Antigone Character Analysis - 916 Words

Beliefs are not always based on facts that you would find in a textbook-they are something that one believes is true. When I first read Sophocles’ play Antigone, my initial impression of Creon was that his beliefs of the law and the state were rational because of his role as a ruler. But as the play progressed, I began to disagree with his behavior and his values because he only focused on his own moral beliefs rather than considering the beliefs of other people, which could have resolved conflict. Throughout the play, the theme of authority of the state and religion is represented through the individual beliefs of Antigone and Creon. The author includes the narration of the Chorus, and their point of view strongly influenced my own†¦show more content†¦I strongly disagree with Zizek because she is viewed as promoting an authority of herself only because of the gender conflict between men and women. Because of Antigone’s role as a woman in the Theban culture, s he is viewed as demanding and stubborn against Creon’s order. But if it were to be a man who opposed Creon, he would be seen as courageous and assertive. Additionally, Antigone justifies her position by claiming that it is her moral duty to bury Polyneices because the last of her kin are gone. She accuses Creon by calling him a tyrant: â€Å"I never heard it was Zeus Who made that announcement. And it wasn’t justice, either. The gods below Didn’t lay down this law for human use. And I never thought your announcements Could give you—a mere human being— Power to trample the gods’ unfailing, Unwritten laws,† (450-456). By Antigone burying Polyneices, she gains the respect and support of people who also believe in honoring the dead and respecting the gods. After Eteocles and Polyneices die in battle, Creon was the next of kin to rule the people of Thebes. After rising to power, he immediately undergoes the destructive effects of power. As a result of this, he becomes irrational in his thoughts and decisions and consequently, he abuses his power. For instance, Creon arrests Ismene solely based on the reason that she is related to Antigone, which leads him to suspect that she was either involved in the burial of her brotherShow MoreRelatedAntigone Character Analysis1422 Words   |  6 Pages Antigone, the final play in a series including Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, discusses the ideas of leadership, family, and choices. It features two central characters: Antigone, a girl who chooses to illegally bury her brother, and Creon, a king who decrees the burial of the brother to be illegal. Upon the first encounter of the text, it appears that Antigone is the â€Å"hero† of the play, but on further analysis, one realizes that the tragic h ero, as defined by Aristotle, is actually Creon. The ideaRead MoreCharacter Analysis Of Antigone1533 Words   |  7 Pagesplay centers around a young girl, Antigone, that is determined to bury her wronged brother even though it will end in her imminent death. Creon, the king, has deemed it illegal for anyone to bury Antigone’s brother’s body, even though it is the female family member s duty given by the gods to perform the burial. Antigone stuck to her oath to bury her brother and is caught by Creon and sentenced to death. One of the main themes in this play is family. Each character s ending will be tragic due toRead MoreAntigone Character Analysis1468 Words   |  6 PagesIn the play of Antigone, Sophicles creates a plot that I believe playfully would make viewers sympathetic of the protagonist Antigone. At the beginning of the play, viewers obviously were very sympathetic to Antigone. All she wanted to do was bury her dead brother, and Kreon made it illegal to do such a deed. However, as the play went on, I gai ned more and more insight on Kreon and my opinion changed. Although Antigone sacrificed her life for what she believed was right, I sympathize more with KreonRead MoreAntigone Character Analysis1071 Words   |  5 PagesSophocles’s Antigone depicts the struggle between two different characters with their own struggles, doubts, and beliefs. The play opens with the eponymous character lamenting a terrible situation to her sister Ismene. Their brothers Eteocles and Polyneices fought over the throne and killed each other in battle. Creon, their uncle, has forbade anyone to bury Polyneices, since he is considered a traitor to the city of Thebes. As the king, Creon holds the authority of the state above family ties, refusingRead MoreAntigone Character Analysis1122 Words   |  5 PagesAntigone is a Greek play that features a heroine that shows courage and righteousness. This is an interesting play that I believe I would enjoy having the ability to direct. The possibilities that t his play can become I think would be very entertaining and meaningful to explore. If I were to direct this play I would want it to communicate that courage comes in many forms and that following one’s beliefs and morals against oppressors is one of the most courageous things that one can do. I would alsoRead MoreAntigone Character Analysis927 Words   |  4 PagesThis theme comes to life in Sophocles’ Antigone, as he illustrates the internal and external struggles of complex characters. The play follows Antigone, a young rebellious girl betrothed to the king’s son. Haemon, prince of Thebes, finds his loyalty caught between his father’s legalistic ways and Antigone’s,   which stem from emotion. In Antigone, Haemon reveals himself as a tragic hero through his struggle between obedience to his father and his love for Antigone. His struggle reveals how obedienceRead MoreCharacter Analysis Of Antigone1009 Words   |  5 PagesIn Sophocles’ Antigone, Antigone finds herself between King Creon and her deep belief in the Gods. Antigone holds a high social status as she is one of the daughters of the late King Oedipus and she is King Creon’s niece. The play starts off with Antigone losing both her brothers in a battle that took place around the city of Thebes. One brother, Eteocles, is defending the city while the other brother, Polynices, is attacking. King Creon declares a decree that no one is to bury the traitor and ifRead MoreAntigone Character Analysis Essay603 Words   |  3 PagesIn 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 allRead MoreCreon And Antigone Character Analysis1538 Words   |  7 PagesThe characters Creon and Antigone, from Sophocles’ Antigone, act as cautionary figures for the audience as they warn against the intense belief in and dedication to a single perspective, as doing so leads to a certain lack of malleability that is detrimental to maintaining a fully functioning society. The onlookers of this play, the Athenian people, come to naturally notice the benefits of remaining within the middle ground between beliefs such as those that Creon and Antigone stood for. The unfortunateRead MoreThe Character Analysis Of Eteocless Antigone740 Words   |  3 Pages The play Antigone, based in 441 B.C. in Thebes, Greece, told a tale about a fictional family. At the commencement of the play, main character Antigone and her sister, Ismene, travel to Thebes. Upon arrival, the two discover that both of their brothers, Eteocles and Polyneices, are dead. Eteocles has been given the p roper burial, but Creon, Antigone’s uncle who had just attained the throne, banned the burial of Polyneices, because he deemed him to be a traitor. Antigone believed that this was unfair