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
Written by the Greek writer Sophocles, the play Antigone continues to touch audiences around the world with themes that are relevant to this day. In the play, Antigone, daughter of Oedipus, and his wife Jocasta, is confronted with conflict as both of her brothers had slain each other after Polynices was exiled from Thebes, then marched back to regain his throne. Creon, the now ruler of Thebes, put forth a declaration stating that only Eteocles was to be buried, while Polynices had been barred from burial as he was considered a traitor. During the play, Antigone fights back and forth on her decision of putting the unwritten law of the gods before the law posted Creon. Two important themes that are showcased throughout the story
Antigone takes place just after a war between Antigone’s two brothers, Eteocles and Polynices. Eteocles fought on the side of Thebes whereas Polynices resembled an invader. Afterwards, Eteocles is buried and seen as honorable. However, Polynices is denied a proper burial because he is considered a traitor to Thebes. In this play, Sophocles uses Antigone and Creon as foils by characterizing Antigone as a martyr and Creon as a tyrant to urge the reader to realize that one’s own morals are more significant than the decrees of any government.
Since she spoke of her plans in such a public manner, it caused Creon to display a public response, which was to bring her to a walled-up tomb where she would die an awful death. What happens in the end is quite tragic; Tiresias, who is a blind prophet and a priest of Apollo, put a curse on Creon that speaks of terrible things that will happen to him. Creon, shocked by this, immediately retrieves a guard to go up and bring Antigone back. Alas it was too late, for Antigone had hung herself. Haemon, who was to be married to Antigone hears of this and with such shock, kills himself. Eurydice, who is Creon’s wife, also hears of the news of her son Haemon and how he took his own life, decides to take her life as well. When Creon hears of all of this, by a messenger, he asks his servants to immediately take him away, he wants to be forgotten,
Antigone is the antithesis of Creon. The play, Antigone, by Sophocles translated by Paul Roche is a tragedy. It starts off with Antigone telling her sister, Ismene, that Creon, the king and their uncle, has made an edict that their brother, Polyneces, will not receive a proper burial and will be left to be eaten by carrion birds and dogs because he is a traitor. Their other brother Eteocles, will be given a proper burial, as he fought for Thebes. Antigone also tells her sister that she is going to bury him anyway, but Ismene decides not to help, for fear of their place as women. Antigone is caught and sent to a stone tomb to starve to death. Haemon, Creon’s son and Antigone’s betrothed,
Antigone was a Greek tragedy that ended in Antigone’s death along with her brother’s. In the beginning of the of the tragedy we learn of her brother’s death “Creon buried our brother Eteocles with military honors, gave him a soldier’s funeral, and it was right that he should; but Polyneices, they fought as bravely and died as miserably, they say that Creon has sworn No one shall bury him,” (LN 15-20). King Creon’s decision for not giving Polyneices a proper burial is because he was a traitor. However, that was Antigone’s brother and she felt besides Polyneices actions, he still deserved a burial. Antigone has lost her parents and just has her sister Ismene left so, despite the order handed down by Creon, Antigone feels that it’s still appropriate to give her brother a proper burial.
Antigone written by Sophocles, performed in 441 B.C.E., is a short play about the aftermath of the battle between Eteocles and Polyneices. These two men, both sons of Oedipus, were fighting to be the king of Thebes, but they both die during their battle. Creon, the leader of Thebes, decides to have Eteocles buried, but leaves Polyneices on the battlefield. Antigone, Creon’s nephew, is a bit rebellious and thinks it was unfair that only one of her brothers was buried. She decides to bury Polyneices herself, but she gets caught in the act and is sentence to death.
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
The play Antigone, written by Sophocles is the last book of his trilogy called The Oedipus Play of Sophocle. Antigone take places in the city of Thebes, the play open “some days later” there have been an edict by King Creon regarding the burials of Eteocles and Polyneices; Eteocles, will get a proper burial for defending the senate, Polyneices will not. The King Creon had declared Polyneice is a traitor and forbid anyone in the city to bury him. Here where we are being presented with the main characters of this story Antigone and Ismene; the two
Antigone is the resolute and strong-willed daughter of King Oedipus. She is determined to give her brother, Polynices, a decent burial. She consciously risks her life with this action, which violates both Creon’s unjust decree, as well as the ancient custom of denying burial to enemies of the state. She obeys only the laws of the gods and the dictates of familial loyalty and social decency.
Antigone is a tragedy by the ancient Greek playwright Sophocles, written around 442 B. C. The story happens when Polyneices and Eteocles, two brothers of Antigone have been killed in battle after they fight each other for the throne of Thebes after Eteocles had refused to give up the crown to his brother. Creon then resumes power and declared that Eteocles will have a proper burial with the formal rites. However, Polyneices' body will be left unburied on the battlefield for the dogs and vultures to eat, as a punishment for him. Creon declared that anyone who is burried Polyneices will be punished by death.
The play centers around a young girl, Antigone, that is determined to bury her wronged brother even though it will end in her imminent death. Creon, the king, has deemed it illegal for anyone to bury Antigone’s brother’s body, even though it is the female family member 's duty given by the gods to perform the burial. Antigone stuck to her oath to bury her brother and is caught by Creon and sentenced to death. One of the main themes in this play is family. Each character 's ending will be tragic due to their loyalty to their family, which is illustrated in Antigone’s death because of her unwavering loyalty to her brother and commitment to his burial. Creon 's son, Haemon, shows up briefly in the play, but has a pivotal role. Haemon is
Antigone, written by the Athenian Sophocles, is about a woman named Antigone who lives in a city named Thebes. The play’s plot is based on her attempt to successfully bury her brother Polynices whom perished in a battle with his brother that also assumed the role of
Oedipus the King contains many different characters. The main character and protagonist is Oedipus who is also the king of Thebes. Oedipus has a wife, Jocasta, who is also his mother and Creon’s sister whom is Oedipus’s brother-in-law. Antigone and Ismene are Oedipus’s and Jocasta’s daughters which also means they are Oedipus’s sister. There is also Tiresias who is the blind soothsayer of Thebes. Oddly, the antagonist is not a person, it is actually Oedipus’ own fate. Oedipus struggles with his fate throughout the play in many ways. For example, when he is told that he is going to kill his father and sleep with his mother, Oedipus moves away to avoid
Sophocles’ play “Antigone” illustrates the conflict between obeying human and divine law. The play opens after Oedipus’ two sons Eteocles and Polyneices have killed each other in a civil war for the throne of Thebes. Oedipus’ brother in law Creon then assumes the throne. He dictates that Eteocles shall receive a state funeral and honors, while Polyneices shall be left in the streets to rot away. Creon believes that Polyneices’ body shall be condemned to this because of his civil disobedience and treachery against the city. Polyneices’ sister, Antigone, upon hearing this exclaims that an improper burial for Polyneices would be an insult to the Gods. She vows that Polyneices’ body will be buried, and Creon declares that anyone who
The main characters are Oedipus, Jocasta, Creon, and Tiresias. Oedipus is the king of Thebes and the protagonist of Oedipus Rex. He is the most important character and his motion pushes the story to move forward. Jocasta is the Queen. She is Oedipus’s mother and wife, though she does not know that until the end of the play. This relationship is a major conflict in the tragedy. Creon is Oedipus’s brother-in-law, who is bossy and bureaucratic. In the play, Creon seems to present authority and thus there are conflicts between him and Oedipus. Tiresias is the blind soothsayer of Thebes but Oedipus refuses to believe his words at first. Tiresias’s physical blindness points to the metaphorical blindness of people who reject the truth about themselves when they are told.