preview

What Is The Character Of Antigone

Decent Essays

Antigone is the last of the three Theban Plays, written by Sophocles. Antigone and Ismene, Oedipus’s daughters, discuss a disaster that has just developed. Their brothers Eteocles and Polynices have been killed during a battle for control over Thebes. Creon is now the cities ruler, and he has ordered that Polynices not be given a proper burial because he brought a foreign army to Thebes. Creon placed sentries over his body and threatens to kill anyone who tries to properly bury him. Antigone, in spite of Creon’s new ruling gives her brother a proper burial. A nervous sentry approaches Creon and tells him that while the sentries slept, someone gave Polynices a proper burial. Creon believes that the sentry was bribed into performing the burial …show more content…

Creon, Haemon and Tiresias also played a big role in the overall plot of the play. Antigone, the child of Oedipus and Jocasta, and therefor Oedipus’s daughter and sister. She is seen in briefly in Oedipus the King and Oedipus at Colonus, but her personality is really shown when she is portrayed as the protagonist in Antigone. This demonstrates her courage and further shows her values, like family. She risks her life, just to give her dear brother a proper burial, and saves her sister from death because she knew that telling the truth was the right thing to do. Creon, Oedipus’s brother-in-law is seen the most throughout all three Theban plays. His actions and eventual downfall show the rise and fall of a man's power. In Antigone, Creon rules with a sense of blindness that is seen similarly to that of Oedipus’s. He never gains any sympathy though, everyone near and dear to him has been killed, but since he rules with such ruthlessness, he does not gain any of this sympathy. Haemon is Creon’s brother, who is also engaged to marry Antigone. His love for Antigone drives his actions throughout the play, he sacrifices his life to save his fiance's. This is further exemplified when Antigone is found dead in her cell, Haemon is so devastated that it drives him to kill himself. The last major character is Tiresias, the blind prophet. His blindness alludes to the metaphorical blindness of those who do not believe his prophecies, especially Oedipus and

Get Access