Antigone Essays

Antigone Essay
Women often are put in positions that often create turmoil within themselves. Women tend to make
decisions based more on emotion and values as opposed to what is dictated by governing laws and
rulers. By choosing to do what is "right in their heart" women often suffer great consequences such
as persecution, abuse, exile and even death.
Antigone deals with this turmoil because she tries to perform the noble act of loyalty to her brother,
Polyneices, as well as her loyalty to her family. Polyneices was slain by his own brother, Eteocles,
in a battle where both were killed by each other's sword. King Creon sentenced Polyneices to be left
dead and Eteocles to be given an honorable burial. Antigone is faced with the decision to let her
...show more content...
Later when Ismene and Antigone confront Creon, Ismene is willing to die with Antigone even
though she had no part of the criminal act. [I did it too, if she allows my claim; I share the burden of
this heavy charge. But in your stormy voyage I am glad to share the danger, traveling at your side.]
(Ismene, Lines 536 and 537, Lines 540 and 541) Antigone's loyalty to Ismene is shown when she
forbids Ismene to accept punishment for something she had no part in.
However, Antigone's loyalty to the gods seems to be the most powerful. Possibly because her
fear of disobeying the gods is far greater than any turmoil she has yet to face. Antigone fears that
by disobeying the gods she will reap great consequences after death. She chooses to obey the laws
set by the gods and accepts the punishment of death by Creon. [Was I to stand before the gods'
tribunal for disobeying them, because I feared a man? I knew that I should have to die, even
without your edict; if I die before my time, why then, I count it gain; to one who lives as I do,
ringed about with countless miseries, why, death is welcome.] (Antigone, Lines 458 to 463)
Not all women however are as willful as Antigone. Her own sister, Ismene, portrays a women
reluctant to follow what she feels is right in her own mind and follow the laws set by the governing
state. Ismene's words to Antigone, "I do them no dishonour, but to act against the city's will I am to
weak." (Ismene,
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Antigone Theme Essay
Theme is a central idea or message in a work of literature. Theme connects with all events of a
story, however, it is not the moral of the story like many may think. Theme is interpreted by the
reader. In other words, the theme is just almost every aspect of a story. For example, theme needs
characters, protagonist, antagonist, conflict, and speaker to analyze what theme is in a story. The
equation for theme is character + conflict and resolution = theme. The story of Antigone for
example has many themes. Antigone is the story of a young girl, who's purpose is to honor her
brother Polyneices in a burial. Both of her brothers killed each other, however Eteocles, her other
brother, fought for the city and got an honorable burial, while Polynieces,...show more content...
Dramatic structure is the sequencing of events, or the plot in the story. In the prologue, Antigone is
talking to her sister about how "[Creon]'s honoring one [brother] with a full funeral and treating
the other one disgracefully! Eteocles, they say, has had his burial... to win him honor with the dead
below. But as for Polyneices, who perished so miserably, an order has gone out throughout the
city...He's to have no funeral or lament, but to be left unburied and unwept..." This gives us the
idea of how Antigone is choosing family loyalty over civil obedience because she wants to bury her
brother, even though, Creon, the ruler, made it illegal to bury Polyneices. In the parados, the chorus
leader tells the story of the war in which "all but that pair of wretched men, born of one father and
one mother, too– who set their conquering spears against each other and then both shared a common
death." Within the exposition, we have already established the background of past family tragedies,
military conflict, the fate of brothers, and the goal/ conflict of protagonist. These four important
dramatic structures are going to help to find theme in Antigone, along with dramatic

Creon's Struggle In Sophocles Antigone
Antigone
Antigone, by Sophocles, is a story about the struggle between Antigone, who represents the laws of
the gods and Creon, who represents the laws of the state. The play takes place circa 442 B.C. in the
city–state of Thebes. The story revolves around the burial of Polyneices. Polyneices led an army
against his brother, Etocles, the King of Thebes. They killed each other in battle and the new king,
Creon, made a decree that only Etocles was to be buried because Polyneices was his rival. Antigone,
sister of Polyneices and Etocles, feels that she needs to bury Polyneices in accordance to Zeus' law,
but this went against Creon's decree. Also, Antigone has to bury Polyneices without the help of her
sister...show more content...
After Creon's wife, Eurydice, found out her son was dead, she stabbed herself to death.
Creon is not wholly wrong in forbidding people to bury Polyneices. His intentions are good
because he wanted to show how evil Polyneices was in attacking the city and that in order for the
government of Thebes to work, they have to stay united. According to Creon, "For I– be Zeus my
witness, who sees all things always– would not be silent if I saw ruin, instead of safety, coming to
the citizens; nor would I ever deem the country's foes a friend to myself; remembering this, that our
country is the ship that bears us safe, and that only while she prospers in our voyage can we make
true friends"(Sophocles, page 121).
Creon justifies his position to the others in the play by stating that Polyneices was evil and it
would be unjust to Etocles, who died with honor, to share a spot in the earth with an evil person
like Polyneices.(Sophocles, page 129). Creon states, "...Polyneices, who came back from exile and
sought to consume utterly with fire the city of his fathers and the shrines of his fathers' gods,
sought to taste of kindred blood and to lead the remnant into slavery..."(Sophocles, page 121). Creon
also states, "A foe is never a friend–not even in death"(Sophocles, page 129).
I think Antigone is a righteous martyr for wanting to bury her

Essay on Antigone
Family is supposed to be the ultimate support, everlasting, and always ready to forgive. In
Antigone by Sophocles, Creon is immersed in a "power trip" that alienates and even kills his
family. He caused his son, Haemon's death, his wife, Eurydice's death and Antigone's death. Creon
views himself as the perfect leader, believes he is always correct, and in turn has to live with the guilt
of three deaths that were his fault.
Antigone goes alone to bury Polynices and deliberately disobeys Creon's law. Antigone not only
lost her two brothers, but she will lose her respect for her family and the gods if she does not bury
Polynices. When Creon finds out that Antigone has disobeyed him and only wants to die, he...show
more content...
Creon does not let his relation with Antigone as her uncle affect his dealing with Antigone in any
way. He swears to punish her even if she is family. His job is to protect and uphold the laws of the
state. If he does not punish Antigone he will look as though he is a weak ruler. Since Creon is related
to Antigone, he must carry out the punishment of Antigone so the people of Thebes will see him as
a strong and powerful king.
Haemon does not want to Antigone to die for what she has done. He attempts to convince his father
that he should change his view about Antigone going against Creon's decree. Creon tells him that
he young and has lost his "sense of judgement over a woman"(93). Haemon does not want to
displease his father, but he is not willing to back down from what he believe is right. Creon gets
angry and says, "bring her out, that hateful–she'll die now, here, in front of his eyes, beside her
groom"(99). Haemon leaves his father's side and dies beside his true love, Antigone.
When Eurydice enters the palace she is faced with the news of her son's death. She demands that
the messenger tell her "...the news, again, whatever it is...sorrow and [her] are hardly
strangers"(121). Eurydice blames Creon for the death of her son. She is so alarmed with the death
that she kills herself. Creon returns with the body of Haemon only to find "a new corpse rising
before [his] eyes"(125).

Antigone Essay
Antigone Essay
In any story or piece of literature, there will always be the main characters to fill the pages with
incessant adventure. The characters whose names appear on almost every page and the characters
whose actions the story revolves around. However, a story will also always have its minor
characters. These are the characters that contribute heavily to the plot, yet aren't mentioned quite as
often and are underestimated regarding their importance in the story. In the Greek masterpiece,
Antigone, the author Sophocles construed a myriad of minor characters that contributed to the story
in numerous ways.
Ismene, one of Oedipus' daughters, was created to foil the main character, Antigone. Haemon, the son
of Creon, took...show more content...
However, Antigone is portrayed as gaunt, washed out, and unattractive. With such antagonism
between the sisters, Sophocles presents drama by developing another form of rivalry and another
reason for Antigone to rebel against the law.
At the end of the story when Antigone was listening to her punishment for burying Polynices, Ismene
speaks up and attempts to be held responsible for the crime. She pleads with Antigone to let her die
alongside her, however, Antigone did not want her sister to take any blame in something she had
nothing to do with, so she disregarded her sister's pleas. Sophocles included this situation because it
was another disagreement between the sisters and added more controversy to the plot.
Sophocles included the rivalry between the personalities because it gave each character something
to act off of. Ismene's role was important to the plot because she played the vigilant girl and
provided the story with drama and second–guessing by having contradictory opinions.
Secondly, another character that affected the story with such a minor part was Haemon. Haemon,
being the king's son, had a lot of expectations and generalizations to live up to, but he dispersed them
when he stood up to his father.
One thing Haemon did that influenced the plot was to rebut his father's opinions. Prior to
conversing with Creon, Haemon had a positive outlook about his father. He felt he was a good ruler
and was fair, yet those beliefs were

Antigone
Antigone– The Characterization
Sophocles' tragic drama, Antigone, presents to the reader a full range of characters: static and
dynamic, flat and round; they are portrayed mostly through the showing technique.
In "Sophocles' Praise of Man and the Conflicts of the Antigone," Charles Paul Segal takes the stand
that there are two protagonists in the drama (which conflicts with this reader's interpretation):
This is not to say that there are not conceptual issues involved in the characters of Creon and
Antigone. But the issues are too complex to be satisfactorily reduced to a single antithetical
formulation. We must avoid seeing the protagonists as one–dimensional representatives of simple
oppositions:...show more content...
Nothing so evil as money ever grew to be current among men."
The guard exits with the intention of saving his own skin by never reappearing before Creon. But
shortly thereafter he again approaches Creon with the startling news that the guilty party has been
apprehended in the act of burying Polynices' corpse: "I have come, though 'tis in breach of my
sworn oath, bringing this maid; who was taken showing grace to the dead." The guard's recounting
of the actions of Antigone develop her character into all of its fullness as a most sentimental and
religious person:
And when, after a long while, this storm had passed, the maid was seen; and she cried aloud with
the sharp cry of a bird in its bitterness,–even as when, within the empty nest, it sees the bed stripped
of its nestlings. So she also, when she saw the corpse bare, lifted up a voice of wailing, and called
down curses on the doers of that deed. And

antigone
Pre–AP English
6 February /2013
Aristotle's Tragic Hero
In order to fulfill the requirements of a tragic hero, a hero or a heroine must have certain
characteristics. For example, they are required to be a member of royalty, be neither completely
good nor completely bad, they have to be responsible for their own downfall due to a hamartia and
lastly they need to realize their mistakes and accept their consequences. In Antigone, there are two
main characters that fit the criteria of a tragic hero, but only the protagonist, Antigone meets all of
the conditions.
Antigone meets the second requirement of a tragic heroine, by fulfilling the criteria of being neither
entirely good nor completely bad. In the opening of the play, Antigone...show more content...
She believes that her, "blasphemy of my birth has followed me"( iv, 44). By her using this quote,
she reveals that if it weren 't for her being born into incest, her family wouldn't be cursed as they
are. Furthermore, she argues, " No more, Ismene. You are alive, but I belong to death" (ii, 146).
This Quotation reveals Antigone accepting her consequences that she has to die due to her act.
Furthermore, realizing that his judgment was unwise Creon changes his mind from the harsh
punishment of public stoning to her being locked in a cave with a limited amount of food.
Antigone shows she is accepting her consequence by responding, " Then let me go, since all your
words are bitter, and the very light of the sun is cold to me. Lead me to my vigil, where I must
have neither love nor lamentation; no song, but silence" (iv, 282). This quote reveals that Antigone
no matter what she did took her consequences and realized that burying Polynieces was all worth it.
Overall, we see Antigone fulfilling her requirements of accepting her consequences of what she did.
From the time she was caught to the time she was given her sentence, she never denied nor took
back what she had done.
Although both Creon and Antigone fulfill the requirements of being a member of royalty, being
neither completely good nor bad, being responsible for their own downfall due to hubris and lastly
recognizing their own hamartia

Antigone Character Analysis Essay
In Antigone, Antigone braves through all of her hardships and decisions with her morals and set
of values. She dies with pride and no regret for she died because she acted doing what was
morally right. Many Greek writers disagree with these traits that Sophocles has given her but it is
appropriate because she needed these traits to show defiance and be able to stand up for what is
right. Antigone is a tragic heroine who believes in her duty to her family and is willing to sacrifice all
things to do what is morally right.
Antigone's powerful foundation of her morals and values keep all who try to stray her away from
her task powerless. When Ismene tries to persuade her sister into staying away from burying
polynices her...show more content...
However she earlier did not feel a lot of regret for what she did because she was doing what she was
obligated to do. It was to her "meaningful" because she had given up her life for what her brother
deserved and was the will of the gods.
Such strong emotions create a sense of feminism, which in respects to the time of this play was
outrageous and not accepted. The image of women in plays and stories at the time were weak
and powerless girls. Antigone's representation of feminists broke all the images of play writers in
Greece and her strong characteristics defy the inappropriateness of her nature.Her boldness,
bravery and , unyielding morals are all extremely important to her role in the play. Antigone has
been given strong characteristics in her story and because of this she does not stand around while
and Creon's unjust law insults Polynices. Her death was preferred because it was glorious and
stoic. She was buried for doing what was right and what she was obligated to do. She not only
prefers this but her bravery, obstinacy and other traits destroy the image of the weak girl who is
powerless to everything. Antigone's strong characteristics and representation of the current day
feminists were all necessary to her role as

Antigone Essay
Antigone
It takes a lot of courage to stand up and defend an action or idea that is forbidden by society. This is
what Antigone does in Sophocles' story Antigone. She clearly disobeys King Creon's order that no
person should bury Antigone's brother, Polynices, which is punishable by penalty of death. In this
case, though, is Antigone's decision the correct one? Her actions affect many of her other
countrymen negatively; they cause problems within the royal family, disagreement among the
people and directly relate to the death of three people including her own.
By burying her brother Antigone knowingly and willingly went against royal orders and in doing so
chooses her own death. She knows as well as anyone in the town that death would...show more
content...
It must seem inconceivable to Creon that the gods would ever want a traitor like Polynices buried,
let alone with the same ceremony as his brother Eteocles. Creon believes in the gods of the country
and he is sure that he is acting in the best interest of Thebes. For if he had decided to bury
Polynices it would show him and his country as being week. It would send a message that Thebes is
a country that honors its traitors. This could put the country in jeopardy of another attack.
One can argue that it is hypocritical for Antigone to walk knowingly into her death when in the
previous story Oedipus at Colonus she begged Polynices not to go to war when he knew that he
would die fighting Eteocles. Now her sister Ismene is doing the same thing by begging her not to
act foolishly. Antigone could have easily prayed for Polynices at her lonesome, and many
catastrophes would have been averted. Antigone, however reflecting the stubbornness of her
father Oedipus fails to see the flaws in her thinking. She also must have known, or was unable to
see through her clouded mind, that whatever she was to accomplish by burying her brother was
sure to be erased. More specifically as soon as the body was buried, Creon would decree that it
should be uncovered. Would it be worth it for her to risk her life just so that her brother could be
buried for a short amount of

Antigone Essay
Antigone
As the play begins Antigone is just meeting up with her sister and is telling her about the decree
of King Creon. Antigone and her sister, Ismene, had two brothers who had killed each other on
the battlefield. One of their brothers, Eteocles, was buried with the military honors of a soldier's
funeral, and yet the other, Polyneices, was to be left out to be food for the carrion birds since he
died fighting against the city of Thebes. King Creon forbade publicly for anyone to bury the body
of Polyneices under the penalty of death. Antigone is now determined to bury her brother and wants
Ismene to help her. Ismene does not want to go against what the king has ordered and is fearful of
what may become of her if she...show more content...
She has no choice. Her death, if that is what it must come to in order to accomplish the burial of her
brother, will be better than the death of her brother without her bravery, that is to say, a death
without honor. When they part Ismene tells her sister that she is unwise, and yet a loyal friend to
those who love her. Now when the guards discovered that someone buried the body of Polyneices,
the head sentry went to tell the king, whereupon Creon became enthralled with anger. He told the
sentry that he judged him to be a bribed soldier and that he could not return unless he found the
person who had buried the body or told of whom it was that had bribed him. After this the
horrified sentry and his men brushed off the sacred burial dust from the body and kept watch
from a distance to see if the rebel would return to bury the body. Sure enough, during a sandstorm
Antigone was seen burying the body that she had cared for so well before. The guards grabbed
her and she showed no fear. She did not try to evade her pursuers and she was brought before the
king. The king first asked her if she had heard his proclamation concerning the burial of her brother.
She blatantly told him that could not have helped hearing it. If she had denied hearing it, she may
have escaped death, but she did not want to escape it, and she felt that she had done nothing wrong.
She believed that her death would be of no importance, but that the death of her brother would

The Tragedy of Antigone Essay
It is plain to see what about the character of Antigone it is that makes this a tragedy. Tragedy is
defined as a dramatic composition dealing with a serious or somber theme, and this story fits all
these criteria. First of all, it involves a tragic course of events that involved both of her brothers
dying and then being completely disrespected even in death. She felt she had to rectify this mistake,
even though it was against the law, and the opposition was too great. Because of her attempt to
rectify the injustice, even more tragic things happened to her and her family. This is why she is a
tragic heroine.
First of all, there was a tragic series of events that caused her to become involved in them by
disrespecting her own brother. She...show more content...
Antigone says, "I will do my part,–and thine, if thou wilt not,–to a brother. False to him will I never
be found," as well as that it is wrong for her brother to have been left above ground, "unwept,
unsepulchred, a welcome store for the birds, as they espy him, to feast on at will." In Greek times,
these customs of burial were even more important than they are today, because of beliefs about
luck, religion, and what would happen to the spirit or the family if the body was left unburied. This
is why it was used as a punishment by Creon, and was so hurtful to Antigone that she was willing to
risk her life to undo it. Ismene explains to Antigone the reasons that she will not take part in such a
proceeding. Herein lies another example of the tragedy aspect of this play, as Ismene reminds
Antigone of how her father, mother, and both her brothers had already died. Anyway, Ismene said
she wouldn't go with Antigone to bury her brother, and initially tries to talk Antigone out of it, but
then simply wishes her luck and promises she won't tell anyone. In the next scene, Creon explains,
"Polynices,–who came back from exile, and sought to consume utterly with fire the city of his
fathers and the shrines of his fathers' gods,–sought to taste of kindred blood, and to lead the remnant
into slavery," and that is why no one can grace him

Antigone Essay
I. SUBJECT Antigone is a play about a woman who disobeyed the King's order to not bury her
brother. The play was written by the famous Greek tragedian, Sophocles, in 441 B.C. The story took
place in the city of Thebes and the time period is not mentioned. The main characters introduced in
the play are of Antigone, Ismene, Creon, and Haemon. The primary focus was centered on Antigone
and the consequences she faces after breaking the King's orders. In the beginning, the author
introduced Antigone and her sister, Ismene, and their argument about their recently deceased
brother. The argument involved Antigone wanting to bury her brother and Ismene encouraging her
to obey the King's orders. Antigone ignored her sister's advice and chose to...show more content...
Sophocles believed that it was significant that the law of a persons conscience supersedes the law
of the state. Antigone overlooks the law of the state and follows her heart to do what she knows
is morally right, opposed to a law created by a human with high authority. She understands that the
consequences are heavy for the act, however, she courageously concluded that the importance of
the act was greater than the consequences. In the play, Haemon is brought to his father to be
informed off the news of his soon to be wife. In the discussion between Creon and Haemon, they
speak of Haemon's obedience and Antigone's disobedience to Creon. Creon says, "So I must
guard the men who yield to order, not let myself be beaten by a woman. Better, if it must happen
that a man should overset me. I won't be called weaker than womankind" (Sophocles 211). Creon
makes it clear that his reasoning relies on sexism and not what is truly just. Women are often
downgraded to the status of a secondary role as shown in the story. The argument between the law
of the state and the law of the gods, or religious, is mentioned many times throughout the story.
Creon refers to Antigone's brother as one who betrayed his city and he upholds an order for Thebes,
forbidding Antigone's brother to be buried. Antigone refers to burying her brother as a moral
responsibility. Creon is astonished when he finds that she has disobeyed his

Antigone Essay examples
One commentator has argued in "Antigone" that Antigone's "view of what is right
is as twisted as that of Creon." Although I do not believe that either Antigone's or Creon's view
is "twisted," I do believe that their fate is a direct result of their extreme pride and
stubbornness. In "Antigone," Sophocles examines the conflict between the
requirements of human and divine law that is centered on the burial of Polynices, Antigone's brother
and Creon's nephew. On the issue of the burial, their views are opposed and they each believe that
one is right and the other is wrong.
The views of Antigone and Creon are opposed, and they both possess the same stubborn belief in
their own righteousness. This...show more content...
In the second episode, Creon's Sentry captures Antigone at Polynices' graveside. When Antigone is
brought before Creon, she proudly admits that the Sentry's recount of the story is true and that she
buried Polynices. Creon suspects that Ismene, Antigone's sister, is also involved. However, Antigone
contemptuously recounts her sister's earlier refusal to assist him. In this scene, Antigone is shown to
be a woman with extreme pride, arrogance, and stubbornness. She states again and again that she is
just following the dictates of the gods and is not willing to listen to Creon's logic. When Ismene is
brought in, Antigone treats her with contempt and appears very harsh. This shows a very inflexible
and hard character.
We are introduced to Creon in the first episode. Creon views that the laws of the state as the
highest laws, and therefore decrees that the traitor Polynices should not be given a burial. He
believes in the principle that the state will honor those who are loyal to the state, and punish the
ones that are traitors. He states, "Whoever places a friend above the good of his own
country, he is nothing: I have no use for him." Here in his opening speech, Creon appears to
be a wise and just ruler, wanting to always keep the interests of the state and the people foremost in
his mind. His edict is from the most honorable of motives, wanting to keep the

Sophocles' Antigone Essay
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...show more content...
Creon has no toleration for people who place personal beliefs over the common good. He believes
that government and law is the supreme authority, and civil disobedience is worst form of sin. The
problem with Creon's argument is he approaches He approaches every dilemma that requires
judgement through descriptive generalizations. In contrast to the morality defined by Aristotle in his
Nicomachaean Ethics, Creon shows that he is deaf to the knowledge of particulars––of place, time,
manner, and persons, which is essential for moral reasoning. In short, he does not effectively bring
together general principles and specific situations Creon does not acknowledge that emotion, and
perception are as critical to proper moral consideration as reason. This explains why he does not
respond accordingly with the reasoning of the guard, Tiresias the prophet, Antigone, her sister
Ismene, or even his own son Haemon. Throughout the whole play, Creon emphasizes the importance
of practical judgement over a sick, illogical mind, when in fact it is him who has the sick, illogical
mind. He too exhibits pride in his argument. To Antigone and most of the Athenians, possessing a
wise and logical mind means acknowledging human limitations and behaving piously towards the
gods. Humans must take a humble attitude towards fate and the power of the gods, yet Creon mocks
death throughout the play. He doest not learn his lesson until the end of the play when he speaks
respectfully of

Essay on Antigone
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 dutyfamily 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...show more content...
Some of the times the Chorus speaks in this drama, it seems to side with Creon and the established
power of Thebes. The Chorus's first speech (117–179) describes the thwarted pride of the invading
enemy: The God Zeus hates bravado and bragging. Yet this encomium to the victory of Thebes
through Zeus has a cunningly critical edge. The Chorus's focus on pride and the fall of the prideful
comments underhandedly on the willfulness seen in Antigone and will see in Creon. In Creon's first
speech, where he assumes the "Now here I am, holding all authority and the throne, in virtue of
kinship with the dead" and reiterates his decree against the traitor Polynices (191–192). In lines
308–309 the Chorus says to Creon "My lord: I wonder, could this be God's doing? This is the
thought that keeps on haunting me. The Chorus is questioning Creon if it could be the doing of
God who buried Polynices, Creon replies; "Stop, before your words fill even me with rage that you
should be exposed as a fool, and you so old. For what you say is surely insupportable when you say
the gods took forethought for this corpse" (310–313).
Even though Antigone exhibits a blamable pride and a hunger for glory, her disobedience is less
serious than those of Creon. It is evident that Antigone's actions are driven by a love for her brother,
and a desire to please the gods. While Creon's actions are

Antigone Theme Essay
In the story Antigone by Sophocles, the theme guilt and innocence, as wells as morals play a huge
role between characters, specifically the female character Antigone, the ruler of the city, Creon,
Antigone's sister, Ismene, and Antigone's husband, Haimon. Antigone and Haimon represent
innocence for many reasons. Their morals lead the two in a direction to honor Antigone's brother,
Antigone protects her sister from certain death, and the lovers commits suicide for the sake of
innocence itself. Creon on the other hand represent guilt by his unjust laws of his city, his unruly
dictatorship, and putting the blame on everyone but himself for his own actions. Ismene is also
guilty in the story by not standing with her sister at the beginning to...show more content...
Leading to Creon's realization to his guilt.
Creon represents guilt by his unjust laws of the land and forcing the people of the city to abide by
them. As he forbids anyone to mourn a past king, he strike fear into the people and causes mistrust
against himself. As Haimon, the son of Creon explains to his father, " You are not in a position to
know everything / That people say or do, or what they feel: / Your temper terrifies–" (Scene III:
57–59), Creon is in disbelief. Creon has obtained a sense of dictatorship ever since Oedipus has died.
He had seen the way Oedipus had ruled over the city and deemed it reasonable to have one opinion
in the city alone, his own. Creon proclaims his "just and unjust" ways with the city, " I have no
dealings, / Whoever is chosen to govern should be obeyed– / Just and unjust!" (Scene III: 33–37).
Blame is the final reasoning for his guiltiness is the story. He will always claim he is right and
will never take blame for his own laws. Haimon has confronted Creon about his blame, " Do not
believe that you alone can be right. / The man who thinks that, / The man who maintains that only he
has the power" (Scene III: 74–76). As soon as Creon realizes that none is to blame, only himself, he
admits to his dead son, " My own blind heart has brought me / From darkness, to final darkness. / I
was a fool, not you; and you died for me." (Exodus: 87–92) and once more, like

Essay about Antigone
Antigone
"Make these excuses, I will heap/ The earth over my brother's body" (63). Although no one would
help her, Antigone took a stand against injustice and honored her brother by burying him, even
though Creon said this act would be punishable by death if anyone committed this act of
insubordination. Especially in the age that Antigone lived in, it was considered foolish to simply go
against a man's orders, let alone the Kings. Not to mention that Antigone was related to the King,
making the situation even worse. She committed a supremely precarious action, especially for a
woman. Not only does she bravely follow her morals, but she does a great job of justifying them in
her arguments. Antigone was a civil disobedient by disobeying...show more content...
She does not make people pity her, but rather honor her actions because of how she is willing to die
defending her brother's honor. The way that she explains her cause makes everyone but Creon
admire her for disobeying the law and doing the right thing that no one else had the courage to
do. The last example of Antigone's pathos is her last statement before she dies. This statement is
the best use of pathos in the entire play. It is here that Antigone really grips your emotions and
latches on to everything that she can to make you pity her and want to slay Creon instead. By the
way that she appeals to how she will never be able to have a family, enjoy marriage, or happily end
her life. She then throws in the question of what law she broke and asks what she did that was so
wrong to deserve death. These last statements really impact Antigone's pathos and make the reader
sympathize with her stance as the right one if they had not already been convinced.
Antigone's great claims and support also make her argument the best. The first argument that she
gets into is with Ismene about why she is disobeying Creon's orders by burying Polyneices body
and how she would be disgracing him if she did not. Ismene's defense does nothing to sway
Antigone, as she is set in her ways to do good, and Antigone does a great job of explaining her
case as to why she believes it is her duty to bury her brother. She does such a great job, in fact, that
Ismene really has nothing else to counter

Essay Antigone
Antigone2 Antigone herself represents the highest ideals of human life –– courage and respect for
the gods. In the mythical story "Antigone", Antigone first demonstrates feminist logic when she
chooses to challenge a powerful male establishment. This establishment is personified by her uncle
Creon, who is newly crowned as the King of Thebes, and it is usually challenged by whole
city–state. She believed that the law of the gods (to give proper burial rights to every dead body)
was more important than the law of the King. Creon became angry that a woman questioned his
sovereignty and commanded her to death even though she was the daughter of Jocasta, his sister.
The bold, tradition–braking character of Antigone...show more content...
"Imagine it: I caught her naked rebellion, the traitor, the only one in the whole city. I'm not about
to prove myself a liar, not to my people, no, I'm going to kill her!". Creon believes that if he does
not follow through on his word the people of Thebes will not respect his authority as king. In
determination to gain respect from the people from Thebes, Creon decides to take Antigone's life,
which ironically leads to his demise. Creon refuses to compromise or humble himself before others
especially women, he states "better if it must happen, that a / should overset me". He stubbornly
refuses other characters the right to express opinions different from his own. Creon abuses his
power to force others to accept his point of view. This extreme male dominance conflicts head–on
with Antigone's bold unwomanly challenge to Creon's authority. Antigone does not give Creon
additional respect either because he is a man in a patriarchal society or because he is king. In
such way, she argues an equality of the sexes, as well as equality under God. Unlike her sister,
Ismene refuses to challenge the male authority, even if it means to not fulfill her duties as a sister.
Ismene states: "we must remember that we are two women / so not to fight with men. / And that
since we are subject to strong power / we

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