Polynices As A Traitor In Sophocles Antigone

Divine Law Versus Human Law The main conflict between King Creon and Antigone in “Antigone” by Sophocles is one of a power struggle and choosing who to be obedient to. Antigone follows her heart and religious beliefs against the King’s orders as she plans to bury her brother in secret against the King’s ruling that Polynices be left to rot. She believes that a burial will assure her brother’s soul rest and that it is what the god’s want. However, King Creon is making a public example of Polynices’ body as he was a traitor that invaded the city.

He is both logical and ethical. Creon is talking to his “people” and he says that he knows that no one will just follow a person around like a mindless drone. He says that his rules are the law and if you fight for your country you will die in honor and will be praised for it, but if you betray your country for another you will be left for the dogs and birds to feed on you. He says that, that is his command is a wise decision. “I am aware, of course, that no ruler can expect complete loyalty from his subjects until he has been tested in office.” “These are my principles, at any rate, and that is why I have made the following decision concerning the sons of Oedipus: 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 heroes die; but his brother Polyneices, who broke his exile to come back with fire and sword against his native city and the shrines of his fathers’ gods, whose one idea was to spill the blood of his blood and sell his own people into slavery–– Polyneices, I say, is to have no burial: no man is to touch him or say the least prayer for him; he shall lie on the plain, unburied; and the birds and the scavenging dogs can do with him whatever they like.This is my command, and you can see the wisdom behind it”(196). Creon is being logical. He is being logical because he is setting an example to the people of his country. His

This quote explains the main conflict of the play. Creon has ordered that Polynices, Antigone’s brother, cannot receive a proper burial because in Creon’s eyes he is a traitor. Polynices fought against his brother to claim the throne of Thebes, the pair ended up killing each other. Tiresias tries to tell Creon that he is wrong to do this because it is angering the gods that he is denying them a body. Tiresias even warns Creon not to be stubborn, “Stubborness/ brands you for stupidity-pride is a crime.” (1137-1138). Pride in Greek tragedies is most often the cause of a characters downfall and Creon is no exception.

Even if he believes he is right and his son should obey him, he doesn’t show an ounce of sympathy for Haemon, who loves Antigone. Creon details his thoughts on the importance of the rule of law over other loyalties, and his belief that to allow any anarchy or, seemingly, freedom would threaten the state. Creon’s method of executing Antigone is interesting. By entombing a living person, Antigone, and denying burial to a dead person, Polynices, Creon’s laws seem to go against common sense, tradition, and nature itself. Creon does not keep a cool head, as a wise leader should, or look for a way to compromise. He is as stubborn as Antigone, as if this were a street fight, he feels he could never back down.

Many believe that the divine word holds more power than man, Antigone is one of these people and hold the divines laws higher than man's laws. On the other hand, Creon believes that holding power is the way of life and tries to uphold his laws over the deity laws. Creon does this when the brothers Polyneices and Eteocles kill each other and Polyneices is designated as a traitor. Creon decides to prohibit the people from burying Polyneices properly and follow the god's law to prevent more rebellions. Antigone on the other hand believes that a Creon's law holds no power over her from giving a proper burial. As Antigone is talking to Ismene she states "No one shall say I failed him! I will bury my brother -- and yours too, if you will not"( Sophocles ). This statement shows

Until Creon follows the simple burial rites, numerous misfortunes, including the deaths of his loved ones, will occur as a result of his actions. One may think that Creon must challenge the Gods because Antigone challenges his laws; however, fear of the Gods and guilt motivate Antigone to defy Creon. Antigone’s defiance does not lead to the deaths of others because she defies an individual who did not follow the law, while Creon’s disobedience ends in violence.

It is Creon's right to enforce his law according to the laws of fifth century Athens. Antigone goes against Creon rule, which has been strong until that point, and so may in Sophocles' time would have seen her as wrong. However, Sophocles clearly makes a point of making viewers feel sympathy for Antigone in order for her not to seem so in the wrong. Creon's own son and his Chorus support her actions and tell Creon that he is wrong. Creon is enraged by this and makes the decision to have Antigone buried alive.

It all starts when Creon, announces that he plans to give Eteocles a proper burial, while the ‘traitor’ Polyneices will not be buried and that “he shall lie on the plain” while “the birds and the scavenging dogs can do with him whatever they like” (1 47-49). This is Antigone’s main conflict with Creon in the play, as she believes that the law of the gods is always stronger than the laws of man. Creon disagrees with her and tries to gain power over her as he thinks she is breaking his law which he said was punishable by death. Furthermore, Antigone recognizes that people fear Creon’s power because she says “All these men here would praise me were their lips not frozen shut with fear of you.

Antigone and Creon are two characters with similar personalities, which caused major uproar between the two. Both are confident and persistent in their beliefs, doing what they believe was best. Antigone was guilty in the eyes of the law because she buried her brother against Creon’s ruling. Though the law seemed inhumane, Creon set the action into effect because he wanted to maintain his image in the city’s eyes. Antigone fought for her brother’s burial because she believed that her brother deserved to end up in heaven, no matter how he died. Antigone’s actions had moral reasoning that supported her decisions, whereas Creon’s reasoning’s were harsh. Antigone shouldn’t have died over her strong beliefs.

The man who is well-minded to the state from me in death and life shall have his honor.” (Sophocles 1, 28). Creon’s reasoning for not allowing Polynieces to be buried is that he saw him as an enemy to Thebes and saw Eteocles as an honorable man that died to defend Thebes. He believed Polyneices went against his people, which gave him no honor as he lived on earth. So Creon felt he did not deserve any honor while deceased. Antigone had two major reasons behind wanting to bury Polyneices. The first is that he felt she needed to honor her brother and could not leave him unburied because of the simple love for her own blood. Rather he died defending or attacking his own people he was still the child of her parents and her brother and she loved him. Her second reason is her loyalty to the gods. “You may see fit to keep from honor what the gods have honored.” (Sophocles 1, 24). This quote from Antigone to her sister Ismene showed that Antigone wanted to do what the gods have guided all people to do when someone dies, which is bury the body so they will be given back to the earth. However, Creon forbid that to happen to Polynieces and called for punishment to anyone who does. What he did she felt he going directly against the gods wishes and is taking honor away from them. She felt it was her duty to stay loyal to her gods even if it meant to parish in the

When we first meet Creon in Antigone, he has made the proclamation 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 heroes die; but his brother Polyneices, who broke his exile to come back with fire and sword against his native city and the shrines of his fathers’ gods, […] Polyneices, I say, is to have no burial: no man is to touch him or say the least prayer for him; he shall lie on the plain, unburied; and the birds and the scavenging dogs can do with him whatever they like” (Sophocles, 7-8). Creon obviously whole-heartedly believes that what he is doing is right. When the Sentry comes to Creon with the news that someone has tried to bury Polyneices, Creon becomes enraged and demands that the guilty person be brought to him. He even

Although Creon’s perspectives were right about polyneices punishing him after death would be against to god’s law than punishing him before death, so he had an erroneous belief that there would be no possibility that god would not like Creon’s actions or

In the same context, Antigone says, “Your edict, King, was strong, but all your strength is weakness itself against the immortal unrecorded laws of God. They are not merely now: they were, and shall be, Operative for ever, beyond man utterly. ”(209) Antigone is saying Creon’s power is useless if you put it in perspective of the gods power. Also the gods respect the burial process and defying them could cause a lot of turmoil for the one responsible.

In the story of Antigone,Creon starts all the drama by proclaiming that he is not going to let his nephew Polyneices be buried.While his niece, Antigone, went against it because she believed it went against the basic rights given by the gods.Creon’s view on this was clearly stated when he said Polyneices, I say, is to have no burial:no man is to touch him or say the least prayer for him.” This quote shows that Creon strongly believed that no one should touch Polyneices and that he should not receive an honorable burial because of his betrayal.Antigone tried all that she could from reasoning with him to get her brother buried by using family ties. Even though Antigone gave him valid reasons Creon was too stubborn to even open up his heart and give it some thought, so he still declared that he shall not be buried.

Morning has just arrived in Thebes and the news is arriving rapidly, Polynicus, the traitor, has been found buried. Multiple guards were stationed there to watch the body, yet somehow he has received the proper burial ritual without anyone being caught. Our new king, Creon, suspects that they have fallen to bribery, which everyone knows that money is the worst kind of evil. Although, the guard who reported this treason guarantees that, “I neither did the deed nor saw it done.” At the moment, Creon is furious because of this endeavor. He is taking immediate action by having the corpse unburied and looking for the suspect.