Theme Of Family Over Authority In Antigone

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.

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

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.

The play Antigone by Sophocles is a play like no other. There are three major themes or ideas which have a very important role in the play. The first major theme is fate, on how the play comes about and the turn of events that come about throughout it. Another main theme or idea is the pride the characters have and their unwillingness they have to change their minds once they are set on something. The last major theme is loyalty and the practical problem of conduct involving which is a higher law between the divine laws and those of the humans. It is an issue of which law is the "right" law, and if Creon and Antigone's acts are justifiable or not. The issues that Antigone and Creon have between them

For instance, Antigone had many chances to obey the law or her own familial bonds. Antigone chooses to obey family, and bury Polynices even though burying breaks Creon's law. Antigone pleads to Ismene to help, when she says no, Antigone responds, “But as for me/ I will bury the brother I love” (Prologue. 192). Antigone is willing to break Creon's authority as a family means much more to her, this presents her as selfless. Along with breaking the law, Antigone also risks execution for that crime. Once Antigone learns of her punishment after Creon discovers her, she decides if burying her brother was worth it. After Creon warns Antigone again she says, “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” (Scene II. 208). Antigone shows the courage that even death won't scare her from her goals. Antigone chooses family, even in the face of the capital punishment. Sophocles show Antigone as a lion-hearted being by denouncing Creon’s will and burying her brother. Through Antigone’s actions, Sophocles show how he favors family over authority.

Family is very important and is shown through the many ways in society. That family will often be more important than the authority or law. The tragic Greek play, Antigone written by Sophocles. Within Antigone, Sophocles presents many situations where characters are forced to face their feelings of law or family. Throughout Antigone, Sophocles proves his strong devotion to family, even more. Sophocles presents these through the actions of Antigone, Creon, and Haemon with the choices that they make throughout the play. For instance, Antigone had many chances to obey the law or her own familial bonds. Antigone chooses to obey family, and bury Polynices even though burying breaks Creon's law. Antigone pleads with her sister to help, but when she says no, Antigone responds, “But as for me/ I will bury the brother I love” (Prologue. 192). Antigone was willing to break Creon's authority as a family means much more to her, this presents her as selfless. Along with breaking the law, Antigone also risks execution for that crime. When Antigone learns of her punishment, after Creon discovers, Antigone decides if entombing her brother was worth it. Following Creon's warning, she says, “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” (Scene II. 208). Antigone shows the courage that even death won't scare her from her goals. Antigone chooses family, when in the face of the capital punishment.

In Sophocles, Antigone, is having too much power the cause of loss of honor? Antigone is a story about young woman who has to make an important decision between burying her brother, Polyneices, or letting him lay in the battlefield where he is to be eaten by animals and left to rot in the sun for his actions he had committed. Polyneices and Eteocles, both brothers of Antigone, both died by each other’s swords during the war which led Creon to be next in line to the throne. In order to better understand Antigone one must examine the story, historical context, worldview, psychological aspects, and contemporary context.

In the play Creon rejects the burial of Polyneices but still seems to value family heavily. When Creon speaks with Haemon he expresses that he should listen to his father’s choice over anything else “Stand by your father’s ideas in all things.” (Page 37), showing that Creon values family honor. Sophocles shows moments of family love throughout the play, Creon knows letting Antigone go after burying her brother is the right thing to do so he makes the decision to let her go free for the action she performed “I myself, since my judgement has turned and seen better ways, I bound her up and I will go and release her.” (Page 54), this shows that Creon truly loves Antigone and chose family over authority by freeing her. As Haemon finds out Antigone has hanged herself, in

In the Greek play, Antigone the consequences weak leadership by using Creon's disrespect for the gods and his selfserving personality and values. There were three conflicts Individual vs. State and Conscience vs. Law; Moral or Divine law vs. Human law. Individual vs. Society Antigone fights against the government, her Uncle to show how unfair his decree is. She is fighting her Uncle and also society who says women are weak and should not fight against men. Person vs. Peron first Antigone fights against her uncle to bury her brother. Second, Antigone fights her sister Isemene who won't help her bury their brother and Creon fights with his son Haemon and Teiresias about decision to put Antigone to death. Person vs. The Supernatural, Antigone's

In the play Antigone huge conflicts between family and authority in trying to decide between both. To some, following the rules is more important than family and to others family is way above laws and authority. In Antigone, authority seems very important especially when it comes to the laws of the gods, but to Sophocles family is way more important over law and authority because of the love that you have towards your family, they know what is best for each other, and finally because of reliability and consistency with your family. To being with love is a pretty powerful emotion that can make you do things without thinking in the consequences. With this in mind we know for sure that for family we would do anything without thinking about

Family ties play a pivotal role in the play, Antigone. It is evident that Sophocles emphasizes the importance of family over that of any outside authority. Even though submission to authority is a subject seen many times throughout the play, Sophocles seems to revere those characters who don’t allow it to interfere with their familial commitments, and this is demonstrated in Antigones willingness in sacrificing her ethics and her life for her family, as well as Creons lack of true happiness despite his power.

Even after the seer Teiresias tells Creon of a horrible prophecy which includes death and suffering, the stubborn dictator does not listen. In this sense, political power in terms of human law corrupts Creon to the point where it begins to destroy his own life and family when Haemon and Creon’s wife commit suicide. Antigone, who also committed suicide is presented as a martyr for her beliefs in divine justice — regarding it as a higher and more perfect law than that of ancient greek law in Thebes. In the end, by changing his mind, Creon is basically adopting all of the positions that he was opposed to (Antigone’s claims of natural bonds of family and community) in the beginning. Also, perhaps the deaths in Creon’s family are punishment by the Gods for disobeying him in refusing to bury Polyneices — a tragic twist employed by Sophocles to present his own position in the conflict, which is sympathetic to Antigone’s dedication to divine justice. Sophocles also portrays through the classical greek tragedy that a distinction begins to emerge between the private realm of the family and the public realm of the state and its laws in his time in Classical

Sometimes family never leaves but power does. An experience from what I had power will not always be there for me. Power will stay then leave. Family usually stays with you through your whole life. Power does not stay forever. One day you can have power and the next day it can be all gone sometimes you would not even notice your power is gone. Family can stay with you. Family is guaranteed in your life for a good life time. Family will always be there for you even when you don't need them at that moment they will always try and help you out of the bad things you can cause. Power can make good things go bad and make things occur if

In the play Antigone, there was a clear debatable conflict between the choice of honoring one’s family and obeying the laws of the country. If I was placed in the same dilemma as Antigone in modern times, I would take action to fulfill the necessary obligation in esteem for my family. When Antigone was defending her stance in the crime, she declared to Creon that “there are honors due [to] all the dead”; it is a responsible procedure to give reverence to the dead no matter what that person has done for himself (Sophocles 413). In her perspective, Polyneices may be considered as a traitor but she still loves him dearly for he is her family. In addition, Antigone displays the extent of her care by breaking the law, risking her life to ensure

A female author named Patricia Cornwell said once ¨I believe the root of all evil is abuse of power¨ This very quote explain the topic of abuse of power in the play Antigone by Sophocles which comes up many times. The abuse by king Creon make rules that goes against the gods rule and the horrible punishments his family and the people of his village. This throughout the play lead to the theme ¨When you abuse your family and people their emotion will take its effect and make them turn on you.¨ This theme is shown through two different ways through the character emotion and how they reacted and the conflict that happens.