Polynices Vs Antigone Essay

The idea that "all citizens are protected by the law" (Adkins 3.2) is a fair concept, but there is no point to be protected if the law is unfair. Creon emboldened by his power is blindsided to his consciousness; he cannot see his moral thoughts. Antigone feels pleasure as she did what she had to do so she kills herself, and she dies peacefully with herself as she obtains her moral fate. However, when Haemon, Creon's son, finds out that Antigone kills herself, he kills himself. The messenger brings the sad news that, "Haemon hath perished; his blood hath been shed by no stranger" (Sophocles 42). The death of Haemon was "in wrath with his sire for the murder" (Sophocles 42). Creon in shock is horrified; as he begins to realize his mistake and when the wife of Creon, Eurydice, over hears the news of her dead son she kills herself in response to her dead son. The three deaths are in response to one another,

When a messenger comes to Creon, bringing the news that Antigone has buried her brother, he begins his arguments why Antigone has broken the law. He begins by stating that a man shows what he is made of by his "skill in rule and law." In other words, the law is everything and as a ruler, he must do everything for his country. He considers Polyneices an enemy of the city and a threat to the security of the city as well. Thus Polyneices will be called a traitor in life and in death and dishonored. The scene when Antigone and Creon face each other is the opportunity for both to defend themselves. Creon questions Antigone. She bases her responses on that the city laws proclaiming her as illegal are not the laws of Zeus or laws proclaimed by gods, but rather, laws made by a man that one day will also die. She will honor her brother's death because this is what the gods have proclaimed for all mankind. (lines 460-463)

It was soon discovered what Antigone had done. Creon her to be executed and was imprisoned in a cave. Her fiancé, Haemon, son of Creon, begged his father to let her go. He finally agreed but he was too late, Antigone had hanged herself. Haemon was devastated that his love was dead, so he committed suicide. At the news, Creon's wife and Haemon’s mother, queen Eurydice, commits suicide fulfilling Creon’s fate of being responsible for his family’s death. Antigone lines 1335-1336 “From suffering that has been/ Decreed no man will ever find escape”.

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

What he finds at her tomb is Antigone and his son Haemon dead. Creon was heartbroken by this but, the tragedy does not end here. His wife Eurydice hears of her son’s death and commits suicide herself! The devastated Creon says “Wrong! How could I have been so wrong?

The opening events of the play Antigone, written by Sophocles, quickly establish the central conflict between Antigone and Creon. Creon has decreed that the traitor Polynices, who tried to burn down the temple of gods in Thebes, must not be given proper burial. Antigone is the only one who will speak against this decree and insists on the sacredness of family and a symbolic burial for her brother. Whereas Antigone sees no validity in a law that disregards the duty family members owe one another, Creon's point of view is exactly opposite. He has no use for anyone who places private ties above the common good, as he proclaims firmly to the Chorus and the audience as he revels in his victory over Polynices. He sees Polynices as an enemy to

We see that he becomes a lot like Oedipus. Instead of allowing both brothers, sons of Oedipus the former king, to both be buried in an honorable manner he declares that Polynices cannot be buried or mourned for and must be left to be eaten by animals. Anyone who goes against this law will be put to death. Tiresias tells Creon that his decree to not allow Polynices to have a proper burial is not what the g-ds want. Creon, like Oedipus, denounces what Tiresias has to say, even though Tiresias’s prophecy in Oedipus the King was right. Antigone, the daughter of Oedipus, does not see any justice in Creon’s decision and decides to give her brother a proper burial. Antigone is caught for her crime and sentenced to death. She is left in a cave to die. Haemon, the son of Creon and future husband of Antigone, is not okay with this decision. He tries to convince his father to not kill Antigone. Haemon goes to find Antigone and has found her dead, hung by a noose. In turn, Haemon kills himself with his own sword. Creon having listened to Haemon and the citizens of Thebes he goes to set Antigone free and finds both Antigone and his son dead by their own hands.

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

Before advancing to the throne, Oedipus had unknowingly killed Laius, his father and the king of Thebes. Shortly after killing the king, he married the dead king’s wife, his mother. He had committed incest by marrying and having children with his own mother. As a result he became father of Polyneices, Eteocles, Antigone, and Ismene. Oedipus stabs his eyes out and his sons, Polyneices and Eteocles killed themselves in combat, over the power of the throne. Creon was in the process of reconstructing Thebes from the ruins that his own family created. He also had to make a name for himself, after all the chaos the past rulers had made. If Creon did not set an example for civilians they would simply rebel. Creon was to stand firm by his word because no one is above the law, no matter who committed the act. In other words Creon was not a villain; he was the antagonist of Antigone. Imagine how biased Creon would appear to the Theban population if he did not pursue the punishment that he himself had instituted. In agreement to his law, Creon’s intentions were just. There’s no doubt about it, Creon’s law was harsh but when truly analyzing the situation, Polyneices was a traitor because he allied with other cities and attacked his homeland. Creon’s strong and steadfast attitudes were to support Thebes. But unfortunately, he was a little too late to understand that his fierce dedication to his decree was an error on his part.

When the messenger brings the news to Creon of his wife’s last words he says, “And for Haimon, her sons; and her last breath/ Was a curse for their father, the murderer of her sons” (243). When Eurydice, the queen, says her last words she is putting all of the guilt and responsibility of her son’s and her own death on Creon because of a few mistakes he had made regarding their son’s life and relationship with Antigone. Creon responds to this news saying, “I alone am guilty/ I know it, and I say it...I have neither life nor substance” (244). By admitting that what Eurydice says it true Creon is giving up and believes that he no longer has any redeeming qualities. Creon also lacks confidence when he admits he obtains the curse, which for a king is not a good character trait to have and being the last one, people could easily overthrow him. By killing herself, Antigone has rid herself of the curse her father, Oedipus, has lied upon her and the rest of his family. Although it was not a curse she triggered on herself as Creon’s curse is, she was still a part of the family and killing herself is the easier way out and less punishable. By not accepting her fate, she is not taking responsibility for actions,and not trying to please the gods,

Both Oedipus and Creon experience terrible loses at the end of each play, which causes them to feel grief and remorse for their actions. After Oedipus receives the shocking revelation from Tiresias that he is the man that he has scorned and sentenced to exile, his mother, whom he married, kills herself and Oedipus realizes that all of his life he had been living a lie. Oedipus grieves over the loss of his beloved wife and mother but is also disgusted with himself. He cannot live with the shame of his incest, so he takes the broche from the dress of Jocasta and proceeds to blind himself. He is terribly upset over everything that has happened and cannot live with the reactions he fears he will get from the people of Thebes. Oedipus then follows through on the law he had set and exiles himself from the city. At the end of Antigone, Creon goes to the cave he has enclosed Antigone in, only to find his son Haimon has beaten him there and Antigone hanging from the roof of the cave. Haimon is so angry with his father that upon Creon’s arrival to the cave, Haimon tries to stab Creon. He is unsuccessful, but then turns around and stabs himself. Creon has now lost

Antigone stood for her religion and buried her brother like she believed she should. She soon paid the price set for her actions and was punished to death by the state. The blind Prophet Tiresias comes and warns Creon soon after Antigone left for her death. Tiresias tells creon that, “you yourself have brought/This new calamity upon us./This was a sign from heaven. My boy described it,/Seeing for me as I see for others” (794-798).

After the ridiculous attack of Thebes by Polynices and his partners, the city stands unconquered. Polynices and his sibling Eteocles, on the other hand, are both dead, murdered by one another, as indicated by the condemnation of Oedipus, their dad. Outside the city entryways, Antigone tells Ismene that Creon has requested that Eteocles, who kicked the bucket shielding the city, is to be covered with full respects, while the group of Polynices, the intruder, is left to spoil. Besides, Creon has proclaimed that anybody endeavoring to cover Polynices should be openly stoned to death. Offended, Antigone uncovers to Ismene an arrangement to cover Polynices in mystery, in spite

Oedipus, Antigone’s father, had four children: Antigone, Ismene, Eteocles and Polynices. After Oedipus’ death, the two sons were meant to share the rulership of their town, Thebes, alternating between the two of them, starting with the elder, Eteocles. He then refused to pass the power on to his brother, who consequentially gathered foreign forces and launched an attack on his brother and the city, in which the brothers killed each other. Creon, Antigone’s uncle, immediately became king and ordered a decree that calls for a proper burial for Eteocles but forbids the burial of Polynices for betraying the city, and thus his body should be left in the field as food for wild animals.

Antigone had hanged herself in the tomb and Haemon was wailing at her side. Creon heard Haemon’s voice and begged him to come out of the tomb. Haemon came out and lunged at Creon with his sword and missed. Haemon then took his own life by leaning on the blade of his sword, Haemon then embraced Antigone as he died.