their brothers to it, Eteocles and Polyneices. Eteocles's fighting for Thebes was buried and honored as a hero. (lines 24-26) Polyneices was left unburied and dishonored because he is considered an enemy of the city. (lines 27-32) Creon edicts that whoever broke the law by burying
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.
In the Greek play Antigone writer Sophocles illustrates the clash between the story’s main character Antigone and her powerful uncle, Creon. King Creon of Thebes is an ignorant and oppressive ruler. In the text, there is a prevailing theme of rules and order in which Antigone’s standards of divine justice conflict with Creon’s will as the king. Antigone was not wrong in disobeying Creon, because he was evil and tyrannical. The authors of “Antigone: Kinship, Justice, and the Polis,” and “Assumptions and the Creation of Meaning: Reading Sophocles’ Antigone.” agree with the notion that Antigone performs the role of woman and warrior at once. She does not only what a kinswoman would, but also what a warrior would do.
There is no such thing as an accident; an accident fate misnamed. Outside the city gates, Antigone tells Ismene that Creon has ordered that Eteocles, who died defending the city, is to be buried with full honors, while the body of Polynices, the invader, is left to rot. Furthermore, Creon has declared that anyone attempting to bury Polynices shall be publicly stoned to death. Outraged, Antigone reveals to Ismene a plan to bury Polynices in secret, despite Creon 's order. When Ismene timidly refuses to defy the king, Antigone angrily rejects her and goes off alone to bury her brother. This play creates an underlying theme or moral, the moral of a story is often an implied lesson you can learn from a character 's experience. In Antigone, the moral of the story is that of fate. This moral is incorporated through the actions of both Creon and Antigone. The moral also corresponds with a recurring theme of the abuse of power, something that Creon is more than guilty of. This theme is incorporated in the many words and actions brought forward by Creon, the king of Thebes.