Essay about The Greek Gods Did Not Think Before They Acted

Antigone has been acclaimed as a model that challenges authority and insists on just acts. However, according to Aristotle, a tragedy requires a man’s harmartia, which means error. Therefore, as a main character of a great tragedy, Antigone must possess flaws.

She sees the burial of her brother as a nonnegotiable act, telling her own doubtful sister that, " you'll quickly demonstrate whether you are nobly born, or else a girl unworthy of her splendid ancestors," when Ismene appears to favor the king's troublesome proclamation. Furthermore, Antigone proves her unwavering fixation to her principles, even in the face of her own mortality, informing Creon curtly that, "there's nothing shameful in honouring my mother's children. " Not even under the threat of execution does she surrender her beliefs, which are shared by a great deal of the public. When the laws enforced by a leader push the public to perform actions that oppose its sense of morality, conflict arises at the expense of those in

In Sophocles' play "Antigone," the main character is an example of moral conviction; she defies the authority of the state by upholding her commitment to family obligation and divine justice. Antigone makes a strong case that speaks to continuing topic concerns through her perspective, rhetorical appeals, response to counterarguments, and thematic engagement. In the end, she emphasizes the superiority of morals above state laws. Antigone's viewpoint is based on her theory that divine law outweighs state law. Despite Creon prohibiting her brother Polynices's burial, she claims she needs to honor him.

Antigone was a princess of Thebes, the niece of Creon, who sought out to go against the king’s edict in order to bury her deceased brother. A significant imperfection to her personality was her everlasting stubbornness. In one part of the play, Choragus has even proclaimed that Antigone was “headstrong” and “ deaf to reason”, who has “never learned to yield”. It is this imperfection that influenced her to provoke Creon by saying “I beg you: kill me”, as well as calling him a “ fool that convicts me of folly”. Antigone did not entirely deserve to be buried alive in an enclosed cave for her actions, yet is was herself that brought about her miserable outcome, by committing suicide. She may be a tragic character in the play, but she also had characteristics that contradict with the definition of a tragic hero. She was always aware of the effect her actions would have on her wellbeing, yet did not gain this understanding after her death sentence. Also, Antigone’s misfortune was not completely unfortunate, for in the end, Haemon joined her in the underworld and “ she is at last his bride in the house of the

The honor that Antigone wants to maintain for her family, coupled with the irreplaceable nature of family, outweigh her

Antigone's loyalty to her beliefs ultimately caused her own death. Antigone believed that her brother was treated unjustly by not receiving a proper burial; therefore, she was loyal to her beliefs that no matter what Polynices did, he should be honored with a burial. In the beginning of the play Ismene attempted plead with her not to disobey Creon's laws, but Antigone's beliefs got the best of her. Ismene declared, "What? You'd bury him-/ when a law forbids the city?" (54-55). As hard as Ismene tried to persuade Antigone not to bury Polynices, Antigone believed that she was doing the correct thing, and her loyalty to her beliefs overpowered every emotion that was present. In the end, Antigone was willing to risk her life to stand up for what she really believed. Her loyalty to her beliefs was amazing and unheard of for the time period, as women usually did not challenge men.

Moreover, Antigone’s ability to follow her own beliefs results into the heroicness and tragic death of Antigone. Antigone is from a royal family and has the power to do what she believes in. She believes in following traditions and exercises that power when she says, “I will bury him, and if I must die, I say that the crime is holy: I shall lie down With him in death, and I shall be as dear To him as he to me” (694). Antigone follows her beliefs in following tradition and by doing what she feels is best. Antigone does this because she knows she is doing the right thing and knows that she will be repaid in some way. Furthermore, Antigone justifies her actions by telling the reasons that motivated her to do it to King Creon. She refuses to give in to the beliefs of King Creon and continues to think her own separate way. Antigone takes a stand to Creon when she says, “ Think Death less than a friend? This death of mine Is of no importance, but if I had left my brother Lying in death unburied, I should have suffered. Now I do not. You smile at me. Ah Creon , Think me a fool, if you like, but it may well be That a fool convicts me of folly” (709). Antigone believes what she is doing is correct and proves that to Creon , but he is still not convinced. It is important for Antigone to do what she believes is so that she will be pleased and satisfied with the outcome. Antigone’s ability to pursue her goals and to what she wants

One of Antigone's tragic flaws is her loyalty to the gods. Her disloyalty to King Creon is also one her tragic flaws. Antigone can be considered a tragic heroine because she possesses the following defining traits as set by Aristotle's Poetics: 1. The tragic hero possesses an error

Antigone’s motivation is love for her family- she puts it above all else. In fact, she is willing to sacrifice her life to defend that love. Antigone goes to great lengths to bury her deceased brother, who according to an edict issued by King Creon, died in dishonor, consequently making it illegal for anyone to bury his body. Through her actions to comply with her motivations, it is revealed that Antigone’s actions are also fueled by her strong beliefs that, first, the gods’ laws

When questioned about committing treason, Antigone’s lack of denial illustrates her rashness in decision-making, as she has nothing to gain from death. Instead of disclaiming the lowly guard’s words, she proudly states: “I say I did it and I don’t deny it” (Antigone 443). By admitting her role in the burial, Antigone seals her fate. Furthermore, the notion of her death does not faze her as she tells Creon: “I knew I must die - how could I not?” (460). Her acceptance of her death, while honorable, is unnecessary, because her objective of giving her fallen brother a respectful and honorable burial is already achieved. If she had not mentioned her role, there was a chance that she could have survived. In addition, Antigone does not even factor in the feelings of her sister Ismene and her fiancé Haemon, showing how inconsiderate she is of her impact on others. This irrational approach can only be described as foolishness; if she had been wiser, she would have buried her brother and survived to tell the tale. Her lack of judgement results in her downfall and the misery for those around her.

Like Creon, Antigone also never falters in standing up for what she believes in. Although Creon fights for stubborn pride, Antigone is trying to promote what is right and shows her higher reverence for God’s law rather than for Creon’s laws. In the eyes of the townspeople, Chorus, Choragos, and Haimon, Antigone is sacrificing herself to give her brother Polyneices the rightful honors due to the dead. Many side with this brave, honorable girl because she would rather suffer persecution and even death rather than give into Creon’s illogical demands. In the play, the chorus says about her, “You have made your choice, Your death is the doing of your conscious hand”. Antigone knew of the consequences before she acted and in doing so she chose her fate. At the time, she pleaded her sister Ismene to help her bury Polyneices but was rejected. Despite being alone in trying to rebel and perhaps she may have been afraid, Antigone goes out of her way and puts her life on the line to bring her brother respect.

Both Antigone and Hester stayed strong with their will even in the face of adversity. Antigone was understandably angered when she heard the news of the treatment of her brother’s body by Creon. Antigone was so appalled by this, she decided she was going to go against Creon and the authorities and bury Creon out of her respect for him. Antigone’s sister, Ismeme, was shocked when she heard of Antigone’s plans and turned down the offer when Antigone asked her to join her. Ismeme also begged Antigone to not go through with the action because she valued her sister and did not want her to get in trouble with Creon. Despite the criticism from Ismeme and the obvious rule of the law, Antigone stood firm in her faith that her brother deserved a respectful burial. Even when Creon found out about Antigone’s actions and threatened to punish her and questioned if she knew the law, she replied “Of course I knew. Was it not publicly proclaimed?” Moreover, this shows how Antigone decided her brother was more important than the law and that she was

Her core value of commitment of her loyalty to family is an important value for her to have. She believes that family comes first. “But I will bury him, and if I must die, I say that crime is holy.” “But as for me I will bury the brother I love.” “But I will bury him, and if I must die, I say that crime is holy.” This proves that Antigone is loyal to her family because, no matter the consequence she is determined to bury her brother. This is because to her, her brother deserves to be honored. Antigone puts her family before the law. “But as for me I will bury the brother I love.” This proves that Antigone has a

inconsistency in her beliefs. Majorly, nearing the end of her life, she begins to regret all her deeds of which

Being that Antigone is the protagonist, her character is important in the play. She made the decision to bury her brother knowing that it was against Creon’s law. Ismene refused to help Antigone, which left her angry, yet still determined to bury her brother. She knew that burying her brother could lead to her own death, but she continued to show courage, strength, and determination throughout her role. In the beginning, Antigone says, “Dear god, shout it from the rooftops. I’ll hate you all the more for silence/ tell the world!”(17,100-101). This was said to Ismene, when they were discussing burial plans and Ismene was telling Antigone that she was against the plan. Antigone’s dialogue shows that she is not worried about being punished or worried about who knows what she has done. It is clear that Antigone is sincere about honoring the gods, her actions show that she feels that she is pleasing the gods and that is all that matters to her. “These laws/ I was not about to break them, not out of fear of some man’s wounded pride, and face the retribution of the gods.”(30, 509-511). This demonstrates how she feels about man’s law vs. divine law. In the plot, there was not one time where Antigone denied