Personal Dilemmas: The Tales Of Oedipus And Antigone

Antigone tells her sister that King Creon has decided that only one of their brothers are getting a proper burial. Outraged, Antigone starts talking about how she was going to get her brothers both a traditional burial because that is what she believes is right. In doing so, Antigone and her sister will be honoring her father by doing this. Her sister is afraid of the repercussions and refuses to have any part of this decision. If you were not to abide by King Creon’s law, you will be stoned to death. The scene continues and Antigone is still trying to convince her sister to help move their brother’s body because he is too heavy

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

She was committed to honoring her family and that is why she felt Polyneices deserved proper burial rites along with Eteocles. She took the idea to bury him to Ismene. Since it was against the law, she did not agree. Antigone responds to her by saying “That must be your excuse, I suppose. But as for me, I will bury the brother I love” (65). She argues that Creon is not enough to stand in her way (35) and Polyneices has the right to be buried being that he fought as bravely as Eteocles. So, Antigone took it upon herself to bury Polyneices. A sentry brings the news to Creon and soon Antigone follows. When taken to Creon, she fights that he is disobeying the laws of heaven. She argues, “Your edict, King, was strong, but all your strength is weakness itself against the immortal unrecorded laws of God" (360-363). She stressed to Creon that even though he holds a powerful position of authority, divine law will always come before civil law. Along with her upholding of the laws of heaven, Antigone expresses how her love for a brother is stronger than any other. She gives one last plea: she would not have defied Creon if the unburied body were her husband’s or her child’s. Both of those could be replaced, but a sibling whose parents are dead is suitable to accept such punishment. She would rather die with honor than live with the guilt of her brother’s soul left to wander the earth. With Polyneices left unburied, she feels she would have

Creon not allowing Polynecies to have a proper burial is when the real tragedy of the play takes place. As a result of Creon’s orders, Antigone defies him and buries her brother. When Creon discovers what Antigone did, he sentenced her to death.

Antigone is talking to Ismene and telling her all she has heard about the injustice that she has heard that Creon has created. She is very frustrated and wants only to bury her brother so he may have a peaceful afterlife and not go to the underworld or be stuck in purgatory. Creon’s edict stating Polynices cannot be buried under any circumstances is harsh because Creon most likely would have revolted against his brother if he was banish from Thebes just so he wouldn’t have to share the throne. After Antigone gathers up

Similarly to Rosa Parks, Antigone also advocates for fair treatment for her brother, Polyneices. Even though it is not for a large group of people, she is still standing up to the unequal treatment between her two brothers, Eteocles and Polyneices. After having a quarrel, both of Antigone's’ brothers died in battle; however, Creon (the ruler during this time) insisted that only Eteocles will receive a proper burial with many honors, but Polyneices will not because he is a traitor (Antigone.1.15-19). This is unfair because Polyneices fought just as hard and bravely as Eteocles. He also sacrificed his life because of the fight. Antigone, who believes in justice, did not appreciate the fact that Polyneices was not buried because he was in the same circumstances as Eteocles; therefore, they should both receive the same treatment. As a result, Antigone buries Polyneices herself because she is aware of how much both of her brothers sacrificed. Because she wants the her brothers to receive the identical amount of recognition, she stands up for Polyneices and buries him when everyone else was against that idea.

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.

Throughout the second half of the play, king Creon and Antigone argue about whether to give her brother, Polyneices, a proper burial. According to king Creon, Polyneices was a traitor who attempted to burn their city to flames. King Creon even states “He died trying to sack this land, the other in defense (Antigone 518).” Creon thought Polyneices was not worthy and did not deserve to receive a proper burial because he had destroyed his reputation by betraying his own homeland. Additionally, when people are buried, their souls drift on and pass into the afterlife.

Antigone and Creon are two characters that may be considered too similar in personalities, which causes some commotion. Both are confident and persistent in their beliefs and will do what they believe is best in their mind. Antigone is guilty in the eyes of the law because she buried her brother, Polynices, a traitor to Thebes, against Creon’s ruling. Creon has banned Polynices’ burial because he fought for power against Thebes and his own brother, Eteocles, who also died in the battle. Eteocles was granted a proper burial for dying in the name of Thebes, but Polynices was not. Antigone is worried about his burial rights because it is her job as a woman in the family to make sure that her brother is buried so he can get to the afterlife

Creon declares that Etocles should be buried with full military honors. However, because he is filled with wrath towards Polyneices for being a traitor, he maliciously decided that Polyneices should not be buried. Antigone was filled with piety and wanted to give her brother a proper burial. Therefore, she transgressed Creon's decree and buried her brother despite the fact that Ismene was against it also. A messenger had then told Creon that someone buried the body and he ordered the messenger to find out who it was, and to bring them to him. The guards unburied the body and hid in a vigil state until they caught Antigone burying the body. She was not afraid when she was presented to Creon for trying to reconcile herself for the calamity by

With the strong values Antigone held and her loyalty to her brother, they lead her to behave in an untraditional way by going against the law and orders given by a man.“As long as I live, I will not be ruled by a woman.” (line 525). Creon and Antigone were discussing the burial of Polyneices; Creon did not agree with Antigone that both of her brothers deserved a proper burial. Creon expresses himself with misogynistic language and tried to belittle Antigone to engender her to feel weak, like women were expected to. Refusing to accept that Antigone was right, Creon evaded to show weakness to a woman, in fear of being scrutinized and perceived as less than a man

Creon: The King of Thebes with his Queen Eurydice and father to Haemon. Creon decrees only the one brother, Eteocles, should be buried traditionally and the other one Polyneices should be left for the birds and animals to finish off. However, Antigone wants to bury her brother deemed a traitor, he imprisoned her only to anger the gods and the people. He is constantly influenced by the Chorus on what he should do, but when he decided to let her go he found out that Antigone killed herself. Some characters fear him, other hate his beliefs and some, the chorus, praise him. Near the end of the play Creon tries to do right by his son and others by releasing Antigone after giving Polyneices a proper burial.

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.

Antigone went against Creon’s law to stand up and carry out her beliefs by giving Polyneices the burial he deserved. Creon decided to bury Eteocles and not Polynices, since he put the town of Thebes is danger. Antigone, despite her lack of ability to create a change due to her gender, did not like this decision, and wanted to give her brother the burial he deserved. She had the thought to bury him from the start when she asked Ismene, “Is he not my brother, and yours, whether you like it or not? I shall never desert him, never” (39-40). Antigone is brave enough to fight against Creon’s laws even though she does not have equal rights, because she is determined for her brother to be lifted to the gods. Her spirit forces her actions despite the consequences she will have to face if she got caught. She does not care if she has to face death, if that is what it takes for her brother to get his rights, she will not stop until it occurs. When she gets caught, she does not cave in and apologize for her actions. She spoke her mind and said, “This punishment will not be any pain. Only if I let my mother’s son lie their unburied, then I couldn’t have borne it” (391-393). She believes her brother deserves to be buried and she will do anything in her ability to help him. No matter what