I'M DONE BITCHES! i started at 3. AM
Katie Conlon
Antigone
Mrs. Harris
2/10/05
Although millennia have passed since Sophocles wrote Antigone, the characters Antigone and Creon continue to be analyzed by high school English classes and scholars alike. Brian Vickers claims that Creon is brutal and Antigone is thoroughly admirable, and this statement is true. While Creon is not entirely at fault for Antigone’s fate, he is definitely brutal, and while Antigone has a few flaws, she is still thoroughly admirable.
Before the novel begins, Antigone’s two brothers, Polynices and Eteocles, are rivaling for the throne of the city of Thebes. They both claim that throne is rightfully theirs, and Polynices invades Thebes, but Polynices and Eteocles kill each other in the battle. Creon takes the throne and declares that no one shall bury Polynices, under penalty of death, but he gives Eteocles a proper burial. Antigone is outraged, and she and her sister discuss burying Polynices. Ismene decides against it, but Antigone buries her brother despite the laws that forbid her to. When a guard reports to Creon that Polynices was buried, he threatens to kill the guard unless the criminal is caught. Antigone is caught repeating the burial rites, and she freely admits to Creon that she did indeed bury Polynices, and she is ready to die for this cause. Creon sentences her to death, but since popular opinion was against Antigone’s death, Creon decided to shut Antigone in a cave with some food and water so that if she died, it would be up to the gods. Haemon, Creon’s son, and Antigone are in love, and even though Haemon begs Creon no to kill his love, Creon will not relent. A prophet named Teiresias warns Creon that unless he buries Polynices and pardons Antigone, the gods will devastate Thebes and kill Haemon. In the end, Antigone hangs herself in the cave, and when Haemon finds her dead, he kills himself. When Creon’s wife finds that their son is dead, she kills herself also. Creon is left a shadow of his former powerful, envied self (Reinhold 88).
Creon is brutal in many parts of the play. He threatens to kill the guards unless they find out who buried Polynices. He sentences Antigone to death, even though she is his friend’s daughter and his son’s love. He refuses to bury Polynices even though it was the gods’ law that all men should be buried. Creon shows no mercy and his will to kill Antigone remains unbending until Teiresias predicts that his mighty city will lay in ruin and his son will be killed unless he pardons Antigone and buries Polynices (Reinhold 90). It is not his conscience nor is it mercy that changes his mind. Creon changes his mind to entombing Antigone in a cave instead of stoning her because he does not want the guilt of physically killing her, but he does not want to lose his power as king of Thebes.
The fact that Creon refuses to bury Polynices is a brutal punishment. The Ancient Greeks believed that unless the body of a dead person was buried, that person’s soul could not find rest in Hades (Kitto 147). To the Greeks, the eternal unrest of the soul was no doubt the worst punishment one could receive, yet Creon was willing to punish Polynices this way, simply to prove his own ultimate authority. This was an extremely brutal punishment that Creon decreed.
Although Creon rules his kingdom with an iron fist “[his] outburst of rage against the Watchman is quite unreasonable ... (Kitto 139)” Creon feels that he must keep order in his kingdom, but that does not mean that he can kill his watchmen as he pleases.
Creon is willing to act with extreme brutality to ensure that his will is carried out, as can also be seen in the sentencing of Antigone. Creon was brutal in the sentencing of Antigone, even though she was just trying to let her brother’s soul rest in peace in Hades, and to stop his corpse from being further defiled by birds and dogs. Creon could have lightened the sentence for Antigone, but he was so intent on keeping his earthly laws intact that he ignored the laws of the gods as well as the bond that Antigone and Polynices shared as siblings.
Creon is also shows brutality towards Antigone in the from of death. Antigone was given a meager supply of food and water, but after her ration ran out, she would slowly starve to death, with an unquenchable thirst, doubled over in the pain of starvation. Creon would not even give Antigone a faster, more humane death than starvation in a cold, dark cave. As Antigone walks to her death, Creon orders his guards to make fast work of closing her in the tomb, while he convinces himself that because he is not physically killing her, he is innocent of her death. “Wall her up in the tomb, you have your orders. Abandon her there, alone, let her choose- death or a buried life with a good roof for shelter. As for myself, my hands are clean.” Creon shows great brutality to order Antigone to die such a horrible death, and he tries to convince himself that he is not responsible for her death.
Creon acts unusually brutish when he and Ismene are discussing Antigone’s death. Ismene says: “What? You’d kill your own son’s bride (Barnet 1045) ?” Creon replies: “Absolutely: there are other fields to plow (Barnet 1045).” Creon implies that Haemon does not love Antigone, he is just using her for sex. Creon’s brutish nature does not even entertain the possibility that Haemon might love Antigone and vice versa. Creon brutally tears these two lovers apart, ignoring Haemon’s proclamations of his love for Antigone.
Antigone is a thoroughly admirable character because she stands up for what she believes in and is willing to die for her beliefs. She admits that she broke Creon’s law, and does not hide or lie when it is found that she buried Polynices. Antigone is also admirable because she does not regret breaking Creon’s law, even though she is going to die for her actions. “ Antigone was torn between her love for her brother, her obedience to the state, and devotion to the god’s commands. Antigone is a noble, sensitive, courageous woman with strong natural affections. Her tragedy is that she is caught between conflicting loyalties and must choose between a higher allegiance and death or slavery and life (Lever).”
Antigone believed that it was wrong not to bury Polynices, so she took it upon herself to bury him. Antigone tells Ismene, “I’ll bury him myself. And even if I die in the act, that death will be a glory. (Barnet 1032) ” She is even willing to die for what she believes in, since she is fully aware that Creon decreed that whomsoever even attempts to bury Polynices will be executed. Many people have very strong beliefs, but how many people can honestly say that they are willing to die for their beliefs as Antigone is willing to do?
Antigone is also very admirable because even as she is being marched to her death in the cave, she does not regret burying Polynices. The only thing Antigone regrets is that she will never get married, have children or grow old. She laments, “O tomb, my bridal-bed - my house, my prison cut in hollow rock, my everlasting watch! ... Polynices, because I laid your body out as well, this, is my reward. Nevertheless I honored you-the decent will admit it-well and wisely too (Barnet 1052, 1053).” Antigone’s bravery, even as she is moments away from being locked in a tomb to die, is fiercely admirable.
Also, Antigone willingly and proudly admits to Creon that it was she who buried Polynices. Creon suspects that Ismene also helped Antigone, but Antigone admits that it was all her doing. Although Antigone could have shared the blame with her sister, she admirably decides to tell the truth, save her sister from her own fate, and bear the brunt of Creon’s fury. “...she wants to take full credit and blame for her action. She will not allow her sister to assume any of the guilt. She believes that what she has done will be approved by the gods (Milch 53).”
Creon was obviously a brutal and cruel king, and Antigone was clearly an admirable young martyr. Antigone has pure, idealistic intentions, which is fiercely admirable. Throughout the entire play, Creon only had brutal and self-serving intentions. Creon was only interested in controlling Thebes and enforcing his own laws. Antigone was forced to violate man’s laws in order to pursue something far more important to her- the gods’ laws as well as family loyalty.
Antigone
Mrs. Harris
2/10/05
Although millennia have passed since Sophocles wrote Antigone, the characters Antigone and Creon continue to be analyzed by high school English classes and scholars alike. Brian Vickers claims that Creon is brutal and Antigone is thoroughly admirable, and this statement is true. While Creon is not entirely at fault for Antigone’s fate, he is definitely brutal, and while Antigone has a few flaws, she is still thoroughly admirable.
Before the novel begins, Antigone’s two brothers, Polynices and Eteocles, are rivaling for the throne of the city of Thebes. They both claim that throne is rightfully theirs, and Polynices invades Thebes, but Polynices and Eteocles kill each other in the battle. Creon takes the throne and declares that no one shall bury Polynices, under penalty of death, but he gives Eteocles a proper burial. Antigone is outraged, and she and her sister discuss burying Polynices. Ismene decides against it, but Antigone buries her brother despite the laws that forbid her to. When a guard reports to Creon that Polynices was buried, he threatens to kill the guard unless the criminal is caught. Antigone is caught repeating the burial rites, and she freely admits to Creon that she did indeed bury Polynices, and she is ready to die for this cause. Creon sentences her to death, but since popular opinion was against Antigone’s death, Creon decided to shut Antigone in a cave with some food and water so that if she died, it would be up to the gods. Haemon, Creon’s son, and Antigone are in love, and even though Haemon begs Creon no to kill his love, Creon will not relent. A prophet named Teiresias warns Creon that unless he buries Polynices and pardons Antigone, the gods will devastate Thebes and kill Haemon. In the end, Antigone hangs herself in the cave, and when Haemon finds her dead, he kills himself. When Creon’s wife finds that their son is dead, she kills herself also. Creon is left a shadow of his former powerful, envied self (Reinhold 88).
Creon is brutal in many parts of the play. He threatens to kill the guards unless they find out who buried Polynices. He sentences Antigone to death, even though she is his friend’s daughter and his son’s love. He refuses to bury Polynices even though it was the gods’ law that all men should be buried. Creon shows no mercy and his will to kill Antigone remains unbending until Teiresias predicts that his mighty city will lay in ruin and his son will be killed unless he pardons Antigone and buries Polynices (Reinhold 90). It is not his conscience nor is it mercy that changes his mind. Creon changes his mind to entombing Antigone in a cave instead of stoning her because he does not want the guilt of physically killing her, but he does not want to lose his power as king of Thebes.
The fact that Creon refuses to bury Polynices is a brutal punishment. The Ancient Greeks believed that unless the body of a dead person was buried, that person’s soul could not find rest in Hades (Kitto 147). To the Greeks, the eternal unrest of the soul was no doubt the worst punishment one could receive, yet Creon was willing to punish Polynices this way, simply to prove his own ultimate authority. This was an extremely brutal punishment that Creon decreed.
Although Creon rules his kingdom with an iron fist “[his] outburst of rage against the Watchman is quite unreasonable ... (Kitto 139)” Creon feels that he must keep order in his kingdom, but that does not mean that he can kill his watchmen as he pleases.
Creon is willing to act with extreme brutality to ensure that his will is carried out, as can also be seen in the sentencing of Antigone. Creon was brutal in the sentencing of Antigone, even though she was just trying to let her brother’s soul rest in peace in Hades, and to stop his corpse from being further defiled by birds and dogs. Creon could have lightened the sentence for Antigone, but he was so intent on keeping his earthly laws intact that he ignored the laws of the gods as well as the bond that Antigone and Polynices shared as siblings.
Creon is also shows brutality towards Antigone in the from of death. Antigone was given a meager supply of food and water, but after her ration ran out, she would slowly starve to death, with an unquenchable thirst, doubled over in the pain of starvation. Creon would not even give Antigone a faster, more humane death than starvation in a cold, dark cave. As Antigone walks to her death, Creon orders his guards to make fast work of closing her in the tomb, while he convinces himself that because he is not physically killing her, he is innocent of her death. “Wall her up in the tomb, you have your orders. Abandon her there, alone, let her choose- death or a buried life with a good roof for shelter. As for myself, my hands are clean.” Creon shows great brutality to order Antigone to die such a horrible death, and he tries to convince himself that he is not responsible for her death.
Creon acts unusually brutish when he and Ismene are discussing Antigone’s death. Ismene says: “What? You’d kill your own son’s bride (Barnet 1045) ?” Creon replies: “Absolutely: there are other fields to plow (Barnet 1045).” Creon implies that Haemon does not love Antigone, he is just using her for sex. Creon’s brutish nature does not even entertain the possibility that Haemon might love Antigone and vice versa. Creon brutally tears these two lovers apart, ignoring Haemon’s proclamations of his love for Antigone.
Antigone is a thoroughly admirable character because she stands up for what she believes in and is willing to die for her beliefs. She admits that she broke Creon’s law, and does not hide or lie when it is found that she buried Polynices. Antigone is also admirable because she does not regret breaking Creon’s law, even though she is going to die for her actions. “ Antigone was torn between her love for her brother, her obedience to the state, and devotion to the god’s commands. Antigone is a noble, sensitive, courageous woman with strong natural affections. Her tragedy is that she is caught between conflicting loyalties and must choose between a higher allegiance and death or slavery and life (Lever).”
Antigone believed that it was wrong not to bury Polynices, so she took it upon herself to bury him. Antigone tells Ismene, “I’ll bury him myself. And even if I die in the act, that death will be a glory. (Barnet 1032) ” She is even willing to die for what she believes in, since she is fully aware that Creon decreed that whomsoever even attempts to bury Polynices will be executed. Many people have very strong beliefs, but how many people can honestly say that they are willing to die for their beliefs as Antigone is willing to do?
Antigone is also very admirable because even as she is being marched to her death in the cave, she does not regret burying Polynices. The only thing Antigone regrets is that she will never get married, have children or grow old. She laments, “O tomb, my bridal-bed - my house, my prison cut in hollow rock, my everlasting watch! ... Polynices, because I laid your body out as well, this, is my reward. Nevertheless I honored you-the decent will admit it-well and wisely too (Barnet 1052, 1053).” Antigone’s bravery, even as she is moments away from being locked in a tomb to die, is fiercely admirable.
Also, Antigone willingly and proudly admits to Creon that it was she who buried Polynices. Creon suspects that Ismene also helped Antigone, but Antigone admits that it was all her doing. Although Antigone could have shared the blame with her sister, she admirably decides to tell the truth, save her sister from her own fate, and bear the brunt of Creon’s fury. “...she wants to take full credit and blame for her action. She will not allow her sister to assume any of the guilt. She believes that what she has done will be approved by the gods (Milch 53).”
Creon was obviously a brutal and cruel king, and Antigone was clearly an admirable young martyr. Antigone has pure, idealistic intentions, which is fiercely admirable. Throughout the entire play, Creon only had brutal and self-serving intentions. Creon was only interested in controlling Thebes and enforcing his own laws. Antigone was forced to violate man’s laws in order to pursue something far more important to her- the gods’ laws as well as family loyalty.