Essay Questions For Antigone

Antigone Essay Questions
1: Hi
2: Hi
1: Have you read the play Antigone?
2: Yes, I was just thinking about it. It was quite enjoyable
1: I agree. I liked the way sophocles portrays the many themes in the play such as loyalty and Hubris.
2: Yes, I also liked how loyalty was portrayed in the play, especially how it was demonstrated by
Antigone and Ismene who were both loyal but in different ways.
1: Who did you agree with in their means of being loyal?
2: I agree with Ismene's way of being loyal because she decided to keep the family line running by
deciding not to die, as most of her family was dead except her sister at the time.
1: But by not doing what she thought was right and by doing what the law enforces, doesn't that
make Ismene loyal to the state rather than being loyal to family?
2: No, I still believe that Ismene is...show more content...
Being the king of Thebes, with so much power, Creon defies the gods and their word by punishing
Polyneices.
2: Well said, leaving that aside, what did you think of the smaller characters of the play?
1: Which ones?
2: Characters such as Tiresias and Haemon
1: Tiresias was loyal to the gods, as prophecies were told through him. One in particular was to
Creon, he told him that his mistake of denying burial would be the downfall of the city. And he also
told him to not meddle with the gods. He shows no hubris as he is just a messenger.
2: And what of Haemon?
1: Haemon was a reasonable man, he was the son of Creon. He was also loyal to the state as Creon
was, but he did not have the hubris that his father did.
2: I believe that is a very accurate description of the two characters
1: Even if the gods sometimes do not take actions or have rules that are for the greater good of
humanity, burial rites were part of greek culture and were denied under certain conditions. With all
that said, Polyneices's burial rites should have not been denied because it goes against the gods'
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Antigone By Sophocles ' Antigone
"But one must neglect nothing that the gods demand" (1349–1350). Sophocles' Antigone takes place
in a trying time for the city of Thebes, when Oedipus, their king, and most of the royal family have
died, and Creon has just been appointed the new king. Throughout the play, Creon tries on his
power as the new ruler, and seems to believe that the gods will not be angry with some of his
choices as king, even though they directly violate the divine law. However, inAntigone, when there
is a conflict between the divine law and the state law, the divine law always prevails. Antigone
continuously follows the divine law, and although she ends up dead, she does not face Creon's pain of
losing everyone he loves and all his people turning against him. The play begins with Antigone
disobeying Creon in order to do what she believes is right in the eyes of the gods and in the eyes
of her parents. Antigone knows that she will die "a holy outlaw, since [she] must please those
below a longer time than people [in Thebes], for [she] shall lie there forever" (75–77). According to
Greek mythology, leaving a dead body unburied results in the dead person not passing smoothly into
the afterworld, and the people who do not bury the body receiving divine punishment. This divine
punishment, which Antigone tries to avoid, becomes more apparent at the end of the play with
Creon's downfall. Antigone's main motive for burying Polynikes is her love for him and for her
parents; however, this statement

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

The Pros And Consequences Of Antigone
Antigone is a Greek tragedy which presents questions of what one should do when presented with
the dilemma of behaving according to one's morality and values or behaving according to the law.
There is no absolute good nor absolute bad, instead, the world is composed of a complex
combination of both. Ergo, Antigone's rebellion against the law cannot be classified in either of
these extremes. However, she weighted the advantages and disadvantages of her planned action and
smartly selected what was of greater value for her. Although the law should be obeyed to maintain
order and security, sometimes it should also be questioned and broken. The main reason being that
law is made by humans, and the human being is flawed, thus usually law is not perfectly...show more
content...
This were the absolute obedience and fear of the sovereign, her place in society as a woman and
the continuous disgracing on her family because of their past. By her actions, she not only
wanted to pay honor to her brother, but also to show society that she, her family, and women had
strength and deserve respect. There was no better way to do it than to show bravery and give
one's life for one's values. Because a life is a human's greatest treasure, one who gives it cannot be
considered selfish and because of this one attains the admiration of the people. Antigone died
admired by the people, and she only accomplished this because she did not rebel against a natural
law. She did not kill or cause any other type of harm. The insult she did was directly against Creon
and not against society. Without formal procedures, she managed to punish Creon for what he had
done to her and die being a

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

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

Thesis For Antigone
What is worth fighting for? There are several examples of literature that have not so much
changed my view of the world, but solidified vague ideas I already had about my values, passions,
and the things I wish to fight for and stand up for as I paint my story.
A play written by Sophocles circa 445 B.C., Antigone, depicts the tragedy of a youngwoman who
stands firm against an obstinate new ruling force–her uncle Creon, in what was right by her family
and her gods in antithesis to that which was better for her country. The altercation involves the burial
of her brother, Polyneices after staging a coup against his brother's regime which resulted in both of
the brothers' deaths, in order to protect his soul from the eternal isolation and...show more content...
Just as Antigone knows with whom her allegiances lie: with her family and her gods. She remains
loyal to them even unto death. Similarly, Psalm 48:14 exalts a God who is so in love with his people
and with a passion to lead them that he has promised to do it eternally: "This God, our God
forever and ever/He will lead us eternally." Know thyself. Antigone exemplifies how knowing your
priorities is key. She put God and family over politics. What are mine: God, family and friends,
education, self, and travel. My passions I discovered are: children and missions. In addition,
Antigone shows that those who act out of passion do not feel remorse for their actions, so long as it
is well thought

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

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

Essay on Introduction: Antigone and Creon
INTRODUCTION
Antigone
Antigone is the daughter of Oedipus, the king that married his own mother, Locaste and unwittingly
killed his father, Laios. When he learned what he had done, he blinded himself and left Thebes,
voluntarily went into self–style exile and died over there. Antigone and Ismene are siblings, the only
surviving children of Oedipus. The other two brothers Polyneices and Eteocles quarreled and killed
each other in a battle when Polyneices returned to assault Thebes, then Creon, Antigone uncle
became the king of Thebes being the only heir in line to the throne. Creon ordered Polyneices be left
to rot unburied on the battle field as a traitor but Antigone could not see reason to let her brothers
body rot unburied. Antigone...show more content...
She valued family pride over the authority of the king. Leaving the dead unburied is against the
natural laws of the gods, she then chose to disobey the Kings law by attempt to bury her brother,
Polyneices. But I will bury him; and if I must die Literature for Composition 462.55
Creon on the other hand, though he installed himself as king, he then put himself in a position to
have known better the laws of the gods. Perhaps, this could have been one of the snares in the
process that awaits any unqualified person who tries to be king. A true heir to the thrown should
have in–depth knowledge about the community law and the laws of the gods; therefore, he would
have guided against either avoiding making laws that runs contrary to the laws of the gods or by
putting himself in an uncompromised position. He could have been briefed of most of the rules
and regulation as a formal process before a prince is allowed to ascend the thrown. In absence of
that, the office he occupied justify that he knows the law. I am aware of course, that no ruler can
expect complete loyalty from his subjects until he has been tested in office. (Literature for
Composition.464.17)
Affinity for disobedience
Laws are made, whether written or unwritten to

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

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

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

AP Lit Prompts Antigone
Introductory Paragraphs for Antigone
2.Antigone violated the laws set forth the land of Thebes by her uncle Creon and planned to defy
Creon's order and bury Polynices. Antigone possesses a remarkable ability to remember the past.
Whereas her father Oedipus defies Tiresias, the prophet who has helped him so many times, and
whereas he seems almost to have forgotten his encounter with Laius at the three–way crossroads,
Antigone begins her play by talking about the many griefs that her father handed down to his
children. With such acknowledgment, readers cannot help to sympathize for Antigone. Sympathy
not only divides the people of Thebes to want sympathize for the Antigone but want to support the
principles of society but also the...show more content...
But Haemon the humanitarian believes that a commitment must be dropped if it goes against the
will of the gods and if it results in widespread suffering, pain and misery.
8. Sophocles uses The Chorus as device to evoke certain emotions and reactions in response to the
actions of central characters: a direction for the audience. The Chorus reacts to events as they
happen, generally in a predictable, though not consistent, way. The Chorus seeks to maintain the
status quo, which is generally seen to be the wrong thing. The Chorus is not cowardly so much as
nervous and complacent–above all, it hopes to prevent upheaval.
a)The chorus questions the wisdom of Antigone's actions in Antigone (909–962). The final chorus of
Antigone, seems on the surface more hopeful as compared to the Chorus of Oedipus the King and
Oedipus at Colonus but is actually much more ominous and ambivalent. Antigone ends with a hope
for knowledge–specifically the knowledge that comes out of suffering. The audience can agree with
and believe in a statement like "Wisdom is by far the greatest part of joy," and perhaps feel that
Creon has learned from his suffering, like Antigone seemingly did at the beginning of the play.
b)The Chrous convinces Creon to set Antigone free and bury Polyneicdes free. Creon agrees yet
this "noble" act is what marks this story a tragedy– even after this

The Choices Of Antigone And Sophocles ' Antigone
Kate Regan–Loomis
Professor Baumann
The Quest for Justice
September 12, 2017
Self, Family, City Though the choices that Antigone and Creon face in Sophocles' Antigone differ,
their decisions often end up pitted against each other's, inviting comparison. Since I am juxtaposing
the characters' degrees of rightness, I believe that the rightness of the reasoning, not just their
ultimate stances, should be examined. The entirety of his or her argument, not just the conclusion,
must be taken into account. I'll also note that my perspective of rightness could and does conflict
with that of the gods in Antigone and Sophocles. Furthermore, "rightness" has an element of nuance
to it because of the word's multiple definitions and their connotations....show more content...
This combined with her fixation on the curse makes it seem blatantly obvious to me that she is using
her brother's death and disrespectful treatment as an "in" with the gods.
Antigone wants to be redeemed in the afterlife through her act of burying Polyneices. This is
especially clear when she decides that she will bury him and die before she has even appealed to
Creon. The only route she can see is one that results in her death. Not until she is directly
confronted by her uncle does she attempt to dissuade him from dishonoring Polyneices. Even
then, she seems to be simply defending her own actions rather than accusing him of being wrong,
as she so adamantly has done with Ismene. He needs to implore her to "Speak!" (166, 442), and
when she does, she is flippant and prideful. Antigone only engages in real dialogue with him when
he forces her to. This could be interpreted as her simply understanding his position and accepting
it, but I find that unlikely. She clearly fundamentally disagrees with him and his interpretation of
the gods, but instead of trying to persuade him to recant his decree and bury her brother, she
capitalizes on the position she's in and thrusts herself into martyrdom. Even by the gods' standards,
this does not seem to be justice or "rightness". Her surface level loyalty to her family may initially
appeal, but I find it insincere and not right when I explore it more closely. Creon absolutely is
foolish when he

Antigone: A Case Study
The patient is an 82–year–old male who presented to the hospital because his daughter found the
morning of presentation that his PEG tube was completely on the side of the bed was completely
dislodged during the night. The family offered him Glucerna thru a straw which he promptly drank
without any agitation, difficulty or coughing. They present now with questions about having the
new tube replaced. His medical history is quite significant. He was hospitalist December 2016 with
altered mental status. He appeared to have aspiration pneumonia and was intensive care unit on
ventilatory support and was being given nutrition with NG tube and after debate with the family a
PEG was inserted. However, over the last 3 months the patient has significantly

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

Essay about Antigone
Antigone;
The Tragic Hero
Antigone is a classic work that never ceases to be analyzed by critics and students around the
world. The debate over who is the real tragic hero of Sophocles' play Antigone is a topic that is
heavily discussed. To this day there is still no agreement. Some people believe that Antigone is the
real tragic hero of this tragedy, while others believe that the hero is in fact her uncle, Creon. It is
logical to say that Antigone is the tragic hero of Antigone more so than Creon because she is a
likeable character, extracts pity from the audience, and her plight affects many.
To begin, Creon's character is less likeable to the audience. From his very first...show more content...
Secondly, Antigone does a good job at extracting pity from the audience. She appeals the sense of
emotion with heart felt dialogue. One of the most pitiful points in this play is when she makes
her last speech. She then looks back on what actually occurred. This is the first time that Antigone
actually realizes her own sorrow. Earlier on she is still blind to the fact that this is the end for her.
She will not get to have a life. She will not get to give life to someone else. "...see what I suffer,
and from whom, because I feared to cast away the fear of Heaven!" (Oates 291). Here she is
appealing to the gods. She is basically saying, "Look, I am suffering because I so longed to please
you (gods). The audience feels sorry for Antigone because she is the accused. Many will side with
the accused because their future is doomed. Not only does Antigone extract pity from the audience,
she extracts it from other characters in the play. Ismene has always been sympathetic of her plight
and shows this by trying to share the blame. The chorus is also sympathetic and so they try to
persuade Creon that punishing her may not be the best thing. Lastly, Creon is sympathetic toward
Antigone. When he first becomes aware that she is the culprit, he tries to give her a way out.
"...knewest thou that an edict had forbidden this?" (Oates 282) This line implies that if Antigone
denied knowing, she would have

Antigone Essay
Reason and truth are never based on authority. Not even a supreme ruler can decide the right and
wrong things to do. Antigone, in "Antigone" is set on honroing her dead brother even if it means
going against her uncle Creon, resulting in a classic father or fatherly figure daughter conflict. In
Sophocles' play "Antigone", the combination of Antigone's stubborn loyalty and her uncle Creon's
hubris result in the main conflict, while also demonstrating that stubornness and pride lead to
destruction.
To begin, conflict between Antigone and Creon arises when Antigone blatantly disobeys her uncle's
edict due to family loyalty. For instance, when Antigone is trying to convince Ismene to help her
bury Polyneices, she exclaims, "He is my brother....show more content...
By adding this scene, Sophocles reminds his audience about the dangers and consequences of
inflexibility and pride. These three instances all contribute to the conflict Antigone has with her
uncle Creon, while stressing how determination and loyalty can lead to destruction.
Secondly, Creon's massive ego is also one of the causes of the argument between him and his niece
Antigone. In particular, during his formal address to the chorus, he states , "Polyneices, I say, is to
have no burial...no traitor is going to be honored with the loyal man." This statement represents the
birth of Anitgone and Creon's conflict, as it leaves Antigone torn between obeying her uncle or
honoring her brother. Creon's desire to demonstrate his power and establish his rule are the root
causes of the dispute between him and his niece and unfortunately leads to hardships in both of their
lives. In addition, after Creon finds out that Anitgone was the one behind Polyneices' burial, he
exclaims, "Who is the man here, she or I, if this crime goes unpunished?" Creon's ego is bruised
after he finds out Antigone has disobeyed him, revealing how important his appearance and status is
to him. No matter how wrong he is in his decisions, Creon will never change what he believes is the
right punishment for Antigone, which reminds the

Case Study Questions On Antigone
1. What is Creon's motivation for forbidding the burial of his own nephew PolyneicГЄs? Why would
he issue an edict that runs so contrary to his family obligations? Creon's motivation for forbidding
the burial of his own nephew Polyneices is because he fought over the throne of Thebes which
was rightfully to be given to his brother who was next in line. He and his brother both killed each
other which is why Polyneices brother is having a proper burial and Polyneices was left out in the
wilderness. Creon would issue an edict that runs so contrary to his family obligations because he
feels that if he allows this to happen within his family then it makes it acceptable for his citizens to
get away with following the law. 2. What are AntigonГЄ's reasons for performing funeral rites on her
brother's corpse in direct violation of Creon's edict? Antigone's reasons for performing funeral rites
on her brothers corpse is that she believes she must follow what the Gods have proclaimed instead
of the law which was put forth by Creon. She follows what she believes is right instead of standing
back and following the law like her sister Ismene. 3. What are the larger issues behind the conflicting
positions of both Creon and AntigonГЄ? Is either person or position clearly wrong? The larger issue
between Creon and Antigone are whether family members should be above the law. I personally
think that Creon is wrong but his point of view is that if he allows Antigone to get away with trying to

Essay Questions For Antigone

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