Polynices Should Be Buried In Sophocles's Antigone

Antigone ignores the idea of civic responsibility and puts her family first. Her family is more important to her than the law because she finds religion more powerful than Creon. “The ancient Greeks were polytheistic, they believed in many different gods and goddesses. The Greeks believed that these gods and goddesses controlled everything, from the waves in the ocean to the winner of a race.” (Richmond)

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.

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

Creon?s regard for the laws of the city causes him to abandon all other beliefs. He feels that all should obey the laws set forth by him, even if other beliefs, moral, or religions, state otherwise. Antigone, on the other hand, holds the beliefs of the gods in high reverence. She feels that the laws of the gods should be obeyed above all others, especially when in respect to family. Her beliefs in ?The sacred laws that Heaven holds in honor? are for more important than those set by the king (Antigone 78). The king cannot, and should not in the gods? eyes, override her belief in the

I call God to witness that if I saw my country headed for ruin, I should not be afraid to speak out plainly; and I need hardly remind you that I would never have any dealings with an enemy of the people. No one values friendship higher than I; but we must remember that friends made at the risk of wrecking our ship are not real friends at all. These are my principles, at any rate, and that is why I have made the following decision concerning the my brothers who died as a man should die, Polyneices 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, Eteocles, who broke his exile to come back with fire and sword against his native city and the shrines of his

In addition, Creon also has an inaccurate view of his place in relation to the gods. He believes that man’s laws are more important than the laws of the gods. Antigone tries to defend her decision to bury her brother by proclaiming, “I do not think your edicts have such power that they can override the laws of heaven…If I transgressed these laws because I feared the arrogance of man, how to the god’s could I make satisfaction” (line 408)? Creon’s hubris causes him to think that he must put Antigone to death because she chooses to follow the god’s laws over his.

Creon made the decree concerning the sons of Oedipus for this reason. Eteocles and Polynices had originally agreed to share in their father’s kinship over Thebes, but soon afterwards Eteocles claimed sole power and drove Polynices into exile. Polynices found sanctuary and support in the powerful city of Argos, after raising an army of Argive soldiers which he led with six other famous heroes, Polynices then marched on Thebes. Each of the cities seven gates were attacked by one of the heroes who were slain by a Theban warrior, except for Polynices and Eteocles, who fought and slew each other. Creon was trying to punish Polynices by not burying him but leaving him as a feast for the birds and dogs, because even though Eteocles was at fault as well for not sharing their father’s kinship, it was Polynices who in fact got outside help to try and gain control over Thebes. Since Antigone is Creon’s niece, if he

It must seem inconceivable to Creon that the gods would ever want a traitor like Polynices buried, let alone with the same ceremony as his brother Eteocles. Creon believes in the gods of the country and he is sure that he is acting in the best interest of Thebes. If he had decided to bury Polynices it would show him and his country as being weak. It would send a message that Thebes is a country that honors its traitors. This could put the country in jeopardy of another attack.

Antigone learns upon return that Eteocles plus Polyneices are deceased. Eteocles was given a decent funeral, though, Creon who is an uncle to Antigone's inherited the kingdom, issued a majestic edict outlawing the funeral of Polyneices, who was labeled a traitor.

Antigone's strong beliefs eventually led her to her death by the hand of Creon. Never, though, did she stop defending what she thought was right. As Creon ordered her to her death, Antigone exclaimed, "I go, his prisoner, because I honored those things in which honor truly belongs" (Sophocles page #).  She is directly humiliating Creon by calling his opinions and decisions weak and unjust. She also emphasizes "his prisoner," which tells us that Creon's decision to capture Antigone was his own, and was not backed up by the majority of the people. She feels that Creon is abusing his power as king and dealing with her task to a personal level.

Family was to always stay together, but Polynices did not think so. Polynices turned against Thebes and fought against his brother, Eteocles. After the battle, Creon gave Eteocles an honorable burial and banned the burial of Polynices. Antigone, one of the sisters of Polynices and Eteocles, was enraged when she heard Creon's proclamation of her brother's banishment of an honorable burial;

As one of the most famous tragedies ever written, Antigone, by the Greek playwright Sophocles, has received much notoriety as well as much speculation. Set in the city of Thebes after a devastating civil war between the brothers Polyneices and Eteocles, the play begins after the brothers’ deadly struggle for the throne. Polyneices and Eteocles have already caused the undue deaths of one another, and without another man in their immediate family available, their uncle Creon travels to Thebes to seize the ruling position. The conflict occurs when Creon declares that Eteocles, who bravely fought for his city against the invading army, is to have a proper burial afforded all of the rites his noble death deserved, while Polyneices, who led the invading army, is to remain unburied in order to avoid dishonoring his brother’s sacrifice. Their sisters Ismene and Antigone are left to tackle the difficult situation that remains. While Ismene meekly accepts the law that Creon has ordained, Antigone stubbornly defies her uncle by burying Polyneices out of loyalty to her family and respect for divine law. Her actions result in a whole host of sorrowful deaths, her own amongst them, as well as an overwhelming despair from Creon who realized the depth of his unwise decisions far too late. However, despite the numerous amount of years this play has been present in literature, a tragic hero has yet to be determined. In the play Antigone, Antigone and Creon are endowed with a tragic flaw,

The heroine Antigone sacrifices her life to defy the patriarchal society in which she is imprisoned. By confronting and resisting Creon’s authoritarian rule, Antigone empowers the oppressed people of Thebes. On the surface, her motives seem clear; she defies civil law in favor of a higher moral law. Antigone declares she acts out of a sense of honor and obedience to the gods, however her words and actions reveal additional motives. Antigone follows her own unique law, which is a mixture of her commitment to divine law and her desire for glory, love, death, and liberation. Her willingness to challenge authority makes her a heroic figure as she has the courage to

As the play begins, Antigone and Ismene, the daughters of Oedipus, are discussing the burial of Polyneices. He and Eteocles, the brothers of Antigone and Ismene, had killed each other in a duel. Creon imposed an order for Eteocles to be buried in honor, and Polyneices was left to rot in public shame. In this secret meeting outside of the palace gates, Antigone tells Ismene of her plan to bury Polyneices’ body, against Creon’s will. Antigone asserts to her sister that she “will do my duty to my brother—and yours as well, if you’re not prepared to”

The play Antigone, written by Sophocles is the last book of his trilogy called The Oedipus Play of Sophocle. Antigone take places in the city of Thebes, the play open “some days later” there have been an edict by King Creon regarding the burials of Eteocles and Polyneices; Eteocles, will get a proper burial for defending the senate, Polyneices will not. The King Creon had declared Polyneice is a traitor and forbid anyone in the city to bury him. Here where we are being presented with the main characters of this story Antigone and Ismene; the two