...King Creon once said “the inflexible heart breaks first”. In the greek tragedy Antigone, from the trilogy Oedipus Plays, by Sophocles King Creon is an extremely cruel man. King Creon rules his kingdom with fear and force. He is cold heartless, and selfish. These traits make his life end in immense tragedy. If people live their life without an ounce of compassion, sympathy, and empathy they will be lonely and miserable. In the beginning of Antigone Creon demands from all his citizens that no one buries the “traitor” Polyneices. Creon sends his son's bride to die in a cave alone, despite what others think. He also ignores his wife’s and his child’s requests and feelings. They both end up committing suicide. Creon rules the country of Thebes. His hierarchy is fragile and his system is corrupt. His two nephews, Eteocles and Polyneices, went to battle against each other. Eteocles fought for Creon and Polyneices fought against him. Since Creon's hierarchy is already so fragile anyone who acts as a threat to his crown is considered a traitor and an outcast. Both Eteocles and Polyneices end up killing each other during their battle. Eteocles is given a proper burial ceremony, but Polyneices is left...
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...Power. Such a small word with such a powerful meaning. When someone is given power they are most likely to overuse it and take control over it. Power has a negative effect on others, from Sentry being afraid to tell Creon the news about Polyneices being buried, to people in this generation using social media all of the time. Yes, King Creon is an outstanding leader, but do you really think he is the king we all think he is? In the play Antigone there is some negative affect toward the power Creon has on the city. King Creon is a very stubborn person, he will not listen to anyone but he is very prideful for his city. This shows that because he is king, Creon believes that he cannot bring himself to acknowledge that he could ever be wrong. With...
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...Makai Montague Ms. Novak English 10CP Per. 2 15 January 2016 Antigone “It is no weakness for the wisest man to learn when he is wrong, know when to yield” (Sc. 3.608-609). King Creon certainly did not yield to anyone’s opinion except his own. In the Greek play Antigone, Sophocles uses King Creon as an example of a leader who is prideful and sexist, resulting in failure and tragedy. King Creon allows his pride and stubbornness to stand in the way of listening to others. When he learns that Antigone buried the body of Polyneices, he is angered that someone dared disobey his decree. He disregards Antigone when she tells him that some believes her action of burying Polyneices is honorable. Similarly, he obstinately disregarded his son Haemon when he suggested the same: “But I hear whispers spoken in the dark; on every side I hear voices of pity for this poor girl, doomed to the cruelest death, and most unjust, that ever women suffered for an honorable action-burying a brother who was killed in battle” (Sc. 3.590-596). King Creon’s prideful response was that as a king, he was only responsible for himself: “Indeed! Am I to take lessons at my time of life from a fellow of his age?”(Sc. 3.624-625). A good statesman takes into consideration what the people around them have to say, not push advice away because they feel too proud to take it from someone younger. Furthermore, King Creon later gets a visit from Teiresias, a blind prophet who foretells the future. The prophecy says that...
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...Creon and Haemon; Conflict of Antigone Creon and Haemon have dissimilar points of views when it comes to Antigone because Haemon has affection for Antigone while Creon feels animosity towards her. In the play, “Antigone” Sophocles tells the story of King Creon who rules Thebes the town. Haemon who is the son of the king falls in love with Antigone. Antigone is the niece of Creon and sister of Polynices. She plays a stubborn character. When her family is involved with the situation her attitude becomes aggressive. Polynices who is a traitor takes his last breath fighting against Thebes. The King announces anyone to honor or bury the body of Polynices would suffer a death due to the fact that he was a traitor of Thebes. The conflict of the play involves Antigone who disobeys Creon’s authority. In the speech between Haemon and Creon an Antigone is revealed between the two that exhibits Creon’s misogyny and Haemon’s analysis of his father’s discriminating attitude toward women in general. Note the tone in the following quotation: Creon: “Oh Haemon, Never lose your sense of judgment over a woman. The warmth, the rush of pleasure, it all goes cold in your arms, I warn you…a worthless woman in your house, a misery in your bed. What wound cuts deeper than a loved one turned against you? Spit her out, like a mortal enemy- let the girl go. Let her find a husband down among the dead” (1328). Creon expresses misogyny in this quote. He consults with his...
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...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...
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...rules don’t apply to them. A great example of determining right vs. wrong would be in the play, “Antigone,”...
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...the play Antigone, Antigone is a woman who did anything to honor her deceased brother. Even though she knew the severe consequence she would face for refusing Creon's proclamation toward the burial of her brother.The theme of this is that both characters have different views with their situation causing controversy between the two.In the play Antigone,Creon is shown to be a tragic hero through his interactions with Antigone. This develops the theme of the play .By these tragic flaws such as Rude ,Serious, and Unfair. One of Creon's trait that develops the theme of the play is that Creon is ignorant. For example in the play Antigone, Creon said to in line (654)”I...
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...Given the choices of death and fleeing Athens, Antigone would advise Socrates to flee Athens. This way, Socrates would have stayed alive and not died a premature death by poison hemlock. Antigone would also advise Socrates not to get too much entangled in philosophical discussions and to avoid criticizing the Athenian body politic. On the other hand, Antigone would argue with Socrates that his political opinions on the authorities of Athens were overreaching and thusly, would cause him to be punished. She would also argue that the punishment which Socrates had chosen to settle with was comparatively lesser attractive as compared to the alternative of fleeing...
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...Antigone vs. Creon: Struggles, Beliefs, and Morals In Sophocles’ play, Antigone, Creon and his young niece Antigone encounter many struggles in their lives because of moral views and political laws. Conflicts would arise when the values and actions of these two individuals disagreed with one another. Antigone’s conflict in the play held the approach of god’s law in the way, and on the opposing side, Creon chose his way of political beliefs that he would personally create as king. In my paper, I will discuss these characters, and interpret why and how their actions reflect their own personal beliefs and morals as individuals. The difference in beliefs, moral views, and opinions seen through-out the play were constantly disputed between Creon and Antigone. Antigone felt that Creon ignored the laws of gods through his laws. When she was captured after giving her brother proper rites and brought to Creon, she said, “Your edict, King was strong, but all your strength is weakness itself against the immortal unrecorded laws of God. They are not merely now: they were, and shall be operative forever, beyond man utterly” (Rand, 4). Antigone supports the laws of the God’s in heaven and believes that if someone is not given proper burial rites after death, they will not go to heaven. Her religious views were very important to her and the love for her brother would ultimately sway her decisions to go against the law of the king. Creon’s laws and orders became very personal...
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...Creon The Dynamic Ever wonder what makes a book so great to read? Is it the good plot scheme that leaves people hanging on every word, or is it the nail bighting suspense that drives people mad. To many, people like the characters that are very powerful and dynamic. One character who comes to mind is Creon from the book “Antigone.” In this book Creon portrays himself as a noble king ruling over his kingdom, but suddenly becomes a ruthless leader. He also finds himself impervious to the laws of god and decides to substitute them with the laws of men. Finally, he puts himself against everyone he loves and cares for to keep his spot as ruler of the throne. In the book “Antigone” Creon in thrust into the spotlight of the king after Oedipus dies...
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...ANTIGONE Antigone is a tragedy by Sophocles written in or before 441 BC. Chronologically, it is the third of the three Theban plays but was written first. The play expands on the Theban legend that predated it and picks up where Aeschylus' Seven Against Thebes ends. This play is based on the life story of Antigone, the daughter of Oeudipe and Jocaste. It is a legend of her sacrifice for her loved ones, her believes and her honour. Antigone’s brother Polynice had betrayed his country and died during the war. Creon, the king of Thebes had refused to give him a burial. Antigone is outraged by this decision and goes as far as sacrificing her life, to give her brother a burial he deserves. Even law of the king does not stop her from doing what she thinks is right. Antigone is the tragic heroine of the play and this play revolves around her struggle against the autocratic laws of the state. Even she manages to give Polynice a rightful burial but, this burial costs Antigone her life. SYNOPSIS In the beginning of the play, two brothers leading opposite sides in Thebes' civil war died fighting each other for the throne. Creon, the new ruler of Thebes, has decided that Eteocles will be honored and Polyneices will be in public shame. The rebel brother's body will not be sanctified by holy rites, and will lie unburied on the battlefield, prey for carrion animals like worms and vultures, the harshest punishment at the time. Antigone and Ismene are the sisters of the dead Polyneices...
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...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...
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...famous tragedy: “Antigone” by Sophocles. In the story the chorus claims humans act with deneiron, loosely translated as wondrous yet terrible. Someone who assumes the impossibility of a human acting with deneiron will surely discover his misconception throughout the tragedy. The disturbing relationship between Eteocles and Polyneices, Creon’s contradicting laws, and Antigone’s unique personality all demonstrate the constant deneiron behavior in the “Antigone”. Someone who will do whatever it takes to satisfy his desires acquires a truly wondrous trait. Prior to the main plot of the...
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...“blood is thicker than water;” but in “Antigone,” is it really so? The play “Antigone” is a Greek Tragedy that was written by Sophocles in 1961. The play is generically about the catastrophic fate of a young girl named Antigone, due to her disobedience in following the rulings made by the king named Creon. In the story, Antigone made the bold decision to bury her brother Polyneices, which was completely spoken against in the king’s decree. Polyneices had fought during the war on the side opposing that of the king and because of this, King Creon has made it illegal to bury Polynices who in his mind, committed treason; the actions of someone actually doing so, was punishable by death. King Creon though, gets a lot of negative...
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...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 proper burial a human being deserves. Creon believes if...
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