Similarities Between Antigone And Creon

Creon vs. Antigone In the play Antigone written by Sophocles, Antigone’s decision to override her Uncle, Creon’s edict and bury her brother is rational because Antigone believes that he is too proud and arrogant and he is overstepping his boundaries as a leader. Creon doesn’t want anyone to bury Polyneices’ body because he believes that Antigone’s brother, Polyneices was a traitor, and Creon doesn’t believe that a traitor's soul deserves to be put to rest. Antigone goes against Creon’s law because she knows that Polyneices only made a mistake, and deserves to be buried because making mistakes is a part of life.

The play Antigone is about two brothers who kill each other in battle, one is buried one isn’t and laws are placed in order to prevent it from happening. A sister comes in to bury his brother despite the laws and risk potential death in the process. The person who put these laws into place is called Creon, who wants the person who buried the body to face justice. The sister who committed this crime is Antigone, who is also the character that I’m contrasting with Creon.

First off, Ismene, Antigone’s sister, actually was the one that incited Antigone's actions that led to everything else that happened in the story. Without Ismene, there would not be a plot. In lines 52-59, Ismene said to Antigone “What? You'd bury him— when a law forbids the city?” Antigone replied “Yes! He is my brother and—deny it as you will—your brother too. No one will ever convict me for a traitor.” Ismene said “So desperate, and Creon has expressly—” and Antigone interrupted with “He has no right to keep me from my own.” Here Ismene is telling Antigone that her actions are not something that are legal and that comply with Creon’s laws. Antigone, being hard-headed, decides that she is not going to let a law determine what she does for

Antigone’s stubbornness and loyalty to her brother led Creon to become very prideful, as he would not change his mind about Antigone’s punishment. Although Antigone knew it was against Creon’s order to bury her brother, she insisted that she would bury him to prevent being “caught betraying him” (Sophocles, 58). When Creon found out that Antigone had disobeyed his order, he became very upset and prideful, as he was a new king and wanted to look as if he had his kingdom under control. Thus, Creon wouldn’t change Antigone’s punishment, insisting that “no woman’s going to govern” him (Sophocles, 600) and ordered her to death as a punishment.

In the play of "Antigone" by Sophicles, sisters of a royal bloodline head back to Thebes, in which they they then find out both of their brothers are deceased. Creon- the main antogonist in the play- has arranged a proper burial for one the brothers but has banned the other one of a burial. This becomes the main protagonists goal- Antigone- to bury her other brother.

Throughout the novel Antigone, Antigone is portrayed as a rebellious anarchist who is not afraid to defy king Creon's strict orders. After the death of her brother Polyneices, who Creon believed was a traitor to Thebes, Creon gave specific orders that there should be no proper burial for such a renegade. Knowing the consequences, Antigone willingly disobey Creon’s commands and performed a proper burial for her deceased brother. When Creon heard of this, he became furious and sentences Antigone to death. Antigone denied nothing and accepted the punishment.

“Then why delay? There’s nothing in your words that I enjoy—may that always be the case! And what I say displeases you as much. But where could I gain greater glory than setting my own brother in his grave? All those here would confirm this pleases them if their lips weren’t sealed by fear—being king, which offers all sorts of various benefits, means you can talk and act just as you wish.” (567-575) The way Antigone acts, what she says and what she thinks contrasts with Creon to the point where they had a major conflict. These conflicting motivations cause Creon to show a different side of himself, the new characteristics that were highlighted in Creon were anger, violence, and self-importance.

In Antigone, Sophocles introduces the struggle between loyalty to civil law versus familial loyalty and divine law, which is a central conflict in the play. Antigone has a firm belief in upholding family values and honoring the gods and deceased by burying her brother. In contrast, Creon wants to do what is best for the city which is, in his opinion, forbidding the burial of Polynices. Both Antigone and Creon believe that their point of view is more important, and neither is willing to change perspective, causing the chain of destructive events in the plot. Loyalty causes the deadly dispute between Antigone and Creon because of their conflicting perspectives about precedence.

If Antigone did nothing, living with the guilt of not helping her brother would be worse. She breaks these rules for divine law, a law that is believed to come directly from god. Antigones actions for Polyneices that he must be buried is a requirement from the gods. If not buried properly the souls of the deceased were let to walk to river Styx, the entrance to the under world, for eternity and their souls would never be at rest. Not burying a body was a great insult to the dead and Antigone could not live with that on her conscience. Creon on the other hand ignores the laws of the gods and believes his duty to the city comes first. Creon believes his decision was in the best interest of Thebes to show that he is a strong ruler and the city of Thebes will be safe in his hands.

Her blatant disrespect and sarcasm toward Creon shows how she really feels toward him. Antigone does not respect Creon as the king of Thebes. This gets further proved when Antigone says, “It wasn’t Zeus, not in the least, who made this proclamation–not to me” (Sophocles Antigone, 499-500). This is a very telling moment for the reader, Antigone is saying she did not listen to Creon’s decree not only because she does not respect him, but also she will only listen to the gods rules. This moment tells Creon that Antigone will never respect him as a ruler. Antigone is very stubborn, and when she is very passionate she will speak her mind, “And if my present actions strike you as foolish, let's just say I’ve been accused of folly by a fool” (Sophocles Antigone, 523-5). In these few lines she is talking to Creon about how she does not regret burying her brother. She tells Creon, the person who holds her fate in his hands, that he is a fool. Antigone’s hubris finally comes back to ruin her, “We took his orders, went and searched, and there in the deepest, dark recesses of the tomb we found her… hanged by the neck in a fine linen noose” (Sophocles Antigone, 1344-7). The ‘her’ the messenger is speaking of is Antigone. Antigone is so prideful and spiteful her last act on Earth was a smug reminder to Creon that if she was going to die it would be on her own terms, by her own hand. Antigone is one character that perfectly showcases how hubris can lead to ultimate demise.

Throughout the context words of Creon and Antigone contrasts their perspective on their belief. Creon would often decide all the rulings of his country with no hesitant because of his strong pride being a King. On the other hand, Antigone’s strong bond, love for her family, commitment to bury her brother which objects the rule against Creon. In disobedience towards Creon, Antigone says her “...honours for the dead must last much longer than for those up here” (Sophocles, 275), as well as speaking that “there’s nothing shameful in honouring my mother’s children.” (Sophocles, 273). Antigone’s words expresses her love and the

even if I die in the act, that death will be a glory” (Sophocles 926). At this moment, Antigone was willing to risk her own life by putting her respect for her family member first. Creon, on the other hand, seems to hold more interest in Thebes and his own image in front of its people. He would put his own niece to death for disobeying him and his laws over allowing her act of defiance to slide.

In contrast to Creon’s opinion that ultimate authority rests with the king, Antigone believes that everyone, even the king, should follow the gods’ laws first. She does not want to betray her brother or “be a traitor…to the gods” by not burying him (line 48). She follows up with this assertion saying, “He [Creon] has no right to keep me from my own” (line 50). These statements demonstrate that her priorities lie first with the gods and second with her family, both of which she places above the authority of the king.

If I shall die before my time, I count that a profit.”(pg 198) Her reaction to all that has occurred shows how strong of a person she is. Antigone never forgets who she and what matters most to her. Ismene would never be as strong and persevere as her sister does. There are two quotes in the tragedy that exhibit what type of a person Antigone is and why she upholds and acts with her morals. “There is nothing shameful in honoring my brother.”(pg 200) Anyone put in Antigone’s situation- facing life and death- must battle with what is moral. Is her life worth more than being faithful to her brother or should she just let her brother’s body be desecrated? Antigone has already lost her mother and in a sense lost her father with all that fate has served them. Antigone has seen what life has done and accepts all of it. Her whole purpose is for everything to be fair, just, and accept what life hands her. Her trust remains in the gods and the gods will protect her. “The god of death demands these rites for both.” (pg 201) Antigone refers to her brothers. As said before, everyone deserves the right to have the proper burial. The gods never deny someone of that right. There is love for everyone, not hate- which is what Creon does not believe in.

Throughout this play Antigone's core values are often influencing her choices. One of her predominant core values is to have loyalty to her family. In the play when Antigone is faced with the conflict of Polyneices’, her brother and former prince of Thebes, burial she doesn't hesitate to do what's right. She says “Ismene, I am going to bury him.” This quote shows how Antigone’s core value of loyalty to her family helps make her decisions because it proves how valued her family is to herself. When Antigone chooses to bury Polyneices she's not worried about the consequences that may come. For she believes that what's she's doing is right, and it’s what her family would want. This quote is then followed by another, which reads “Creon is not strong enough to stand in my way.” This quote also expresses her loyalty because it shows her determination to fulfill the duties that would please her family. It also shows how she's not afraid of what Creon, king of Thebes, may do and that she most definitely values her family over herself. Antigone’s loyalty then causes her to evidentially do what she believes is right for her family, and bury her brother. Based on this evidence, Antigone’s core value of loyalty to her family is most certainly factored into her decisions.