Creon, as the ruler of the land, is obligated to carry out social order. He has ordered that the body of Polynices should be left to rot because he was a traitor to the city. Antigone has disobeyed Creon’s orders by digging up her brother’s grave after his proper burial rites were forbidden. She has already buried her parents and brother Eteocles, who died fighting Polynices, and feels obligated to honor her brother’s life. Antigone is also determined to obey the gods, because it is against morality to leave any corpse unburied. She informs Creon that “Death longs for the same rites for all”.…
In the play Antigone by Sophocles, Ismene is shown to be in great contrast to Antigone, who is her sister. She is portrayed as a gentle and passive while Antigone is depicted as an aggressive and headstrong woman. In the prologue, Antigone and Ismene are shown discussing what has transpired since their leave and subsequent return to Thebes. In this scene Antigone asks her sister in line 6-7 “have they told you of the new decree by our King Creon?” which Ismene then responds that “I have learned nothing. I know that two sisters lost two brothers, a double death in a single hour, and I know that the Argive army fled in the night; but beyond this, nothing” (Sophocles 0:7-9).…
Antigone was full of hubris, she was very independent, she stands up on what she believes in. As for Ismene she was timid, follows the rules, she was also intimidated by her uncle Creon. When their two brothers died one was buried with “honor” but Polynecies wasn’t. Antigone fought for her brothers’ buriel and she also declared that she would die for him. Antigone quoted “ But I will bury him, and if I must die, I say that this crime is holy. I shall lie down with him in death.” This displays that she is willing to take a risk for her brother even though if she dies. Ismene is a coward when her uncle questioned her and she follows the…
In Sophocles' play "Antigone”, the ideas of obeying the law of one’s community and following ones own moral beliefs come into conflict. The plot revolves around two brothers, Eteocles and Polyneices having killed each other in an attempted to gain rule and their Uncle Creon gaining power after their deaths. He orders Eteocles given an honorable funeral and Polyneices to be left in the streets to rot. Creon believes that Polyneices' body shall be condemned to this because of his civil disobedience and treachery against the city. However, the dead brothers’ sister, Antigone, believes this unfair to Polyneices and insulting to the Gods.…
Antigone proves herself to be a very loyal family member when she states, “That must be your excuse, I suppose. But as for me, I will bury the brother I love” (Pro. 64-65). She cares not of the law set forth by Creon when it conflicts with her beliefs concerning loyalty to loved ones. She chose the law of the gods above all other decrees, disregarding that the cost is her life. Even after the body’s guards brush off the thin layer of dust to negate the effect of the prompt burial given by Antigone, the heroine risks life and limb to see that Polynieces receives a proper burial, and she is arrested in the process. Her retort to Creon’s accusations was, “I do. I deny nothing.” Antigone is confident in her choice at this point. She even stands up for Ismene’s fraud confession, and she will “not have [Ismene] help” because Antigone’s loyalty to her family is too great (1. 132).…
Antigone believed that not burying her brother Polyneices and burying her other brother Eteocles due to the command of her uncle Creon was a very wrong thing to do and being the loyal person she was she did not accept this law carried by her Uncle and disobeyed him with the mindset knowing burying her brother Polyneices was the right thing to do know the consequences that came with it.…
When Antigone asked her sister Ismene to help bury their brother, Ismene denies, saying that she “shall obey to those who are in authority (Sophocles line 67).” However, Ismene changes her mind later on and wants to share the punishment with Antigone for keeping her plot a secret. Ismene admits, “I share in bearing the responsibility (Sophocles 537).” Antigone’s courage inspires Ismene to join her, even though she wants Ismene to stay away, which shows that Antigone is a credible leader. Ismene, not Antigone, was then in control of her own…
Ismene should be disgraced because she was a coward and was afraid. Antigone asked her to help her bury Polyneices but she refused because she was scared, she wasn’t ready for the consequences of her actions even though Polyneices was their brother. “But think of the danger, think what Creon will do!.” “I have no strength to break laws that were made for the public good.” This shows that she was afraid and couldn’t do it, she couldn’t handle Creon’s punishment.…
First of all, Antigone says to Creon “But if I’d allowed my own mother’s dead son to just lie there, an unburied corpse,then I’d feel distress.” (227-229). This quote shows how Antigone is doing the right thing by burying her brother and what Creon is doing to her brother Polyneices an act of injustice. This also shows how Antigone and Creon are different because she is being driven by the love she has towards Polyneices and Creon is being driven by the hate he has towards him. Second, Antigone says to Creon “But where could I gain greater glory than setting my own brother in his grave?” (570-571). This quote shows how Antigone is willing to disobey the law to give her brother a proper burial because of how much she loves him. This quote also shows how Antigone is determine to do what she thinks is right which is bury her brother Polyneices even though she would be disobeying orders. He doesn’t think women are the same as men because they disobey men’s…
Sophocles creates a strong sense of devotion and resolve through her actions as she is seen as a martyr for her cause. Antigone follows what is just in the world that Sophocles creates. He does not reflect that same quality in his portrayal of Ismene. Ismene is more fearful of Creon’s laws, she holds reverence towards her brothers, but is not as eager as Antigone to sacrifice herself to uphold a divine law. This is shown when she responds to Antigone’s call to action, “We are only women, We cannot fight with men, Antigone! The law is strong, we must give in to the law” (191-192). In her response Ismene expresses her lack of strength and fear, Sophocles portrays her as less righteous than Antigone. Although Ismene later retracts her refusal, Sophocles still frames this act in relation to Antigone. The nobility in Antigone’s conviction to the law of the gods is further shown through Ismene’s change of…
Antigone, loyal and determined, exhibits those qualities, one scholar even describes her as a “heroine” (Holland 323). Because of Antigone’s “…absolute focus on her goal,” burring her brother and living up to the holy laws of God, “there is “no doubt she loves her own,” and only wants what is morally proper and for God’s will to be done (McNeill 1). Antigone fights for what she believes in,” to show respect and love towards her,” and what she believes her brother deserves (Conflicting Values in Antigone 1). Creon, who “makes his ruling because Polyneices attacked Thebes with by army,” undeniably wants to protect his people (King Creon in Antigone 1). As clearly portrayed in the play, Creon evidently loves his wife and children, one could argue that he made his ruling to protect them. Courtesy of Chegg Study, Creon’s “power may have been taken for granted by the people of Thebes” had he not acted against Polyneices (Chegg1). While Antigone does meet certain criteria to be the plays tragic hero, Creon fits it more…
In Antigone and The Odyssey, women are portrayed as insignificant characters to show the quintessential role of Greek women. In Antigone, Ismene is shown as the ideal woman in Ancient Thebes when she chooses law over family by leaving her brother unburied, no matter how offensive it is to the gods. Ismene chose to leave her brother unburied rather than face the rule of Creon, the king, which supports the Greek vision of lawful women. Throughout The Odyssey, Odysseus’s…
Creon is the king in the play Antigone. Antigone is about a princess, Antigone, who buries her brother after he and her other brother fought each other to death. As a result, King Creon wants to punish/kill Antigone for this while still him remembering that he had raised her. Due to the brothers fighting to death, a place to be king opened up for Creon to become the new king. The quote, “Where love rules, there is no will to power; and where power predominates, there love is lacking. The one is the shadow of the other,” is by Carl Jung. The quotation relates to how when Creon wasn’t king, he ruled by love, but when he became king, his love lacked and ruled by pride and power.…
Sophocles uses rhetorical appeals in Antigone in order to clarify what the characters say to the tragic hero Creon. Ethos, pathos, and logos are used in this Greek tragedy by three characters to make Creon realize and reverse his decision in punishing Antigone for her crime. Antigone, Haemon, and Teiresias all use a different predominant one form of rhetorical appeal, yet it is just one of these characters using pathos that is able to overcome Creon’s stubbornness.…
* Dramatic composition dealing with somber themes, typically of a great person destined through flaw of character or conflict with some overpowering force or society, to downfall or destruction…