...Literary Analysis of Antigone Sandra Peppers South University Antigone is an epic Greek tragedy written, by Sophocles, around 442 B.C.E. The women of ancient Greek were considered to be less significant than were the males of the same time period. As with this tragedy, gender roles play a pivotal part in understanding why Antigone, the female heroine, did what she did and graciously accepted the punishment that she was dealt. During this particular epic, it will be evident that power, wisdom and experience lay with males, while females were subjected to the obedience and dominance of the males. The males of this era were more assertive and demanded respect from females, as well as other males. Antigone, in the play by the same name, is portrayed as a strong willed female who has strong family ties and will do whatever it takes to honor her family. Antigone is not one to stand aside and play the role of victim when, in her heart, she knows what is right. Antigone is the daughter of the late king of Thebes, Oedipus. After the death of Oedipus, Etecoles and Polyneices take turns in ruling Thebes, but ultimately die by each other’s sword. Antigone has just learned that Creon, the new king of Thebes (and her uncle), has just issued a law stating that Eteocles will have a proper burial whereas Polyneices, who was considered a traitor, will not be mourned or wept over. He will be left for the birds to feast upon; ‘ But the hapless corpse of Polyneices-as rumour saith, it...
Words: 1019 - Pages: 5
...for downfall, suffering, or defeat.” Though Creon at points can fill the role of a tragic hero in Antigone, Antigone is the only character to truly play the part of one. Sophocles writes tragedies, which are named after the tragic hero in each specific play. As in Oedipus Rex, the piece of theatre is named after the tragic hero, Oedipus. Thus only clarifying why Sophocles named one of his plays Antigone, the title being based off of the main tragic hero role. Antigone is a more appropriate title for the play Antigone because of Antigone’s immense bravery and individuality in behalf of her late brother, creating the plot in the play due...
Words: 951 - Pages: 4
...Who is the tragic hero of Antigone? Aristotle defines a tragic hero as one with a fatal flaw that leads to a reversal of fortune, or peripeteia. This fatal flaw is often Hubris, which is excessive pride. Creon fits all these roles, therefore he should be labelled as the tragic hero of Antigone. Creon also faces anagnorisis, in which the tragic hero realizes the situation they're in and is often followed by regret. Not only that, but Creon's fatal flaw, excessive pride, impacts the story more than Antigone did. As previously stated, Creon's flaw is his excessive pride and arrogance. In the story of Antigone, Creon gives Antigone's brother, Eteocles, a proper burial, but refuses to bury Polynices for betraying their city and leaves him out to rot. Antigone was appalled by this and for the sake of family and love went against Creon's wishes and buried Polynices. Antigone is eventually caught doing so and is sent to Creon. Creon, being arrogant as always, insists on Antigone being killed for her actions....
Words: 579 - Pages: 3
...Rachel Arber Professor Herron Literature 201 November 16, 2013 Antigone: A Rose Amongst Thorns In his fifth century play, Antigone, Sophocles invites the reader on a journey of power, heroism, and feminism. Oedipus’s sons, Eteocles and Polyneices, have killed each other in a battle over who will take over their father’s throne. Creon, the current King of Thebes, has now declared that Polyneices betrayed him and forbids him to have a proper burial. Antigone, sister of Polyneices, feels that her brother’s body needs to have full respect and decides she is going to bury her brother. She discusses this plan with her sister Ismene who sends her off with her disapproval to bury their beloved Polyneices. Antigone is caught red handed by Creon’s guards and they bring her in to the king. Antigone admits to the fact that she has gone against the law and has given her brother a proper burial, but defends her actions saying that the gods would have wanted this. As a consequence for her actions, Creon sentences Antigone to her death and banishes her to a cave. After much deliberation he regrets his decision. However, it is too late as Creon finds Antigone has taken her own life. Through her actions of bravery and defiance Antigone exemplifies true feminist ideals. She is a shining example of a woman who stands for what she believes. Antigone proves to be a hero in every generation, but especially in her time. In fifth century Greece women were seen as having no influence...
Words: 1468 - Pages: 6
...An Unorthodox Protagonist In Antigone, a drama written by the ancient Greek playwright Sophocles, the question of who the protagonist of the play is may be easily confused. It is a highly disputed topic concerning exactly which character plays the role of the protagonist, Antigone or Creon. In order to decide which character possesses the merits to be considered the true protagonist, one has to consider: what is the definition of protagonist? Is it simply the title character, or the most relatable or sympathetic character, or are there other qualifications? Greek tradition holds a variation of the definition that has stumped critics and has divided them over which character is best suited for the leading role. The self-realization and recognition of one’s mistakes is also one of the credentials, and with further examination, Creon emerges as being best suited for the role of the protagonist. We derive our definition of a Greek tragedy from Aristotle, who originated that definition on the basis of plays from his time, such as Antigone. Greek tradition defines the dramatic protagonist as one who is regarded as extraordinary, and is brought from happiness to agony. “The character’s stature is important because it makes his or her fall all the more terrifying” (Meyer 1423). From this basic definition, Aristotle went on to include that the protagonist is the main character that possesses a tragic flaw, and later realizes his or her own faults and mistakes. Aristotle used “hamartia”...
Words: 1129 - Pages: 5
...Oedipus Rex and Antigone- Sophocles “Oedipus Rex” and “Antigone”, plays by the Greek playwright Sophocles take place in the land of Thebes and have their central ideas as the question of justice. The two plays have several attributes in common and also have some differences. Both plays fall under the tragedy genre where the respective kings, King Oedipus in “Oedipus Rex” and King Creon in “Antigone”, display lack of justice and get punished as a result. In “Oedipus Rex”, King Oedipus displays lack of justice by killing the former king (Laius) and all his servants, except one, mercilessly. He also committed a sin by marrying his own mother. Similarly, King Creon displays lack of justice in the play “Antigone”, by denying the burial of Polenysis and he displays cruelty by being the immediate cause for the death of Antigone, the death of his son and the queen as well. In both plays, the curses on the land of Theses came out of the sins of the respective kings. Fate has a critical role in both plays. In “Oedipus Rex”, King Oedipus knew that he would kill his father and breed children from his own mother. That made him leave Corenth to get rid of his supposedly parents. But the return of Oedipus to Thebes paved the way for the prophecy to occur. In “Antigone”, King Creon couldn’t listen to the words of the blind prophet and paid the price for his ignorance. In the two plays, justice was realized in a similar way; which is through the punishment of the kings who disrespected...
Words: 821 - Pages: 4
...Antigone And The Position Of Women The play “Antigone” is a Greek tragedy written by the author Sophocles. In the play there are many important themes displayed throughout the plot. One important theme is that of the position of woman in 442 BC. During the time that “Antigone” was written women were looked at as the weaker sex. Antigone however believed that she was as strong as the men that ruled in her society which led to her downfall. Ultimately women in this period were treated as unimportant and weaker than the men that lived in that time. Men had ruled the towns and cities that occupied the land and the women had performed the duties that men had assigned to them. In 442 BC women believed that they were the inferior sex when compared to the men that lived during that time because men had power and influence over the people and cities. Ismene says “You ought to realize we are only women, not meant in nature to fight against men, and that we are ruled, by those who are stronger” (lines 70-73). These words said my Ismene prove that women looked at themselves as a weaker sex than the men. Ismene believes that as women, both her and her sister Antigone should not and cannot disobey Creon’s orders by burying their own brother. In this time period women feared the men that ruled over them although Antigone had the strength mentally to rebel. The ruling class of the men thought of themselves in much higher standing and importance than that of women. Creon, the king of the...
Words: 680 - Pages: 3
...in Antigone between the two main characters, Creon and Antigone, is an issue that is directly dependant on the gods. In this case, it is Antigone who is right and Creon who is wrong in their decisions. Antigone's reasons were just and accepting of the gods' control when she accepted her fate, while Creon indirectly assumes control for himself by disregarding and disrespecting the gods which results in his unprepared outcome. It is important to understand the reasoning behind the characters' decision-making and how these decisions relate to the gods in order to understand the purpose of the story's outcome and it's sound chain of events. It is known that following the gods with respect is a sign of good fate and righteousness. Antigone is respectful of the gods throughout the story and even complies with her fate as she makes her final decision of whether to go through with her burial plans for Polynices. However, Creon is disrespectful many times towards the gods, in particular when he insults Zeus, when talking about Polynices' dead corpse, by saying " But you will never cover up that corpse, not if the very eagles tear their food from him, and leave it at the throne of Zeus." (Antigone, lines 1039-1041). Creon is wrong in disgracing Zeus' throne and presuming his own commands stand stronger than Zeus'. It is clear in the text that Creon has forgotten that the power that has been bestowed on him as a king would never amount the power of the gods in his own fate. Creon has...
Words: 977 - Pages: 4
...You can see in Antigone that the role of a human is very important, in this case it means so much that she is willing to risk her life to honor what the Gods would want of her in fulfilling her role in the burial of her brother. Some major themes that are evident throughout the play is the law of the Gods and man-made law, the abuse of power, and furthermore even though the play is titled Antigone, who’s story is it really? The problem arises when both of Antigone’s brothers Eteocles and Polynices kill each other battling for the throne of Thebes. Creon who is Antigones uncle inherits power and the throne of Thebes, and declares proper burial for Eteocles, but demands that Polynices remains unburied who he thought was a traitor for fighting against Thebes. Since back in ancient Greece it was the womens’ role to give a proper burial so that there is a respect paid to the dead, Creon is pretty much making it impossible for Antigone to fulfil her role. Antigone neglects to listen to the rules of Creon and buries her brother, and is eventually captured by Creon’s guards. Antigone demonstrates no remorse when facing Creon over her crime “Because it wasn’t Zeus who pronounced these things to me, nor did Justice, companion of the gods below, establish saw laws for humanity” (Sophocles 29) although she knows that she’s most likely facing death for being caught disobeying the rules of the leader she feels that she has made the right decision by honoring the Gods because she will...
Words: 930 - Pages: 4
...Antigone Tragic Hero Chase Cummins In the plays of Sophocles Creon was a powerful king and Antigone was noble and was firm in her beliefs. Antigone and Creon both played major roles throughout the play of Antigone. The play taught us new concepts, such as the concept of the tragic hero. The tragic hero is someone who has many positive attributes, but also has one grave flaw, which causes their life to end in a sad, yet heroic tragedy. Antigone fits the role of the tragic hero because Creon lacks the qualities of a heroic. Antigone is a tragic hero due to her courageous acts and flaws. In the play of Antigone, Antigone was very courageous. Antigone was the daughter of Oedipus and the fiancé of Haemon, who was the son of Creon. She takes up a noble cause when she goes against Creon’s orders...
Words: 799 - Pages: 4
...should be imposed by. Civil disobedience plays major role in the novels by Antigone, Creon, and Socrates. In the novel “Antigone” and “The Apology of Socrates” Socrates and Antigone believe if the law is immoral or unrighteous they must protect themselves against discrimination. In the story by “Antigone” she refuses to obey a law because she believed this law was immoral. The law she refuses to obey was the law of tyranny. Antigone second brother was not to have a burial when he died because of his dishonor to the state. Antigone brothers Eteocles and Polynices wanted to take the throne. They both would take the throne one year after the next but Eteocles, the elder, refused to step down. Polynices and his army marched down to the state of Thebes to battle his own brother for the throne, the brothers killed each other in a duel which made Creon king. When Creon became king he ordered Eteocles buried in honor and left Polynices to rot. Creon believed that Polynices should not have disobeyed the law of his own state, which was disloyalty. When Antigone heard about the news of her brother Polynices she was enraged. According to the novel “Antigone” when she was speaking to her sister, Antigone says “For those two brothers of ours, in burial has not Creon honored the one, dishonored the other?” (Ant 161.23-24). Antigone questions herself because she is surprised that a person cannot have a burial. Also Antigone believed that Creon abused his authority by not giving her brother the...
Words: 1083 - Pages: 5
...Quran Norris English 102 AC106 Mrs. Stephenson 0Antigone Paper Being a part of a family forces one to have responsibilities and duties that are needed to be fulfilled. In Sophocles’ Greek tragedy Antigone, Antigone has the responsibility of being loyal to her brother, Polynices. Her intuition and strong will discourages her from listening to the power of the state, thus disobeying part of her family, to respect her immediate family. Her devotion leads to the destruction of Creon and herself. Proving that Antigone’s role as a part of a family, does not stand in her determination to do what she believes to be right. It is for this reason that she is willing to destroy herself and Creon to fulfill her duty to both her immediate family and the Gods above. In order to understand Antigone’s actions and motivation, it is important to understand the importance of what a proper burial is to the people of ancient Greece. Unlike most religions, the Greek did not believe in the reward and punishment concept after death. They did not believe that good people went to heaven, while the evil suffered in hell. They believed that life after death was a sad and miserable affair, and the dead deserved to rest in peace. They believed in the importance of a proper burial, as proposed and supported by the gods. The gods mandated the way people lived their everyday life, and how they lived their life after death. The general belief of the people, was that those who did not get a proper burial...
Words: 2075 - Pages: 9
... Antigone Antigone returns to her home city-state of Thebes to discover both of her brothers, Polynices and Eteocles, have murdered each other. Creon, her uncle who is now king, has decreed that no man shall bury Polynices because he has been declared a traitor. Whoever dares to defy the law will be put to death in unimaginably harsh manners. Antigone is caught and is sentenced to death. However, by the time Creon has figured out he was wrong, Antigone has already hung herself. Her fiancé Haimon, who is Creon’s son, has also committed suicide. Haimon’s mother, who is Queen Eurydice has followed suit and has committed suicide as well. Antigone’s devotion to her values and beliefs are what make her such a powerful female lead. Throughout the play, she shows the difference between having loyalty in what you believe is true and what the state declares as true. After analyzing this theme, it is clear that having loyalty to yourself and your family is much more important than loyalty to the laws created by the government. The first scene of Antigone portrays the protagonist Antigone and her sister Ismene disagreeing about burying Polynices and defying Creon. Antigone’s loyalty remains with her dead brothers and her own values and beliefs. Antigone divulges to Ismene her incredible plan to sneak away to bury her traitorous brother. Ismene however, wants no part in the project Antigone has decided to take on, because Ismene believes...
Words: 878 - Pages: 4
...Intro: Antigone is a no-nonsense kind of woman—and even, when she first appears to us at the end of Oedipus the King— a no-nonsense little girl. Sophocles doesn't give her any lines, but her presence seems to be symbolic of the legacy of shame caused by Oedipus's horrific mistakes. Oedipus laments the life of humiliation that his daughters will have to lead. Ironically, he also gets (1193-1201) Creon to promise to take care of his daughters. Creon decreed that Antigone was to be thrown into a cave with one day’s worth of food. Despite her engagement to his son haemon.Ex: creon’s wife Eurydice informed of haemon death took her own life. Is the tension between individual action and fate. The behavior expected of women and the reality of their...
Words: 327 - Pages: 2
...the story, Antigone, all character’s emotion influence their way of acting. Antigone’s loyalty got in her way and broke the law. She went against Creon’s law and buried Polyneices. Creon’s anger made him blind against reason. He wouldn’t listen to anybody. Haimon’s love for Antigone made him go against his father. He ended up killing himself at the end. Antigone’s loyalty and pride led her to her downfall. She went against Creon’s Law on not burying Polyneices.She still did these because of her loyalty to her family and the god’s laws. She only wanted to be remembered for burying Polyneices.She didn’t let Ismene help her or take any guilt for it. After doing all these, she ended up locked in a vault for the rest of her life. She ended...
Words: 401 - Pages: 2
